Online marketing and social media usage in wine business

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Online marketing and social media usage in wine business (Chateau des Charmes)
Chateau des Charmes is one company that has embraced online marketing and social media usage in the wine business. The winery has a catchy website which is aesthetically pleasing. The website is intuitive and speaks for itself and can be described using seven elements of website designs. The elements include “context, content, community, customization, communication, connection, and commerce.” Considering the context, the website of the winery has a layout and design which is uncluttered and easy to read and navigate. It has an appropriate color scheme for marketing design with some white spaces which aid the overall design and readability. It has the aspect of halo effect which occurs when people think the website looks good thus broaden the scope of positive judgment. Based on the content, the website has appropriate texts and pictures which give relevant information about the company’s products and the brand (“Château Des Charmes Wines” N.p). It more appealing when the company states it grows its own grapes, which is the best way to make fine wine. It is emphasized by having the picture of that plantation in the background of the website.
Considering the community element, the website allows interaction with customers such that customers may sign up and also buy products online from the website. However, the website lacks live charts which may be an essential element in customer interaction.

Customers are also able to submit questions or comment on the website (“Château Des Charmes Wines” N.p). Considering customization, the website can tailor itself to various users. For instance, it has different graphics, colors, and languages which allow the customers to personalize certain aspects of this website. The communication element of the website is achieved through signing up as a customer and contact information. Considering the connection element, the website has various links to other sites such as ‘Generation Seven’ and ‘Earth and Sky.’ Finally, on the element of commerce, the website has capabilities which enable commercial transactions.
The winery has an official Facebook page named ‘Chateau des Charmes.’ The currently has 3,764 followers. The content of the last 20 posts is mainly new products, grape growing, and new tasting experience. The winery makes various posts on a daily basis on average. The types of these posts on Facebook include upcoming events, previous events, the company’s products and their prices, videos of the farming land and Ice-wine festival celebrations. However, it is evident that there is little interaction on the Facebook page. As much as there are numerous posts, there are few likes and comments in various posts. Similarly, there are no replies in most posts with comments which indicate little interaction on the Facebook page. Based on various posts on the Facebook page, many people are moved by posts that contain promotional messages. Posts that appeals to most people include offers and new products.
The winery has 2447 posts on Instagram and 6949 followers in its Tweeter account. On the Instagram, there are numerous photos of products, events, fun moments and grape plantations among others. The contents of the latest 20 posts on Tweeter are mainly the company’s products and the Winery’s brand. Just like on the Facebook page, the interaction with the followers on both tweeter and Instagram account is minimal. There are few replies and re-tweets which show little interaction with the users. The posts, receiving the highest number of likes as well as comments are the posts of the Winery’s products. Most of these posts bear the brand of the winery. Most of these posts are promotional in nature, and some of the products/wines have been termed as the most cherished products.
There are communication contents that can be identified from the social media platforms used by the winery. One of the key messages that the winery is communicating is the fact it makes the finest and the best quality wine. The message is achieved by emphasizing that it grows its own grapes, which is the best way to make fine wine. The winery is sending a message that it is a position to produce the finest wine. It is also keeping an eye on its brand while experimenting with new products. The winery does this on the medial social platforms by rewarding loyal fans, educating and partnering with complementary brands such as Generation Seven. The winery posts regular updates from the winemaker, recipes and harvest notes. By doing this, it sends the message of its consistency and quality contents of its products. Finally, the winery is also inviting potential customers to buy its products.
Integrated marketing strategy normally adds value for companies by ensuring consistency of messages as well as the complementary use of the media. Chateau des Charmes uses integrated marketing communication which is a holistic approach to marketing communications. The winery observes consistency in the information on its websites and the various social media platforms such as Facebook and Tweeter. For instance, all corporate events posted consistently on the winery’s website and the social media platforms. It prevents the situation where the company’s website says one thing while social media pages and videos on YouTube say something different.
Work Cited
“Château Des Charmes Wines.” Fromtheboscfamily.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 Jan. 2018.