The business world moves in cycles, and if you live long enough you start to see them repeat. Today the popular press is replete with articles hyping the Urban Millennial Myth.It's the older tradition-loving Boomers who have become accustomed to Madison Avenue solving every need, want and desire - versus the edgy up-and-coming Next Generation. The Next-Gen is nothing like you've seen before and you need to get current with your marketing or you will end up on the losing end of the stick.... or so many would have you believe ... except its really a repeat of a cycle we've seen before and we can see the outcome.
Boomers today drive wine sales and its the women Boomers who are the primary wine buyers according to many studies. Those were the same bra-burning feminists that were labeled as radicals back in the 1960s and early 1970's when they were Millennials. They were nothing like we've ever seen before either .... well .... there was Susan B. Anthony in a prior cycle but that's another story.
An article that came out last week says Millennials are looking for non-pretentious products, non-traditional packaging, simple wines at an affordable price that speak to them; each are reported solutions for cracking the Millennial Code and developing a successful wine marketing program to that untapped pot of gold at the end of the cohort marketing rainbow.
 |
| Rima Fakih (Photo courtesy of Miss Michigan USA) |
"...flout the bureaucratic rules that dictate how wine should be made. It’s an eclectic, slightly subversive list with a decidedly anti-authoritarian bent."The description of Millennials and what they like sound eerily familiar ... non-traditional packaging, simple wines at an affordable price.... transparency, authenticity, adventure, irreverent behavior.....
Boom-illenials
Back to cycles - there was a day when the Boomers weren't traditionalists either. In the 1960's we Boomers wanted transparency... except we called it Government lies. We wanted authenticity ... except we called it "getting real." We leaned toward being irreverent and were called radicals. We were part of the Occupy Movement ... except we called the event a "sit-in." And we also drank wine - mostly inexpensive sweet wines; Blue Nun, Reunite (on ice ...), Grey Riesling, Mateus, Lancers, Rhineskeller, Paul Mason wine in carafe's, etc. Those brands were the wine company's solutions for marketing to the Boomers in that era .... wines from non-traditional regions and presented in non-traditional packages, emphasizing fun, adventure, and sex appeal. We were really anti-authoritarian, sustainably-green. Heck, we even recycled the Lancers bottles as candle holders! Millennial current day likes and dislikes are very similar to what came before them so there is a road map and we are seeing the same thing happening with the growth in Rieslings as an example, and the multitude of packaging.
Radical Feminism and Wine
Maybe Susan B Anthony didn't let liquor touch her lips, but Boomer women have been found in several studies to let a lot of wine touch their lips, and one can argue women Boomers are the most important wine cohort today. In one study, The Wine Market Council recently estimated 53% of people who drink wine more than once a week are women. Maybe someone should have marketed to them back in the '60s? Radical feminists as they were called in the 1960s, brought attention to their second-class plight by casting their makeup, high heels, girdles and bras into trash cans labeled "Freedom Trash Can" at the 1968 Miss America Pageant. In a decidedly anti-authoritarian manner, everything was tossed into the can and it was set afire. 
Gloria Steinem is one of the best-known feminists. She was at the epicenter of women who were burning their bras at the Miss America Pageant and working for positive change for women in our culture. Where did she end up? She's spent her life trying to advance the cause of women, but she's mellowed and become less radical and more traditional today. When she was recently asked to opine on Miley Cyrus vulgar dance (!generation gap alert!) at the VMA awards, this was her response:  |
| Gloria Steinem |
".... given the game as it exists, women make decisions. For instance, the Miss America contest is in all of its states ... the single greatest source of scholarship money for women in the United States. If a contest based only on appearance was the single greatest source of scholarship money for men, we would be saying, "This is why China wins." You know? It’s ridiculous. But that’s the way the culture is. I think that we need to change the culture, not blame the people that are playing the only game that exists." (highlighted for emphasis)
Wow! That's a huge evolution for Gloria Steinem. Not only did she not condemn the Miss America Pageant, she applauded the contestants for doing what they could do. Apparently, even the most radical among us will evolve over time.
Should I Market To Millennials Now?
Looking at how Gloria Steinem has evolved, do you think a brand created for her in the 1960's would still be effective today? I've heard the argument from many that its important to market wine to Millennials now, so they will be the next generation of wine drinkers. If you make $10-$20 wines as a mainstay, then by all means - market to Millennials because they might buy your wine today. But if you are making wines that are $20+ wines, then you are wasting your scarce marketing dollars. All that said, if we want to have Millennials learn to love American wines when they are in their thirties, that is an American Wine Industry issue. No question in my mind that the younger generation has access to and is drinking better foreign wine than the Boomers at a similar point in life. That should be a concern to the US wine industry and we should be looking at putting a Wine Marketing Order in place.
Take a clue from history. Were you to make a wine that appealed to the 60's Bra-Burning Radical Boomer Feminists when they were in their early 20's .... brands like Blue Nun, Grey Riesling, Mateus, Lancers, Rhineskeller, Reunite, Paul Mason wine in carafe's, etc. .... your branding would have been wasted just like those brands have wasted away to being gone or almost gone. The women who consumed those wines back then today really don't drink those wines. In the same way, there is little chance that the Millennial will develop loyalty to your brand that hits all their wants and desires now, and who stays with your brand forever because you were first to their party. Why? Because their tastes will change and when they have the money to make impactful purchases of your $20+ wine, they will be off to something else. History will repeat itself.
Millennials Are Last in Wine Spending
In the article I mentioned above, we sadly find the seemingly requisite and misleading stats that overstate the Millennials importance in current wine consumption, contributing to the growing urban myth by saying, Urban Myths and Women
I challenge anyone to find a reliable statistic that shows Millennials are spending more on wine than Boomers or Gen X'ers today. If you believe that to be true, then you've been sucked in by the Urban Myth of Millennials..... just like the myth of women burning their bra's in the 1968 Miss America Pageant. True story .... that never happened either. Nobody burned their bras at the Pageant and it was rare that anyone ever did. Its just another urban myth that keeps getting repeated over and over again until it starts being true, exactly like the Millennial Myth that is advanced into urban legend by self-serving reports and reporters. The reality is that what you read in the press (and stupid blogs for that matter) ... what's written isn't always true. Deciphering the truth can at times be perplexing, but from every angle available - what is clear to me is Millennials will evolve just like the Boomer women evolved, moving from gimmick wines and unique packaging to more structured wines, and then to fine wine. Of course, that's a generalization and you can just as easily argue not all will evolve that way and I would agree. For now, though, Millennials shouldn't be the targets of most family winery marketing programs today. Gen X should be your growth engine and Boomers should be your "cash cow."
The Feminism Movement made enormous strides for women's rights but with wine, there is more work to be done. In an article three years ago, a Master Sommelier pointed out 80% of the time a male/female couple sits at a table together, its still the man who is given the wine list and expected to make the decision. I'm thinking women deserve an equal chance to grab the list and suggest the practice of putting the list in the middle of the table makes the most sense.
And finally to Gloria Steinem, it turns out she is a Boomer and a wine lover - go figure. If you are interested and are planning on being in New York on December 23rd, you can see her at the City Winery with the musical group BETTY and ask her what she thinks.
Great piece...you have a typo in the second paragraph: "believe"
ReplyDeleteThank you Deba. I will fire the proof-reader immediately! (... sincerely appreciate it.)
DeleteIs it not rather true that the older cohorts of a population base will be the greatest reservoir of held assets and, that said, predictably have the resources to purchase such higher price points over the youngest (legal) cohorts who are just beginning to build their asset base?
ReplyDeleteThats absolutely true. Its a point that's lost in the discussion. Millennials may have the desire to purchase fine wine (thats a great thing for the future) but they don't have the capacity.
DeleteWineries selling fine wine should look at who's buying their wine. That's the important cohort and it starts around 35 when people are establishing families, buying homes, and creating wealth. They shouldn't market to people who can't afford their wine. As pointed out in the post, even if they did - those same younger people will change their tastes and move to something the do want.
What amazes me in the discussion about Millennials is the constant talk about their lack of loyalty to a brand followed by the discussion of how to market to them. Then there is the issue of their eschewing big corporations and demanding 'authentic' products. If they want authenticity and hate big corporations, then why is the generation buying cheap non-appelated wine from production level big wine companies? Answer: Because they buy what they can afford and what suits their entry level palates .... just like the Boomers did.
Just like "Boones Farm" and the like were offered as an entry level wine in the '70s, we can't dispel the fact that to move people from Coke and Snickers bars to wine is a progression of taste. Every generation goes through the same thing, start sweet and inexpensive and some graduate to dry reds. The important thing to remember here is nobody is wrong in where they land or how they get there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in Anon 10:42. I agree completely. That said, I've debated this exact point with others who think Millennials are different.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it doesn't matter where you end up. One of my favorite people was always a white zinfandel drinker - never evolved into anything more complex. I made it a practice to have some in my cellar all the time because its not what I want that matters, its what my guests want.
Thanks Rob, basic tenant of marketing I thought still applied. Roger King
ReplyDeleteRoger - You would think the basic tenant should apply: Sell your product only to who might desire it, and can afford it.
DeleteSadly, there have been studies, interviews, surveys, and reports that have over-hyped the Millennials for quite some time now, making them appear as if they are far more important today for a family winery.
This post was another attempt to link prior history as a guide to show Millennials will indeed get there at some point and have the palate and pocketbook, but trying to sell $20+ wine to them today is the proverbial tenant of selling icecubes to Eskimos.
Totally get it (and may not on how to reply under my name in your system) if one does not have the resources to purchase, the simple fact is you are currently NOT in MY market. Upward mobility was what I learned fixed that situation, but it implies a bit of aging to achieve market mass. Baby boom owns/controls somewhere north of 80% assets as we fully come into the post 50 demo, as before the younger will follow and take that position down line. THEN!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post Anon 11:12. Sorry about not being able to log in. Try joining the site in the box on the right side of the screen.
ReplyDeleteBack to cycles, there was a time in the late 80's and early 90's when the term "Aspiring Affluent" was a well-worn moniker. Luxury goods were brought from Mass Market, into Mass Luxury as luxury brands went "down market." Of late, I am hearing that term come out again. People don't have to have cash to buy affordable luxuries, but they have to have credit and be able to feel confident they can pay off their debts. When consumer credit flows again, thats when we will see growth in mass luxury and $20+ wines.
Good piece Rob. Any thoughts or better yet hard numbers, on Millennials and the single glass pour? I'm wondering if they are a better target for keg wine.
ReplyDeleteEmily - thanks for logging in. I did read an article recently about the increase in by the glass programs and something noting the under 35 crowd took a strong position in that delivery channel, but I don't remember who did the research nor did I retain the information. But the notion that Millennials CAN afford a by the glass program is intuitively sensible. I'd personally like to see a greater adoption in the Coravin system in bars so partons of any age can sample any wine they want in a by the glass program. Personally, I think fine wine drinkers might be fine with paying $30 for a glass of a wine that is $120 on the menu. That would be an interesting study to see where Millennials would come out on that spectrum.
ReplyDeleteRegarding kegs, I think thats a great delivery system. Problem at this point is the plumbing isn't in place at restaurants and bars. One can have a keg with its own tap so a house white and red can be poured efficiently and cost-effectively, but thats suboptimal as it relates to choice so more will have to be done with that before kegs become viable as I suspect they will.
I'm hoping the folks at Coravin jump into the commercial market soon and put out a commercial argon cannister so a bar can have a by the glass program with nearly infinate bottles on the menu.
Quality wine in twist-off and now keg wine are examples of changes in wine culture whose rate of acceptance is largely explained by the age of the drinker.
ReplyDeleteI would add to the boomer wine examples--Riunite so nice, Riunite on ice---and that was a broadcast medium campaign. Don't see many of those for wine anymore. And it took me years to learn that Lambrusco could actually taste pretty good. Marketing order? That's a campaign waged in the boardrooms of the Wine Groups and Gallos and Constellations of the world.
I know that you like older women, Rob, but Gloria Steinem ain't no boomer--by more than a decade. And I think y'all mean tenets, not tenants.
Thanks for weighing in PinotGraves. Marketing Orders are not easy to implement and based on the last result in wine, politically difficult to manage. That said - I do worry about the quality, price and access given foreign wine and what that means for tomorrow.
DeleteAnd way to ruin the central figure in my post! I never did the math but she's seventy-nine which removes her from Boomer-dom. It doesn't impact the point of the post .... if someone made a label for Gloria Steinem in the late 60's/early 70's - she probably wouldn't drink it today. Its just in this case the reason she wouldn't is because her kidneys probably don't process alcohol like they used to.
Who created Facebook? Millennials. Who used Facebook first? Millennials. Who uses Facebook now? Over one billion people. Who created Twitter? Millennials. Who used Twitter first? Millennials. Who uses Twitter now? Over one billion people. Millennials have created the greatest evolution in marketing since television advertising, and it has changed the way America does business. I'd call that pretty impactful.
ReplyDeleteAt 80 million, millennials make up the largest generation in US history. That's right, read that again. To ignore or de-emphasize their influence is to say you don't care about the long-term health of your business.
A recent article in Forbes clearly defines the difference between Boomers and millenials in this way: "the traditional equation for brand value was emotional benefits plus functional benefits divided by price. That equation does not hold true for millenials. The new equation is emotional benefits plus functional benefits PLUS participative benefits divided by price. And if you don't have the participative benefit, you can't win."
In other words, this millenial generation IS different. Millenials want to have relationships with the businesses they patronize. As Forbes note "they want to co-create the customer experience by which you will deliver those products and services, and they want to co-create your marketing."
No previous generation has ever invented and implemented the tools by which they wish to be marketed to until this one. In that respect, they are completely different than any generation before them.
You use a statistic that Millennials are last in wine consumption and spending at just 29%. I thought that made a pretty good case for you until I saw a stat that only 10% of Millennials abstain from alcohol beverage consumption. You imply it's proof that Millenials are overrated as to their influence on the marketplace. However, what this tells the savvy businessman is that wine marketers are doing a very poor job of reaching Millennials. Millennials are the largest generation at 80 million strong. 90% or 72 million of them consume alcohol. If only 29% are consuming wine, that means over 51 million of them are consuming beer and spirits instead. As a previous commenter tells us, the majority of growth in beer and spirits is coming from the craft segment. This tells us that the wine industry is already ignoring Millennials, while the upsurge in craft breweries and craft distillers is appealing directly to them. In 10 years, wine is NOT suddenly just going to become more appealing to them because they have more income. Rather, they'll just buy more expensive beers and spirits because they evolved and grew with them. To suggest that wineries should focus on Boomers as their "Cash Cow" is essentially telling them to keep on doing what you're doing now, and worry about the future tomorrow.
Businesses that ignore this generation now, face long-term consequences in the future.
FOOTNOTE - While bras were not burnt at the Miss America Pageant in 1968, several items that represented negative perceptions of women were in fact burned at ritual, including poorly designed feminine hygiene products, false eyelashes, fake nails, mops, and other symbolic items in protest. While your statement that "bras being burned is an urban legend" is true at face value, to not give the whole story could be seen as disingenuous.
Soothsayer -
DeleteThanks for weighing in with the alternative view. First thing you have to accept is that Millennials have no agreed upon clear definition from demographers. What is clear is the definition takes in a very wide range of birthdates and that muddies the water when trying to compare one cohort against the other.
When you spread out the population base over 5 year increments, there is no Millennial boom. Each 5 year segment represents about 6% of the total population. Claiming they are the largest cohort ever ignores that. It’s also a dubious statement. Using the 2010 US Census and Pew Research birth ranges, Boomers still are the largest cohort in current day terms ignoring deaths.
No question about your first paragraph. Millennials have been quite impactful in making a difference in the world and that will continue. Not quite sure how that matters relative to the discussion? I'm not making a value judgment to the efficacy of the cohort. Millennials will continue no doubt to evolve our world into new places unimagined by their elders.
You said,"Millennials are last in wine consumption and spending at just 29%." You misread and supported my exact point. There have been evangelicals throwing out stats that at first glance might appear to say something impressive, but on second glance it’s not what you think. You picked up a statistic from the Wine Market Council but it’s not a stat that is talking about the percentage of Millennials who buy wine.
There is a chart that I posted in the blog that shows how much Millennials purchase by average price point. Millennials in that chart represent less that 10% of total wine purchases. I have seen other credible sources suggesting their consumption is between 13%-18% depending on what's measured - price or volume. But even then - they are last in consumption of wine today.
In your last paragraph you are tossing out stats that require some additional support to be considered credible. For instance, "90% of Millennials consume alcohol." Millennial age ranges go from about an 8 year old to a 31 year old (again - there is no agreement in the age range.) Using my definition, only 43% are even of drinking age. Even if you are using Millennials over 21, you won’t get to 51 million.
The most recent information I show from Gallup reported that 73% of Millennials drink alcohol of any type which is roughly equal to Gen X.
Last to your footnote, I can't find any credible news report that anything was burned at the 1968 Miss America Pageant and would welcome being pointed in the right direction. But again, it’s really missing the point. My point was that a large percentage of the population has believed for years that bras were burned at that event. It turns out its urban myth - in the same way that evangelical reports purport to place Millennials at an impactful place in wine spending. Millennials are not there yet.
You are passionate about your perspective but it’s not supported with facts which makes your conclusion at the end in question. I sincerely appreciate your perspective though.
Poor Soothsayer....you were really onto something before you get lost in some bad math and pretzel logic. But you bring up a very interesting point that absolutely needs to be considered. "No generation before has ever invented and implemented the vehicle by which they wish to be marketed."
ReplyDeleteYou're not the only one that feels this way. Many Fortune 500 companies are tailoring their marketing and advertising to the Millennial generation because it's cheap, easy, and if you appeal to them, they'll stay loyal. And guess who is on board now? Only the world's second largest wine company....Constellation.
According to Fox Business, interest in wine from the Millennial generation is leading US winemakers to change not only the types of wine that they are producing, but also their branding and marketing approach. “Millennials are storming the wine market and they want adventure and demand more transparency from winemakers,” Rowan Gormley, CEO of Naked Wines, told Fox. “Younger drinkers are picking wines based on the story behind it, how they found it and what unique blend or region it comes from,” he added.
The number of Naked Wines’ customers that fall into the Millennial bracket (people born since 1980) has risen steadily over the past few years and now accounts for one third of the company’s sales.
Millennials above the legal drinking age accounted for 25.7% of wine volume sales in the US last year.
“Historically, wine has been marketed to older generations and came with a huge pretense,” Melissa Saunders, owner of wine importer Communal Brands, told Fox.
“But this generation is blowing all of that out of the water. They don’t care about the pretentiousness of a wine, they want something that is authentic and speaks to them. This is a huge marketing opportunity.
"The market for older, stuffier wines that are popular among older drinkers is diminishing and there is a new era coming for wine,” she added.
Chris Fehrnstrom, chief marketing officer for Constellation Brands, puts the number of Millennials of legal drinking age in the US at 62 million. 62 million. That's a significantly higher number than the basis Mr. McMillan uses, and it certainly changes the discussion, particularly given Fehrnstrom's next comment.
“Millennials are adopting wine at a faster rate than any other generation. They are experimental, rebellious and crave experiences, so we see this as an opportunity to connect with them,” Fehrnstrom told Fox.
The internet has played an invaluable role in making wine more accessible to Millennials , and fueling their interest in the industry. “Millennials are adding wine into their lives on their own terms – they’re not interested in the traditional aspect of wine pairing; they believe there is more than one way to do it and setting their own path,” said Fehrnstrom.
Though with the oldest of the generation just beginning to turn 34, $20 appears to be the ceiling on what they are willing to splash out on a bottle of wine, with Fehrnstrom describing the $10-12 price bracket as the “sweet spot.”
Both Fehrnstrom and Saunders site social media as a vital platform for connecting with Millennial wine drinkers, with the former favouring Facebook and the latter Twitter as a way of introducing younger consumers to specific brands.
Boomers, at 41.4%, still consume wine at a higher rate, but they aren't going to live forever. Besides, Boomers are more reluctant to try things or stray from the brands the know and trust. When it comes to Millenials, the industry is already losing ground to unique and interesting spirit and beer offerings who play the Social Media game as well as anybody. The world's second largest wine company has identified this trend and refocused their efforts in that direction, and the time is now for the rest of the industry to take note.
Thanks for the perspective WM101. Your positions are well thought. Let me offer some color ... not critique because I agree largely with your position.
DeleteThe article you've cut and pasted was linked in the blog post. Most of the facts are fine. Some aren't.
To your post - Constellation has been a leader in understanding cohorts not by age, but by behaviors. They did a study years ago called Project Genome to create personas - a profiling if you will, of the people who would be interested in their products and created products based on that - without respect to age. From my friends there, I understand they are updating the model as we speak.
As it relates to Millennials, they are creating brands that are directed to the cohort and their implied desires, but all less than $20 brands. To my point above, if you make wines less than $20 by all means market them to that segment. Personally I doubt they believe because a Millennial buys Toasted Head, they will be more likely to buy Ruffino later in life as I don't think people think of the Holding Company when they buy those brands. That's a miss in their strategy if they are expecting loyalty in return for early marketing to the segment.
I know Rowan Gormley pretty well and love the instinct he brings to the game. Rowan is a wonderful marketer and his Naked Wines business is taking off like no other on-line retailer I know. That said - Rowan would agree that he is establishing a brands sold direct that are irreverent and the vast majority are less than $20. I don't think he is willfully targeting Millennials exclusively but the brand design fits the bill. So again, if you make wines in those price points - by all means market to the demographic. It will be interesting to see if Rowan could translate his model to the one Lot18 has evolved to and sell high-end wine as his customers grow older and have the capacity to purchase more expensive wines. Will they remain loyal to Naked Wines? Time will tell.
Hi Rob
DeleteAnother great piece, and a lively (and long overdue) debate.
No need to retread the ground already covered by your other correspondents, but a few data points from our recent US Wine Market Landscape 2013 report may be of interest:
- 21-34s ("drinking age Millenials") account for around a quarter of the monthly wine drinking population, or approx 21m individuals
- Their spend levels across all occasions tend not to deviate much from the mean of all monthly wine drinkers
- However they are drinking wine less often - they're more likely to pour a glass around once or twice a month, vs the near-weekly frequency of all Americans who drink wine at least once a month
Perhaps the most fascinating element of the data we collect concerns their attitude to wine: 25-34s are the most likely of any age cohort to agree with the following statements:
"I have a strong interest in wine"
and
"Compared to others, I know less about wine"
Which gives us some insight: Millenials are keen to get into wine, and largely aware that they don't know much. Those that drink wine seem to like it a lot, but for them it remains an occasional drink, jostling for position with other forms of alcoholic (and doubtless non-alcoholic) beverage. Their spend levels aren't spectacular in part because they don't buy that often, at least not yet.
Keep up the good work
Richard
Sorry for the delay in responding Richard. For readers, Richard heads up Wine Intelligence in the UK so is well researched.
DeleteI appreciate the comments. The agreement with the statements are another point that is consistent with being inexperienced in wine but to the larger point, the interest in wine bodes well for consumption at least when they can afford it.
I fully expect the Millennials to replace the Boomers gradually over time.
I've read through all the comments but didn't read any mention of the albatross around the necks of so many Millennials--student loans. The impact on their spending habits is well documented and likely to continue for at least a decade. When you add that to monthly cell phone charges, internet costs, rising rates for health and car insurance (all charges Boomers never had to contend with at such a young age even while wages are not keeping pace), it's a wonder Millennials can afford a cheap six pack never mind a decent bottle of wine. Looks to me like "women of a certain age" are it for now when it comes to spending on wine. Bottomline? Of course this demo will be a force in the wine industry--and every other for that matter (not to mention all the industries they'll discover along the way). It's simply going to take a while.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon 11:56. That's my view too. Heard this morning that 6% of new housing is being built for rentals now. Thats a head turner.
DeleteAll this said - there are Millennials who will break through and find their way. Some do now. I am discouraging wineries from using a shotgun approach to the generation though. Find the factors that make any age cohort a potential customer, and market to them.