Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog

Industry vs. Non Industry & The Internet

One of the most unique aspects of the just closed "Electronic Wine Survey" is the association of the respondents to the wine and food industry. Of the 266 respondents, fully 54% identify themselves as working in, producing a product for, or publishing information related to the wine or food industries. I don't know if other blogs have this kind of high percentage of industry folks, but I doubt it's too many.

This begs the question, how is the relationship with the Internet and wine different for industry-associated folks than those not associated with the industry.

To start with, those associated with the industry are far more interested in looking to the Internet for Wine Business Information than those not associated with it. 82% of industry associated respondents said they look to the Internet for wine business news, while only 30% of those not identified with the wine industry only "business news" as what they look to the Internet for. What do non-industry associated respondents want from the Internet? Wine Reviews. 82% of these respondents cited wine reviews as what they look for on the Internet. This makes perfect sense. On the other hand, it means I'm not serving half those who come to this blog.

It also turns out that folks associated with the industry show more appreciation for wine information published in print publications than non-industry respondents do, while non-industry respondents have greater respect for Internet-based wine information. This strikes me as intuitively rational given the relative importance print publications maintain in helping to sell and market wines.

As for buyng wine online, only 56% of industry-related respondents say they purchase wine online, while 66% of non-industry respondents claim to purchase wine online.

Non industry respondents also buy more wine on-line. 20% of this group reported buying 50% or more of their wine from online sources, while industry only 10% of industry respondents reported buying 50% of their wine online.

And it turns out that when industry respondents do buy wine online they are FAR more likely to buy their wine from a retail wine website than non-industry respondents. Industry folks reported buying from retailer web sites 42% of the time vs 27% of the time from winery websites. Non industry respondents buy from retailer and winery websites in equal amounts.

Another interesting discovery about the differences between industry-associated respondents and non-industry respondents is the number of different websites they buy wine from. Non-industry associated respondents buy wine from a wider variety of websites. 28% of non-industry associated respondents said they purchased wine from 5 or more websites in the past twelve months while only 15% of industry-related respondents were so promiscuous in their online buying habits. I can't quite figure out why this would be other than perhaps prejudice of association. It has been suggested that industry-related respondents likely have unique access to wines that are obtained off line. It may have something to do with the fact that industry-associated folks are somewhat less likely to actually buy wine online.

Now, here is one of the findings I found MOST interesting. When considering the downside of online wine buying, it appears that folks in the wine industry have more trouble navigating websites. 33% of industry respondents had complaints with online wine site navigation while only 23% of non-industry members had the same complaint. Meanwhile, 13% of industry respondents had complaints about checkout difficulties while only 7% of non-industry respondents had the same complaint.

What exactly does this mean? I suppose you could say they are less accustomed to buying wine online and therefore perhaps less familiar with the process. But let's face it, it's not brain surgery.

Finally, there is this nugget. Non-wine industry respondents make more money than industry members. Hmmm!?!

RECAP:
--Industry Respondents (IR) Look to the Net for Business News
--Non Industry Respondents (NIR) Look to the Net for Wine Reviews

--IR Have More Appreciation for Printed Wine News than NIR

--NIR Purchase More Wine On-line Than IR

--NIR Purchase a Larger Percentage of Their Wine On-line

--IR Are Much More Likely To buy From On-line Retailers than NIR

--NIR Use A Wider Variety of Websites To Procure Their Wines than NIR Do

--IR Have More Difficulty Navigating Wine Websites Than NIR Do.

--NIR Make More Money Than IR

 

What Does It All Mean?

In the next few posts I want to examine the results of the "Electronic Wine" Survey. But in this first post I'd like to look at the overall results. There are some interesting findings when you start parsing the results, but for now let's look at the overall findings.

You can see the overall results of the 266 respondents yourself BY CLICKING HERE.

First and foremost, take note of the fact that nearly everyone that took the survey says they use the Internet to educate themselves about wine. Stunned? Good. I hope not. What they say they use it for is interesting however.While 45% say they use the Internet for "Wine Pricing Information", only 25% say they use the Internet for "Purchasing Advise". Meanwhile, 68% say they they are most likely use the Internet for finding "Wine Reviews". Now, combine this information with the fact that fully 40% of the respondents said they DO NOT use the Internet for wine buying. Perhaps this question was not phrased correctly. But perhaps it means lots of people look use the Internet for wine buying the same way they use it for car buying: They do the research on-line, then buy offline.

I must say, I'm surprised by that 40% saying they don't use the Internet for wine buying. This tells me that there is LOTS of room for growth in the on-line buying world.

Another interesting finding is how respondents view the utility of on-line wine information vs. print wine information. In general, respondents find the two sources similar in quality over a variety of categories. EXCEPT in the area of "Wine Pricing Information" and "Basic Wine Information". By far, respondents view wine pricing information better on the Internet than in print publications. This should be no surprise thanks in large part to folks like Wine Searcher and Snooth and others. But I was surprised to see the Internet get the nod in a significant way over print publications when it comes to "Basic Wine Information". Perhaps it's just the huge amount of Basic Wine Information that exists on the Internet that gives this venue the nod over print.

Now here's something VERY interesting: 60% of respondents said they purchase no more than 10% of their wine on the Internet. Maybe it's just my own experience that makes this a surprise to me. In our house upwards of 80% is purchased on-line. Still, I would have expected more. Again, this tells me there is huge potential for growth in on-line wine sales. And, by the way, take note that it's wine retailers that get a significantly higher percentage of on-line sales over winery websites.

What's wrong with the on-line buying experience. Clearly it's a lack of accessibility. Almost half the respondents cited "Shipping Not Available in My State" as the biggest problem with on-line wine shopping". What does this mean? Combined with the fact that more folks say they buy from on-line retailers than wineries, it means I need to work harder on behalf of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association to get more states into the game and thereby more consumers into the game.

Finally, who are the respondents? Well, we tend to be well-educated males between 40 and 60 years of age who make decent money. Who is surprised?

More interesting analysis coming. For now, take a look at the basic results HERE.

Take The Electronic Wine Survey...It's Closing Soon

The "ELECTRONIC WINE" Survey will close  on Monday morning, April 28.

Tell us about you and wine online before it's too late.

UPDATE:
We're closed! THANK YOU To all that took survey!

 

Give Me More Data!

If you've not taken the ELECTRONIC WINE SURVEY yet I urge you to. I want to get a really good sample of readers to make sure the results are meaningful.

The survey on your relationship with wine and the Internet will take no more than 3 minutes. Your response are 100% confidential.

Thanks so much!

Tom...

Electronic Wine: Take The Survey

What's your relationship to wine on the Internet?
Are you a buyer?
A big buyer?
A reader?
A student of wine using the net?

These are the things I'm curious about when it comes to Fermentation readers and that's why I've created...

THE ELECTRONIC WINE SURVEY

It's a simple, quick survey that will give an indication of just how deep Fermentation readers are into the world of wine on the Internet as well as give an indication of their feelings about the way the Internet delivers wine information and access to wine.

So please...

TAKE THE SURVEY BY CLICKING HERE!!

The results will be posted here for all to see when the survey is closed and your responses are 100% Confidential.

Thanks you,
Tom.....

Who Trusts Wine Bloggers?

This blog does not publish reviews of wines. That fact makes this blog fairly unusual in the world of wine blogs as many, if not most, do indeed review wines.

It's for this reason that I find the following results of the just finished survey conducted of readers of this wine blog most interesting:

Q. Have you ever purchased a wine after seeing it reviewed on a wine blog?

YES: 68%
NO 32%

If you are a wine blogger and review wines on your blog, consider these findings seriously.

If you are a winery that utilizes 3rd Party endorsements as a method of marketing, consider these results seriously.

...............Are you finished considering these findings?

Good. It shouldn't have taken too long to understand the implications.

Now, given that most wine bloggers are not "professional" wine critics, you should probably consider this question: Why are folks SO WILLING to take the advice of a wine blogger who is quite likely to have no professional experience evaluating wines for the consumer?

The answer clearly has something to do with trust. So consider the answer to this question that also appeared on our recently completed survey of FERMENTATION readers:

Q. Generally, how trustworthy do you believe the information is that you read on wine blogs?

Extremely Trustworthy: 9%
As Trustworthy As Any Other Medium: 85%
It's Not Very Trustworthy: 6%

There is a lot going on in this response that needs to be considered and I suspect I'll be considering them in the future. But for the moment its enough to point out, in conjunction with these results, that the number of readers of wine blogs is growing and there is no reason to believe that each new reader of wine blogs will be substantially different from those that are reading wine blogs now.

Wine Blog Survey Ending Today

The current survey on wine blogs and how they are used will close down today at 5pm.

If you have not yet taken the survey, I urge you to so.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE WINE BLOG SURVEY

The results will be posted as soon as possible.

Thanks very much to those who have participated.

Go Ahead And Do It!

Now's as good a time as any!

Go ahead. do it

Take the Survey on How and Why Wine Blogs Are Read

The survey is only a few questions long and shouldn't take more than two or three minutes max. Your answers and identity are strictly confidential.

We'll be publishing the results of the survey next week.

Thanks very much in advance!!

Survey: The Meaning of Wine Blogs

Why do you like wine blogs? Do you like them?

How do you read them? What do you look for in a wine blog?

I've been wondering what you all think of wine blogs in general and how you use them. So I thought I'd ask...in the form of a survey.

Your identity and your responses to "THE MEANING OF WINE BLOGS" survey is confidential. So, have at it. Let me know what wine blogs mean to you!

To fill out the "MEANING OF WINE BLOGS survey...

CLICK HERE

Wine Ratings: Who Loves Them...Who Doesn't?

Anyone who doubts the power of numerical wine ratings, particularly the 100 Point system, just isn't living in the same world as me. Let me explain what I, a wine marketer, see when I look at numerical ratings:

1. The opportunity to become an overnight success with a single rating from the right reviewer

2. The opportunity to have my entire brand dismissed with a single wrathing from the wrong reviewer.

3. The chance to sell out 1000s of cases of wine on the back of one good rating and little marketing.

4. An enormous incentive to make a wine that mimics those that get high ratings.

5. The most powerful sales tool in the history of winemaking, more important even than the quality of the wine.

In our recent "Tough Wine Questions" survey here at Fermentation I asked three questions about numerical wine rating. In the first question I wanted to know what people thought of the utility of wine ratings in terms of choosing a wine. The responses were split down the middle with 51% saying they are helpful in choosing a wine and 49% saying they are of no use.

WOW.

What's really interesting is what happens when we examine those who thought them useless. These people are 1) far more likely to believe numerical ratings are HURTING the wine industry, more likely to believe numerical ratings promote "sameness" in wine styles and...importantly...much more likely to work in or around the wine industry.

It may be that by being in the wine industry you are more likely to have been affected in some way by a bad review and this taints your view of the utility and effect of numerical wine ratings. But I think there might be more to it than that.

WHY THE INDUSTRY IS SKEPTICAL OF RATINGS
First, it's likely that if you are in the industry or around wine a lot or drink a lot of wine you simply don't need reviews to help you find a wine. Maybe you even resent their ubiquity. I also am convinced there is a genuine concern that numerical wine ratings are promoting greater sameness of style among wines from various terroirs and varietals. When we asked if numerical wine ratings promote "sameness" in wine 78% of respondents said yes. Of those who find ratings of no use in choosing a wine, 85% said it promotes sameness. It's no surprise that those who said ratings promote sameness in wine styles were more likely to say the wine industry was hurt by ratings.

As with the issue of high alcohols in wine there appears to be a concern INSIDE the wine industry over the utility and effect of numerical wine ratings. Of those who identified themselves as not being in the wine industry, they were much more likely to think ratings were helpful in choosing a wine and that ratings made wine more accessible.

I don't think there is any question that numerical wine ratings make wine more accessible to more people. Folks that just want a good wine stare up at a shelf of over 50 cabernets, 50 chards and hundreds of other wines all on the same shelf. Which to buy? That 90 point Pinot must be good.

I"LL KEEP USING RATINGS
Will the skepticism of the industry filter down to the buying public? Not in my lifetime. What's more, I'll continue to use numerical wine ratings to help promote the wines of Wark Communications clients, even though I'm one of those folks who think they hurt the creativity and diversity in the wine industry. Not using these scores would simply be letting my clients down given their huge potential to gain customers from them.