This is the gently edited transcript of the July 10 episode of The Wine Marketer’s Radar — a weekly series from 5forests that connects external marketing shifts to modern wine brand strategy.
Tariffs, trust, and wine marketing in uncertain times
We’re kicking off this week with a story from Marketing Dive that hits especially close to home for anyone in marketing or brand leadership: how do you respond when economic uncertainty is about to hit your customers in the wallet?
According to new data from Gartner, US shoppers are already making recession-style cuts to their behavior. More cooking at home. Smaller pack sizes. Delayed big-ticket spending. And looming over all of this is a volatile tariff landscape, with the next big decision deadline now pushed back again.
What do you do when fear starts shaping buying behavior? According to Gartner, it’s time to dust off your recession-era playbooks and focus on three things:
Empathy
In unstable economic moments, consumers become more risk-averse, even for small purchases. It’s not enough to say your product is “worth it.” You have to show people that buying it won’t feel like a mistake.
Permission structures
When money is tight, people need a reason to feel okay about buying something that isn’t strictly essential. Your job is to help them connect the dots — to show how your product still fits into their lives. That might mean emphasizing:
- Utility (“this replaces three other things”)
- Emotional reward (“you’ve earned a treat”)
- Long-term value (“it lasts longer / costs less over time”)
Give them a why that isn’t just “because we’re great.”
Practical transparency
In times of uncertainty, consumers want to understand what’s changing and why, especially around pricing, availability, and delays. The most effective brands are communicating proactively and clearly: think FAQ-style updates, visible notices on carts and checkout pages, and straightforward language.
Why this matters for wine brands
Weather, shipping, clubs, tasting rooms, costs… these may all be impacted by the current climate of uncertainty. If you are having to make changes that impact your customer and their experience with your brand, you MUST reinforce:
- Why your brand is worth trusting
- What you’re doing to keep prices steady or value high
- How you’re showing up with honesty and care
This could look like:
- Transparency as you communicate shipping updates, tasting room offerings, or cost changes
- Consider low-stakes entry points like half-bottles, by-the-glass programs, or affordable bundles
- Lean into clear messaging that focuses on the value of small luxurie
And above all: don’t panic-react. Stick to your values. Be the calm in the storm.
As Gartner puts it: uncertainty has already been unleashed into the system. The best brands will use this as an opportunity to build trust by being clear, consistent, and genuinely helpful when it counts most.
Sephora’s “Delivered to Beauty” — What if brick-and-mortar became the destination again?
This next story comes from the beauty world, but the lessons apply directly to wine. Sephora just launched a campaign called Delivered to Beauty, and it flips the usual retail script. Instead of delivering products to people, they’re delivering people to the store. Literally. In select cities, Sephora is offering $20 Lyft ride credits to bring shoppers straight to their brick-and-mortar locations.
Why?
Because Sephora knows that their in-store experience is a competitive advantage. Yes, ecomm is convenient. Yes, algorithms can recommend trending products. But nothing beats real, human guidance — face-to-face conversations, personalized consultations, and the kind of product discovery that only happens when you’re there.
Inside Sephora, shoppers can:
- Get a free skin scan
- Consult with beauty advisors
- Try samples
- Get $10 off their purchase
It’s all about reminding people that the store isn’t dead — it just has to earn the trip.
Why this matters for wine
Wine already has a version of this: the tasting room. But most wineries are still waiting for people to come to them. Meanwhile, Sephora is literally sending the car.
And honestly? We should too.
Because getting to a winery can be a barrier, especially for city-based customers, younger drinkers who don’t drive, or anyone who wants to taste without worrying about transportation.
So what if wineries offered rides?
Not for everyone. Not every day. But for top-tier members. Or special events. Or midweek visits when traffic is light.
If that sounds extravagant, ask yourself: is it more cost-effective to spend money on a targeted ad… or to guarantee a visit from someone already in your ecosystem? (Even better — make it content. Show the experience. Share the surprise-and-delight moment. Turn the ride into a reason to visit.)
The wine marketer’s takeaway
Retail isn’t just about selling products anymore. It’s about curating experiences that feel personal, generous, and worth the effort. If Sephora can turn transportation into a brand moment, so can wine.
What Gen Z wants from luxury (and what wine can learn from it)
Two new stories caught our eye this week — one from eConsultancy and one from The Drum — and together they offer a fascinating look at how luxury brands are evolving for Gen Z.
Let’s start with The Luxury Collection. This is JW Marriott’s high-end brand: historic properties, global locations, and some truly cinematic storytelling (including the concierge who inspired The Grand Budapest Hotel). In 2024, they launched a social media campaign that leaned all the way into “edutainment.” Content was grouped into audience-relevant formats like:
- City guides with local influencers
- Immersive, story-first hotel videos
- Chef interviews and cultural explainers
- And just enough mixed-reality content to stop a scroll without chasing trends
The results?
- Stronger engagement
- Higher saves and shares
- $11.7 million in attributed bookings
Why? Because they respected their audience. The brand stayed exclusive… but also made itself emotionally available.
Now zoom out to The Drum’s take on Gen Z and the “Undeniable Pull of Interestingness.” The argument is simple: Gen Z doesn’t watch ads. They watch what interests them.
And luxury, to stay relevant, has to get more original.
Sure, absurdity works for brands like Liquid Death and Duolingo. But for luxury? Interestingness is the new exclusivity. That means:
- Leading with curiosity
- Using your values as a creative canvas
- Reinventing formats, not chasing trends
- Surprising people on brand — not jumping the shark for clicks
Why this matters for wine
Wine already has the ingredients for interestingness: history, tradition, people, place. But we often fail to frame them in ways that are narratively rich or culturally fluent. And when we do reach for luxury, we default to clichés: gold foil, cursive script, and “premium” messaging that sounds like everyone else.
But what if luxury wine got more curious? What if you showed the weird, wonderful, wildly specific stories behind your place and process?
Because for Gen Z, luxury isn’t only about price. It’s about originality, relevance, and emotional intelligence.
So if your wine is sitting in the “fine” or “prestige” tier, don’t just show up polished. Show up interesting. And make sure your marketing is as compelling as your price tag.
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 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.
