California poppy bloom leads to overtourism, NBA stars are changing the game of wine reviews, the relationship between restaurants and wineries, a major airline wants to showcase women artists and the overlooked generation wine brands should be trying to engage. Read on for these new developments and more.

SoCal City gets a taste of overtourism during the “Poppy Apocalypse”

Skift

After seeing the photos all over social media, it’s no surprise that the recent poppy bloom in Southern California’s Lake Elsinore brought up to 50,000 daily visitors, according to Skift. The small town was unprepared for the social media frenzy, after which Mayor Steve Manos revealed that “Everything that could go wrong went wrong.” On the bright side, sales are booming for restaurants and retailers all over the city and the mayor is now working towards developing a tourism district so that they might be able to take advantage of this type of visitation in the future.

How has your brand taken a negative experience and turned it into a positive?

The “Lebron James Effect” on wine

@dwaynewade

Years ago, a select handful of educated critics were the ones to decide whether a wine was good or bad but now, just about anyone with a large following on social media has a heavy influence over purchasing decisions. This group can include Instagram models, movie stars and even professional athletes. The Wall Street Journal recently examined this phenomenon using the example of when NBA star Lebron James posted a photo of the 2014 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the next day a Vivino user gave the Jordan Chardonnay a 4.5 out of 5 review with a tasting note that simply stated, “LeBron.”

Do you think celebrities and social influencers are credible sources for wine recommendations? Do they need to be?

How wine brands can invest in restaurant relationships

It’s no secret that food and wine are a perfect pairing, but did you know that 50 percent of consumers who try and enjoy a wine brand at a restaurant or bar are likely to purchase that same wine later for at-home enjoyment? Wine Industry Advisor details several ways that wineries and restaurants could have a symbiotic relationship, including winemaker dinners, wine education seminars, private tastings for restaurant staff, local marketing initiatives, or even by custom labels produced for that restaurant.

How does your brand engage with restaurants or other businesses?

United Airlines to Give Female Artists a Chance to Design a Boeing 757

Mural in Brooklyn, NY by Shantell Martin for Her Art Here contest with United Airlines

TravelPulse

In honor of Women’s History Month, United Airlines is hosting a contest to shine a light on underrepresented female artists. A Boeing 757 flies across the country 476 times, on average, providing women with a traveling canvas for millions to see. This project furthers United’s commitment to advancing women in the aviation field–they have more female pilots than any other airline!

Did your brand do anything to engage and empower women this month?

Is the wine industry wasting its time in marketing to millennials?

With so many wine brands spending “unprecedented resources” on marketing to millennials, Winesearcher begs the question, are we even marketing to the correct generation? In addition to millennials having a lower disposable income than other generations, the article notes that they are less brand loyal and more likely to jump between craft beer, spirits and cocktails, and wine. Top restaurants and wine retailers quoted in the article note that the oft-overlooked Generation X has been leading in terms of engagement and sales.

Should wine brands divert marketing efforts away from boomers and millennials and towards Generation X?

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