Sipping in a Virtual World

Those of us who thrive on the camaraderie of in-person events continue the drawn-out wait for safe gatherings. Just as we approached a return to normal, a new surge of cases pulled us back into the virtual world. Online platforms remain the go-to for connecting and sharing ideas about the brands
we serve.

When your core job responsibilities center on engaging consumers face-to-face and generating excitement about brands through tastings, it’s no wonder that uncertainty and fear are frequent feelings in the midst of a pandemic. (Let’s be realistic: It’s hard to compete against free samples.) But since virtual events are what we’ve got, let’s make them effective.

Indira Vegel is the brand strategist for ABC Fine Wine & Spirits.

Convincing an audience to join you online is nowhere near as easy as we wish it to be. How many people truly want to sit in front of a computer without samples of everything they’re learning about? The secret is two- fold: One, tell a compelling story, and two, make recordings that can live online long after your event is over.

As Florida’s oldest and largest family-owned alcohol retailer, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has maintained an innovative spirit, which is why we quickly joined this trend. At first, our events were well attended, but after several weeks, they got a little stale. That was when we changed our outlook. Virtual events should be crafted to provide content you could not otherwise showcase and post. We’ve learned that while we
cannot hand viewers a drink, we can provide valuable content in the form of Wine 101 classes and how-to segments on, for example, pairing wine with Christmas dinner or mixing bar-worthy cocktails at home.
Have a great view in your vineyard, distillery, or tasting room? Make it a tour. Although not everyone will watch such programming live, we’ve noticed the view count rising in the days and weeks that follow an event.

The more we test out thematic virtual events, the more our viewership grows. I have personally sat through more than 150 virtual tastings, some as a guest and some as a moderator. I have noticed that the more we focus on a theme or share stories about the people behind the brand, the more engaged the audience becomes.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this, it’s that virtual events are not merely substitutes for their real-life counterparts. Rather, they offer a new channel of communication to benefit from in the long run. Make them the focus of your brand’s media strategy by providing a platform for your amazing storytellers to shine in videos that will stay online for as long as you want. It takes patience, but thanks to them, your audience will grow.

THE TASTING PANEL ~ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021