In this episode of Uncorked, Polly Hammond sits down with David James, award-winning editorial and fashion photographer, cognitive psychologist, and the content creator behind Misty Cove’s standout winery social media. Known for a voice that is raw, funny, and human, David shares how he turned a part-time photo gig into one of the wine world’s most distinctive brand identities.
Telling a Story That Actually Matters
David didn’t set out to become a wine marketer. A PhD in cognitive psychology with a career in fashion and editorial photography, he was originally hired to shoot content for Misty Cove’s website. But it didn’t take long before he took over the brand’s social media—bringing with him a cultural fluency that’s rare in wine marketing.
From day one, the brief was simple: no clichés, no sunsets, no swirling glasses. And that’s exactly what he delivered. “They said, just don’t be boring,” David recalls. “So I didn’t.”
Instead, Misty Cove’s feed is filled with punchy captions, personality-driven imagery, and a total lack of reverence for traditional wine tropes. That, combined with David’s instinct for audience engagement, has helped the brand stand out in an industry saturated with sameness.
From Academic Psychology to Brand Personality
Though David doesn’t explicitly draw on his academic training in content creation, it’s clear that his background in cognitive psychology informs how he thinks about behavior, memory, and attention.
“I think social media is about sitting in someone’s soul,” he says. “You want the brand to live there. Not just in the feed, but in the person.”
Rather than focusing on the bottle, David centers the winery’s story around its people, its place, and its sense of humor. His photography is heavily influenced by his editorial work in gender-fluid fashion and culture, and it shows—resulting in a visual identity that’s unmistakably modern.
Real-Time Marketing That Stays Human
One of the key elements of David’s strategy is immediacy. He doesn’t schedule posts weeks in advance, preferring instead to write captions based on how he feels in the moment. “I want it to feel fresh, not like it’s gone through ten rounds of approval and died along the way.”
This approach means the social media feed feels personal. It feels like someone is really there. And in David’s words, that’s the difference between selling something and making a connection.
He also takes the time to engage directly with followers—commenting, resharing stories, and keeping the conversation going. “You’ve got to talk to people like people. It’s called social media for a reason.”
Building a Brand Without Drinking the Wine
Perhaps the most unexpected twist in David’s story is that he doesn’t drink. A recovering alcoholic, he approaches wine branding from a unique vantage point—one that centers culture, experience, and storytelling over the product itself.
“There’s so much more to wine than drinking it,” he explains. “It’s about place. It’s about people. It’s about a feeling.”
His clarity around this makes him even more effective at building narrative. There’s no fluff. No filler. Just real moments that land with audiences in New Zealand and beyond.
Key Takeaways from Polly and David’s Conversation
- Hire for instincts, not just skills: David’s background in psychology and photography informs his content even when he’s not consciously thinking about it.
- Winery social media is a long game: Growth doesn’t happen overnight. Success comes from years of consistent voice, visuals, and engagement.
- Metrics matter—but emotion matters more: David uses analytics tools to track engagement, but he leads with feel, not formulas.
- Give creatives room to move: Leadership empowered David to “do it differently.” That freedom is what built their identity.
- You don’t need to drink wine to market it well: David proves that great storytelling doesn’t require sipping—it requires listening, observing, and showing up with honesty.
As Polly Hammond puts it, David’s approach is a lesson for all of us: “Great marketing isn’t about wine. It’s about people. And this is what it looks like when you respect your audience enough to give them something that sticks.”
