Today, four timely updates from outside the wine world, each with real implications for how we plan, influence, and connect with today’s wine buyers. First up from the Drum…
Data overload is killing strategy.
This is super important for wine. Too often, wine marketers have thought that data equals reports and dashboards. We track open rates, ad clicks, web traffic, maybe run a survey or two, but it’s often unclear how this actually improves creative or drives smarter decisions.
So what’s happening? In a March roundtable hosted by The Drum, ad agency leaders admitted that the industry has either overengineered or underutilized data. There’s too much focus on vanity metrics, too little understanding of what data is actually useful, and there’s a widespread lack of data literacy among non-technical marketers.
The new priority? Find the signal and know when to trust your gut.
Why does this matter now? With AI pushing data into every workflow the risk of misinterpreting or misapplying metrics is only getting worse. This conversation reflects a real shift in how leading agencies are rethinking data strategy, and how we’re retraining our teams to engage with data in a meaningful way.
The takeaway for wine — click through rate isn’t strategy. Neither is what gets the most likes. If your team can’t tell the difference between signal and noise, you’re going to be flying blind and it’s time to invest in data literacy. Stop confusing volume with value.
Next up, influencer budgets are climbing fast.
So wine has always thought of influencers as a one-off, a nice to have, an Instagram post here, a seasonal push there. More of a PR play than a core marketing tactic.
So what’s happening? According to Sprout Social, 59% of marketers plan to increase influencer partnerships in the next year alone. This is a huge jump, especially as paid media costs are rising, search evolves with AI, and platform trust continues to fragment.
Influencers are not an experiment anymore. In fact, 5forests recently had to write about this because I had to eat my own words.
Why does this matter? Influencers are no longer trend chasers. This is about meeting audiences where they are and using their trusted voices to guide them along increasingly unpredictable digital pathways.
So the takeaway for wine — if you don’t have a creator plan in place, you’re behind. Influencers are now a core part of brand discovery and conversion. Build deeper, long term partnerships and be ready to follow them across platforms.
Next up, for all of us Gen Xers..
Coca-Cola is revitalizing its Share a Coke campaign.
Holy smokes. They say this isn’t just nostalgia. Let’s see.
What does this mean for wine? Too often wine brands, particularly smaller, independent wine brands, have sunk all of their money into the label. They’ve bottled it and they hope it looks good on Instagram. Maybe you include tasting note, a little bit of romance on the back label.
Personalization is something that’s always been perceived for big brands. Now what’s happening with Coke and this new Share a Coke campaign? They’re adding layers of personalization to their digital experiences. They’re using custom videos, QR codes, and in-app customizations. They say that this is not nostalgia branding. They say it’s about meeting Gen Z demand for interactive, real world and digital experiences that feel made for them.
Why does this matter? Well, it shows that even legacy brands are pushing packaging as a digital entry point. Not just a billboard, not just a button. It reframes how consumers interact with the product before, during, and after purchase.
The big takeaway for wine is what if your bottle wasn’t the end of the story, but the start? What if it unlocked a video, a pairing guide, a club offer, or even just a memory maker? Your label is key real estate. Use it to connect, not just to look good.
Last but not least, we’ve been saying it for years. And Boston Consulting Group and Google concur:
The funnel is officially dead.
Wine marketing has traditionally mapped out a very linear funnel: get awareness through events or PR, push consideration via social or email, and drive conversions through DTC and clubs. It’s linear, comfortable, and it’s easy to plan against.
So what’s happening? Boston Consulting Group says that this model no longer applies. In their January report, they propose replacing the funnel with what they’re calling influence maps. This is not too far off from the network model that we’ve been talking about for years.
Influence maps are a framework built around four real consumer behaviors: streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. These behaviors don’t happen in order. They overlap, they repeat, and they require brands to focus on attention, relevance, and trust, not just reach.
Why does this matter now? This shift is not theoretical. It’s operational. Brands still stuck in the funnel based on planning are likely wasting money and missing key moments of influence.
Takeaway for wine? Wine journeys are messy. Tasting rooms, social media, email marketing, events — None of it is linear. If your strategy is still planned by stage, not by behavior, you’re behind.
Influence maps are the next evolution and they demand content, media, messaging, built for real human journeys.
That’s it for this week’s edition of The Wine Marketer’s Radar. If you find this series useful—and want to keep seeing smart, non-wine stories decoded for wine marketers—be sure to follow along on TikTok, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
The Radar is part of our ongoing effort to help DTC, brand, and marketing teams stay sharp in a fast-moving world. If you spot a trend worth talking about, drop us a line. If you need a hand with your wine marketing, get in touch.
