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Robert Joseph persuades FENAVIN to really listen to the consumer: it is important to be clear on who the competition is and it is very important to tell a story

The Expert and Chief Editor of Wine Business International discoursed on the globalization of supermarkets

To really listen to the consumer and watch out for the market trends; a good "PowerPoint", clear and precise information that clearly explains what differentiates your wine from the one you want to overtake and renovation every three years of the package and/or label, are some of the tips that the British specialist and writer of wines Robert Joseph, Chief Editor of Wine Business International, put forward this morning at FENAVIN.

"The Inflexible Gondola, globalization of the supermarkets" was the title of the chat, which filled the auditorium to its full capacity and during which Robert Joseph talked about whether the gondolas are imposing their rules on wines displayed in the same; or are the wines and new packaging what are marking the line to be followed in the display. In this sense he considers that "most consumers do not want to spend a lot of time looking through a huge list of wines. They like offers or what look like offers that they can quickly buy".

This was an entertaining chat in which he affirmed that he does not like experiments or a "ménage á trois" type of situation, as he considers that taking too many risks to sell is not a good idea, and he also used Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie as the duo to illustrate his dissertation. Joseph is also a vine grower and winemaker in Languedoc (France) and in California (USA) and he revealed his point of view on how to do business and why people buy or don"t buy.

"In the United States it is impossible to sell anything without a precise PowerPoint presentation that lasts between 2 to 7 minutes, that responds to what each consumer wants. A PowerPoint that clearly states who you are, what your wines are like, the quality of the wines, what differentiates you from the competition and, above all, that tells a story, a story about the winery or about the wine".

Joseph really insisted on adapting each label and packaging modality to the consumer to which it is directed, be the same a sybarite, an expert, a woman or an enthusiast… "because it is not the same thing to go to a high class restaurant than to any old restaurant; or taking a rosé wine to a picnic, "What do I do with a bottle opener at a picnic? Maybe a screw top is better than a cork, maybe it"s more practical without a cork", he added.

In the opinion of this expert "if you know who your consumers are, then you will know how to contact with them. If you know who your competitors are, you will know how to differentiate yourself from them and win the sales battle". And in that information you have to include your distributor or supplier, who must also be quite clear on the matter of "how much wine you have and how much wine you are going to introduce on the market".

During his intervention he talked about the "inflexible gondola" or the wine cellar that every store or restaurant has. Many of them forget that to have a new wine list you first have to get rid of what cannot be sold, a wine that your staff and customers are probably used to and probably enjoy. The new product has to convince the buyer not only that it is good and that it has a good price, but that it is even better than the one that was sitting on the shelf".

In as far as the best method to efficiently reach the consumer is concerned, or the best way to invite a lover of wine to discover an unknown wine, he affirms that "you can"t separate word of mouth from social media. Its all social media now and that must be taken very much into account".

On the other hand and on that pertaining to the introduction of a newcomer to the world of wine, this international specialist on wine says ""no" efforts should be made to educate them. They don"t want or need to be educated. What you have to do is create alliances, ally wine to something they are really interested in, such as music or fashion".

I have seen impressive wines in Spain

Robert Joseph has absolute respect and consideration for FENAVIN, where already this morning he has seen "impressive wines", as he stated during an interview with TVE, national television, and during which he encouraged Spanish wineries to provide their wines with more added value and to be more efficient in the commercialization of their products.

And prior to this, in an article published in the March issue of his magazine –with a circulation of 10,330 copies every two months, with a wide-spreading international distribution- he said that: "Fenavin is Spain"s Most Important Trade Fair".

As he explained in that text, "now that there seems to be a certain shortage of wine, Spain is turning into the ideal destination for buyers in search of a variety of wines at all prices. And FENAVIN is precisely where the producers gather together to display their products to the world".

He seriously highlighted the efficiency of Fenavin: "The fact that I can discover a lot of wines very quickly and meet the producers". And he encouraged Spanish winemakers to give more added value to their products, because there are many unknown regions in Spain and they have fabulous wines".