Why Wineries Need Better Marketing Briefs
Editor’s note: What follows is a full transcript of our video, “How to Write a Winery Digital Marketing Brief That Works.” It has been lightly formatted for clarity, but all content reflects the original recording.
In a digital landscape where every detail counts, the difference between a successful marketing campaign and a missed opportunity can often be traced back to your original brief. Today, we’re going to dive into how to craft a digital marketing brief that not only communicates your vision but does so in a way that maximizes results. From pinpointing your primary objectives to avoiding common pitfalls, we’re covering the essential steps to ensure that your digital marketing partner can bring your vision to life.
Whether you’re aiming to boost online sales, increase engagement, or capture a larger audience, the journey to impactful results begins with a clear, concise, and effective brief.
Hi and welcome—or welcome back—to Head Training, the series where digital marketing meets the wonderful world of wine. I’m Polly Hammond, founder of 5forests, and today we are diving into the art of crafting a digital marketing brief that commands results.
Stay with me and you’ll uncover how to communicate your vision, objectives, and expectations in a way that empowers your digital marketing partner to deliver not just what you ask for—but something that exceeds your expectations. Get ready for a session filled with insider tips (that’s us) and actionable advice that will raise your digital marketing strategies to new heights.
What to Include in Your Winery Digital Marketing Brief
At 5forests, we see dozens of RFPs and client briefs. We sit through meetings, we go through the proposal process, and today I want to talk about what makes the difference in getting the right partner, getting the best out of them, getting the right proposal, and getting a budget that meets what you really want. How do you ensure there are no gaps between what you think you want and what you can actually manage, afford, or execute with your in-house team? We deal with this all the time, and these are my insider tips. So let’s talk through it.
Start With Your Winery’s Business Overview
The first thing a team like 5forests needs to know is: what is the business overview?
Understanding the heart of your business is crucial for any digital marketing strategy to succeed. Start with a sharp, engaging introduction to your business that includes your industry, your target market, and what truly sets you apart. What is your unfair advantage? Let us know so we can make the best use of it. Paint a picture of your brand’s unique position in the marketplace. If you can’t tell me what it is, I can’t tell them what it is.
For example, highlight not just the products you offer, but the ethos behind them. How are you making a difference? This gives your digital marketing partner the context we need to tailor our approach specifically to your brand, ensuring our strategy resonates with your core audience and reflects your unique values.
Define Marketing Objectives That Matter
Next: define your objectives.
It is essential that you are clear and specific. Whether it’s increasing online sales by 20% within the next six months, expanding your market reach into three new countries, or enhancing customer engagement on all of your social media platforms—avoid the trap of prescribing how those goals should be achieved. Instead, focus on what you want to accomplish, what the end goal is, and why it matters to your business.
This approach gives us, as a digital marketing partner, the freedom to innovate and propose solutions that are creative, effective, and rooted in our expertise. For instance, rather than insisting on specific campaigns, outline your goal of enhancing brand awareness and let the experts suggest the most effective way to get there.
Understand and Describe Your Wine Audience
Tell us who your target audience is.
Knowing your audience inside and out is the cornerstone of any successful digital marketing strategy. Provide your agency with detailed insights into your audience’s psychographics, demographics, behaviors, and preferences. For example, if your primary audience is eco-conscious Millennials, help us understand their preference for sustainable brands, their typical online behavior, and the platforms they frequent. The more you can tell us, the lower your research budget can be—and the better your in-house marketing will be.
This precision allows your digital marketing partner to create campaigns, websites, and content that resonate on a personal level—boosting engagement and conversions. This is not just about casting a wide net. It’s about sharing the right message with the right people at the right time.
Share Brand Guidelines That Support Digital Work
Another one: share brand guidelines.
Your brand’s identity needs to shine through every aspect of your digital presence. When you share brand guidelines with your partner, include logos, brand stamps, color schemes, tone of voice, and messaging pillars if you have them. But please—frame them as a canvas rather than constraints.
Sometimes what you have won’t work for what’s needed. For example, if your brand’s tone is friendly and approachable, give examples of that voice in action. This encourages consistency but allows the creative team freedom to explore. This helps ensure brand recognition across all platforms, allowing your audience to feel a consistent connection with your brand.
List Key Features for Winery Campaigns or Sites
Now let’s talk about key features.
Identifying key features for a website or campaign is critical. Clearly list your must-haves. Most of the ones we get are just table stakes these days: user-friendly interface, mobile compatibility. But do you need a blog? Recipe integrations? Event systems?
Building a new site? Explore our Winery Website Design Services.
Tell us what you need and what strategy has dictated you’ll want to grow. Don’t tell us how to implement it. That’s our job. Focus on the outcomes and let us come up with the “how.”
Provide Market Context and Competitive Insights
Next up: market context.
Understanding the landscape in which your business operates is essential. It helps us work faster, stay on budget, and reduce stress. In your brief, mention competitors, industry benchmarks, and what you admire or don’t like about others. For instance, if a competitor excels in customer engagement, acknowledge that benchmark. This isn’t about copying—it’s about striving for excellence.
Be Clear About Budget and Timeline Expectations
Let’s talk about budget and timeline.
When we ask you for your budget, we’re not trying to upsell you. We’re trying to match the right services to what you can afford. Be upfront about your constraints and deadlines. This helps your partner tailor proposals to what’s actually doable—avoiding future headaches.
Define Winery-Specific Success Metrics
And now: success metrics.
This is where clarity matters. Define success metrics in your brief. Whether it’s a 30% increase in website traffic, growth in sales, or higher engagement rates, be clear. Avoid technical jargon unless your agency already works in your industry. For example, in wine, there are legal constraints—we understand them. Others might not.
Want to improve performance tracking? Our SEO for Wineries service includes custom success metrics.
Set Post-Launch Support Expectations
A good relationship doesn’t end at launch. Clarify what support you’ll need—SEO, content updates, performance reports—without micromanaging how it’s done. This helps prevent the need to rebuild or switch agencies down the line.
Mistakes Wineries Make in Their Briefs
Finally, common brief pitfalls:
- Lack of clarity. Be precise.
- Over-specification. Don’t micromanage the how—trust your experts.
- Inadequate budget. Don’t expect Amazon results on a shoestring.
- Neglecting accessibility. It matters—especially in the US and Canada.
- Inadequate competitor analysis. Help your agency by sharing what you know.
- Poor communication. Be honest. Be clear. Problems can be solved if you’re open.
Write a Brief That Helps Your Winery Grow
To wrap up: a strong brief bridges the gap between your vision and the creative or strategic execution that brings it to life. This is about collaboration, understanding, and shared goals. There is nothing better than hearing from a client that the work exceeded their expectations.
So as you take on your next project, take these insights, tailor them to your needs, and craft a brief that sets everyone up for success.
Need help writing your winery’s digital marketing brief? Talk to the 5forests team.
