Winemakers are heroes in our eyes.
We admire their hard work in the vineyards and in the cellars.
We share their passion for wine.
The world of wine is an endlessly fascinating subject which can be presented in so many different ways. Our goal is to assist winemakers, wine regions and associations to find their own voice and improve the efficiency of their communication to customers.
Wine Marketing Academy is an online educational institution specializing in wine marketing. Our online courses are primarily aimed at people doing marketing and communication work at small and medium size wineries. No prior knowledge is needed to do this course. You can progress at your own pace in the online lessons made up of theoretical sections followed by activities specifically tailored to the practical needs of wineries.
Why do we need a special academy for wine marketing?
In many respects the wine industry is different from most other industries. Players here have to succeed in an extremely competitive field. Just think about the sheer number of wineries competing for customers in a single country’s market.
Having said that cooperation with other wineries is still vital. It is very often the regional brands and wine styles which help them to reach their goals.
There are some global giants but most wineries are medium sized or even more typically small and micro businesses. In correlation with their size the human and financial resources available for marketing are rather limited. In terms of possible solutions there is no comparison between an average winery and a multinational company.
Based on the above observations you would think that small wineries often run by family members don’t stand a chance in competition. And in some ways you are right, in terms of budget they are no match for large companies. However according to the latest communication trends which focus on credibility, personality and stories they actually enjoy a competitive advantage!
We at Wine Marketing Academy want to share with you easy to use and efficient marketing tools which are properly suited to the character of the product, that is wine and also to the resources available to medium and small wineries.
Wine Marketing Academy
✓ online education platform specialized in wine marketing
✓ special focus on helping small and medium sized wineries to reach their goals
✓ no previous training required
✓ practical methods and techniques
Please, let us introduce you the
CEO of the Wine Marketing Academy:
Adrienn Toth DipWSET
There are turning points in everyone’s lives. At that time, at that stage they may not even seem important but gradually you realize that it was the moment when your life took another turn. You can call them the milestones of your personal history. And these are my milestones in wine.
More than two decades of experience in the wine industry
✓ WSET Level 4 Diploma gained in London
✓ founded communication agency specialized in wine
✓ helping small and medium sized wineries to reach their goals in communication
✓ comprehensive knowledge of online marketing, PR, event organising
✓ author of articles and a book on the topic of winemarketing online and offline
The adventure that began with a glass of wine
As with most college students I was not particularly interested in wine. The whole story began with an announcement at the end of a course on healthy diet. Our tutor announced that he was soon to begin another course this time on wine. I was studying economics specializing in hospitality and tourism, and even though wine was then a distant universe to me for some strange reason I applied for the course without hesitation. And with that decision my life took a different direction. This was the first step on the road to better understand the intellectually stimulating world of wine and to learn about the exciting characters populating this world.
When I realized the importance of the story
I was immediately thrown in at the deep end. After graduating just a few days have passed working in my new job at a wine shop specializing in French wines. Of course I had learned a few things about French wines earlier and also tasted some of them. But when I found myself in the middle of a large scale open-air wine festival, trying to sell French wines to wine lovers with widely different levels of expertise I soon had to realize that what I learned at school was way too little. To make people listen one has to tell unique stories, know about special characteristics and to be able to share personal experiences. This was the lesson I learnt there and it is something I still strongly believe in.
But some things remain the same
I have spent almost a decade working as a wine journalist, I wrote countless articles and essays and worked as the editor-in-chief of a wine magazine. There are many, many unforgettable memories connecting me to this period. I was fortunate enough to get to know lots of exciting winemakers from all over the world. I listened to their accounts of their careers, philosophies, personal motivations, terroirs and working methodologies. In my experience most winemakers are really good storytellers.
When I set up my wine communication agency, I was surprised to find that in many ways my work didn’t change at all. Even though I ended up in a different field the focus remained the same: stories you can relate to and the communication of individual ideas.
