Just Picking Grapes Or...Harvesting Our Next Occasion

We came up with this title after viewing two very different YouTube videos, from two very different winemakers, showcasing their most recent harvest. Although both showed grapes being picked, they each told a very different story.

One video from Benziger Family Winery, was simple and shot in the vineyard. It was authentic, and captured the heartfelt excitement and enthusiasm of a new harvest. It highlighted happy family members, to include a new granddaughter. It highlighted happy workers, as well as people proud to be taking part in this exhilarating, meaningful and most important process.

http://youtu.be/pSX0RVkamL0

The other video from another well known winery, was edited together in an editing room and appeared as a theater quality production. It may have even contained credits. It showed people picking grapes, but it looked more like a job, rather than an occasion.

Can you guess which one of these videos created an emotional connection? When buying a bottle of Benziger wine, you feel like you are donating to the cause, not just adding to a company's bottom line.

A brand's smart use of social media platforms can create and nurture sustainable emotional connections. Through authentic and non-intrusive interaction, a simple engagement between brand and individual can develop into a lasting connection.

"Carry your brand DNA into social media channels"

WineTwits, a Twitter-powered community that brings wine enthusiasts together, is taking a very interactive approach. Through Tweets, and interaction via their website, WineTwits is able to guide immersive experiences, connecting brands with people. An upcoming event, Beaujolais #NouveauDay, will feature an interactive wine tasting,with an expected global and witty participation via Twitter. In a recent conversation with Steve Gilberg, founder of DrinkTwits Media (parent company of WineTwits), Steve offered these thoughts: "It is a huge mistake to not use social media". Steve also observed: "Carry your brand DNA into social media channels". Using these ideas along with authentic non-intrusive interaction, he has been able to significantly raise his brand's awareness. Speaking for not only his brand, Steve says: "For brands, someone internally needs to take ownership of the social media". He also believes that "Used properly, Twitter is one of the greatest lead generation tools he has ever seen."

Sustainable social media connections require: Authenticity, Conviction and Flexibility

As we noted within our recent report, people are keen to define and build trusted resources, as they are soon to become important elements of true influence for purchase decisions. For brands, authentic content and messages are the first step. Engagement alone does not create influence or a likeliness to share…Influence and involvement arise from nurtured interaction in the age of all-of-us.

So, are you just picking grapes? Or, are you harvesting our next occasion? As you make social media decisions (what platform, what channel, who will handle social media, etc.), remember: Be authentic and make your message lead to an occasion!