What can wine brands learn from the sex industry? A helluva lot if Cindy Gallop is the one giving the advice. In a time when alcohol brands are facing increasing calls for moderation and abstinence, we sit down with Cindy to explore how a platform like Make Love Not Porn is actively fighting to establish a healthy space for sex. From issues of funding, health, and values, to communication, ageism, aspirational marketing, this episode is a no-hold-barred look at the challenges and opportunities facing non-traditional industries. Oh, Cindy also shares ideas for campaigns that could rock the wine world! Let’s get into it.

Embracing Age-Positive Narratives in Wine

Cindy highlights a blind spot in wine marketing: the lack of campaigns targeting older women who, for health reasons, may drink less but still want to enjoy a connection with the brand. “We’re the most invisible segment of society,” she states, emphasizing how marketing that showcases older women making choices around drinking could engage this audience in a meaningful way. Rather than focusing on “youth” as the ideal, Cindy suggests that wine brands highlight the aspirational qualities of age, where self-assurance and life experience come to the forefront.

Communication Through Demonstration

Throughout the interview, Cindy stresses the importance of “communication through demonstration,” a philosophy that guides her approach with Make Love Not Porn. For wine brands, this could mean developing campaigns that don’t just talk about responsible drinking but show real-life examples. “Don’t tell—show,” she advises, underscoring that authentic portrayals of diverse lifestyles resonate far more than generic slogans. Cindy envisions campaigns with women of different ages and backgrounds, sharing personal approaches to enjoying wine, which could foster genuine connections and make moderation aspirational.

Reinventing Aspirational Culture

As Cindy points out, traditional marketing often misses the mark by assuming older consumers want to be younger. “We don’t aspire to be young,” she says. “Younger people aspire to be us.” By acknowledging this, wine brands can attract younger consumers who value authenticity and seek role models with confidence and independence.

Cindy advocates for campaigns that make “drink respectfully” a cultural norm, focusing on individual approaches rather than blanket messages about “responsibility” which she finds dreary. Instead, wine brands can offer a more positive vision that aligns with evolving attitudes towards health and moderation.

Key Takeaways from Polly and Cindy’s Conversation

Highlight Diverse Drinking Habits: By featuring real stories from older women managing their alcohol intake in personal ways, brands can encourage responsible enjoyment that feels inclusive, not prescriptive.
Aspirational, Age-Positive Messaging: Shift focus from youth to qualities like self-assurance and life experience, creating aspirational narratives that resonate with audiences of all ages.
Redefine Responsibility: Cindy proposes replacing “responsible drinking” with “drink respectfully,” aligning with younger consumers’ values and making moderation an appealing choice.

Polly Hammond and Cindy Gallop’s discussion challenges the wine industry to rethink its messaging, embrace inclusivity, and recognize the aspirational potential of all age groups. As Cindy notes, “When you create campaigns with older women at the forefront, you’re not only engaging them—you’re setting a powerful example for everyone.”

Be sure to find Cindy only at:

cindygallop.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/cindygallop/
twitter.com/cindygallop/