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Highlights from my Australian sabbatical leave
By Kathy Kelley, Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Business Managment
I just returned from a six-month sabbatical leave in Australia where I visited many wineries and tasting rooms and talked with various industry members. I have included a map of Australia's wine regions for your reference.
I spent a majority of my time in Adelaide which is surrounded by over 200 tasting rooms situated in the Barossa Valley (known for Shiraz), Clare Valley (Riesling), and more than a dozen other wine regions (see map below).
South Australia has not yet been impacted by phylloxera (http://bit.ly/2J79Xep); however, several growers and winemakers indicated that they do expect the pest to impact their vineyards at some point. Currently, they post signs asking consumers not to walk through the vineyards and politely ask those who do to kindly leave the production area. A few indicated that they are considering other measures (such as fencing) to protect vines near their tasting room, some of which were planted in the mid-1800s.
The Cube, McLaren Vale
The d'Arenberg Cube is a multi-story, Rubik's Cube-like building (Rubik's Cubes that look like the building are can be purchased for $10 AUS/$7.40 US). The building includes a restaurant, a 360-degree video room where visitors can watch an artistic representation of the brand's various wine labels, and a space for fee-based wine blending sessions. While the Osborn family has had a presence in the Australian wine industry since 1912, the Cube opened in 2017.
There is also a sensory room where visitors can squeeze a handpump and smell what they might expect in a glass of wine and an art gallery. Visitors can download an app that provides additional information about each room and display.
The tasting room is on the top floor where visitors can taste the wines (included in the $10 AUS/$7.40 US entrance fee) while looking out over the valley. Visitors can choose from over 70 wines, including The Cenosilicaphobic (which means a fear of an empty glass) Cat (https://www.darenberg.com.au/the-experience/cellar-door/). Apparently, there was a cat on site that had a bit of a problem with alcohol.
Sidewood Estate, Adelaide Hills
Sidewood Estate is a winery and cidery located in the Adelaide Hills (https://sidewood.com.au). The tasting room has an intimate space for couples and small groups to taste their wines while large groups are served in another space a short distance away. Having two separate spaces provides a nice quiet area for couples/small groups who want to interact with staff and another where large groups don't have to worry about being loud.
In addition, all guest can buy golf balls and practice their swing. If they succeed in hitting a ball onto the small green located in the middle of the pond or get a hole-in-one – they can win a prize. Not only does the driving range give nonwine drinkers something to do while they wait for their wine drinking friends, it also keeps visitors on site longer which then encourages them to purchase additional food and drinks.
Hahndorf Hill Winery, Adelaide Hills
Hahndorf Hill Winery focuses on cool-climate varieties (due to the cool temperatures at night) and Austrian varieties, especially Gruner Veltliner. Several years ago, they began propagating cuttings they imported from Austria, evaluated them, and now share the cuttings with other vineyards in the region. They make four different styles of Gruner Veltliner wines: a classic style, a fruit-driven style, a "more opulent style," and a late harvest style (https://www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au/Gruner-Veltliner). The winery has a Gruner-focused blog called "The GRU Files" (https://www.thegrufiles.com.au) and one of the owners, Larry Jacobs, is called Australia's "Grandfather of Gruner" (https://www.thegrufiles.com.au).
Terrior, several wine regions
While the staff did not overly focus on terroir, several tasting rooms did display soil samples, profiles, and maps where their vineyards are located. Below are some examples of the various ways they displayed these items.
Yalumba Family Vignerons c. 1984. A map of their vineyards and corresponding soil samples are displayed at the tasting bar. Yalumba, located in Barossa Valley, "is one of only four wineries around the world to have its own cooperage" (https://www.yalumba.com)
Chateau Tanunda is "home to some of the earliest plantings of vines in Barossa Valley" with some planted in the 1840s (https://www.yalumba.com). Staff refer to soil samples and explain how production in Alluvial Clay Loam soil can differ from production in Deep Sand.
Pooley Wines, established in 1985 and located in Tasmania, is the state's first certified environmentally sustainable vineyard (for more information about the program: http://bit.ly/2NResYy). A fairly unique display shows the soil profiles for two vineyards: a) Sandy Loams over Sandstone in which they grow Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Reisling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir and b) Dolerite, black crackling clays, limestone over sandstone, in which they grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling (http://www.pooleywines.com.au/the-vineyards).
Bleasdale, Langhorn Creek
In addition to seeing several vineyards that were planted in the mid to late-18oos, it was also incredible to see the various artifacts that wineries had kept from this period. Bleasdale was established by Frank Potts in 1850 (https://www.bleasdale.com.au). Mr. Potts came to South Australia in 1836 and established the first winery in Langhorne Creek in the late 1850s. As you can see in the images below, he was a skilled craftsman and built machinery that he then used to make wooden plugs for wine corks and vats, and also made his own vats and lever presses.
The image below shows a red gum lever press that was built by Frank Potts' sons in 1892. It is the second press that was built on the property, the first one was built by Mr. Potts in the 1860s and had just one basket. The design is based on basket presses Mr. Potts saw in Portugal.
According to a sign at the winery: "Both presses were build of red gum, with the density of the wood meaning the levers would not need to be pushed down to provide mechanical advantage." The sign also stated that "the two presses stood side-by-side for around 20 years until the first press was deconstructed circa 1910-1915."
Now, a little of what I saw in the marketplace.
A cider & wine concoction
While it has been on the market for a bit in Australia and New Zealand, Jacob's Creek (Australia's largest wine brand) released an alcoholic beverage that is a combination of white grape and apple juice called Pip & Seed. Flavor profiles include: fruity ("exploding with the flavour of fresh, sweet apples and pears"), crisp ("bright floral aroma and fresh, crunchy apples on the palate), and sweet ("sweet taste sensation bursts with apple and pear aromas while sweeter, juicier apples party on the palate") (http://www.jacobscreek.com/au/pip-and-seed). At the time of this posting, the price for one 500mL bottle was $3.88 US.
Is your wine at the correct temperature to drink?
Taylors Wines, a third generation wine business located in Clare Valley, South Australia, has taken the guesswork out of knowing when a wine is at the optimum temperature for drinking. I found this bottle of Taylors Estate 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon ($14.42 US dollars) in a wine shop – and though it was mixed in with several other brands, the bottle neck tag attracted my attention.
The neck tag instructs the purchaser to compare a glass of the red wine at room temperature and at the optimum temperature, per the temperature sensor on the label on the back of the bottle.
Below, I've included an image of the temperature sensor printed on the back label. According to their winemaker, this wine's optimal drinking temperature is between 16 and 18C (60.8 to 64.4F), which correlates to the "raspberry" color section on the scale. In the top-right portion of the image, you can see that the current temperature indicator is "lilac" which is in the range considered "too warm."
These are just a few of the winery tasting rooms and products that I saw in Australia. There are many other wineries in these regions and others that provide visitors with an amazing experience and fabulous wine. I will share more observations in future blog posts.
Customer Service Checkup
By Dr. Kathy Kelley
We have touched on a few customer-service related issues and strategies in past blogs: responding to online comments and criticism (http://bit.ly/2wYNSZm), why customers would like to contact a customer service department using text rather than call the company (http://bit.ly/2wYPxhR), and the importance of "good customer service" (http://bit.ly/2wYQuqn), but today's post focuses on providing good customer service, ways to learn about customer service issues, and strategies for appeasing dissatisfied customers.
Employer and employee expectations
How can employees provide exceptional customer service if they don't know what is expected of them? Because you are hiring an adult – you would think that they know how to treat people properly and always be a good brand ambassador. While most employees will remember to smile and greet customers when they arrive and ask which bottles they would like to purchase after their tasting – you may need to remind/teach them how to interact with customers between the guest's arrival/departure. Or, you may need to educate staff on how to focus on visitors when the tasting room is packed, customers are two to three people deep at the bar, and staff members are just trying to remember what to pour next and who liked which wine.
To make sure that all staff members handle situations the same, it is suggested that businesses create a customer service strategy. After you develop a strategy, print hard copies, require all employees to read and retain the document and have them sign a statement (that is kept on file) indicating that they understand what is expected of them (just like you would for your employee handbook).
According to an article posted on The Thriving Small Business website (http://bit.ly/2wXIqRW), a customer service strategy consists of:
- Developing a customer service vision that employees fully understand
- Asking customers (using surveys, comment cards, focus group sessions, or one-on-one conversations) if the level of customer service provided meets or (hopefully) exceeds expectations
- Setting customer service goals (e.g., within how many seconds a visitor should be welcomed after they enter the tasting room)
- Providing training and reviewing customer service skills during employee meetings or after an issue is brought to your attention
- Holding staff accountable and rewarding excellent customer service (e.g., ask customers to indicate who provided exceptional customer service during their visit)
Further explanations and examples for each of these are below.
Developing a customer service vision that employees fully understand
If you have ever taken your Apple devices to an Apple store for service, or you are just browsing the store, you may be quite impressed with how they learn about customer needs. According to a video produced by Carmine Gallo, President of Gallo Communication Group (http://bit.ly/2wYYNCD), Apple is most likely implementing the following five steps:
- Approaching customers and giving them a sincere welcome
- Asking questions to understand a customer's needs
- Presenting a solution that the customer can take home that day
- Listening for and resolving issues or concerns
- Thanking them for visiting and inviting them back
Asking customers if the level of customer service provided meets or exceeds expectations
You can approach this activity in a few different ways:
- Hand a comment card to visitors and ask them to fill it out before they leave the tasting room
- Post questions on your website and on your Facebook business page
- Conduct an online survey using the free versions of com and SurveyGizmo.com (with limited functions) or purchase the full version on a monthly or annual basis
- Use Google Forms (within Google Docs) to create a document that looks like a survey, which can be embedded into an email and sent to tasting room visitors/case club members. Recipients can respond to the questions and click the "submit" button when finished. You will then have access to a spreadsheet where responses are organized by survey participant
If you learn about an issue where the custom was wronged:
- Tell the customer what we can do (realistically) and correct the problem
- Thank them for bringing the problem to your attention
- Follow-up to make sure that they are satisfied with the outcome
Setting customer service goals
A goal could be that you will provide each and every visitor with an enjoyable customer. In a Wall Street Journal article written by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher ("Tips for Tasting Rooms," http://on.wsj.com/2wY1ggr) the authors listed a few of their tasting room "pet peeves" and behaviors that tasting room staff should focus on:
- While tasting room staff do not need to be wine and viticulture experts they do need to be able to provide tasting room visitors with at least a "basic understanding of the wines"
- Have a list of questions that will help staff suggest wines for visitors to try based on preferences. You might also want to have a list of wines that appeal to beer drinkers based on the style of beer they like
- Be a "people person" and engage visitors in a conversation so that they don't feel like just a sale
- Have a little "something special" that you can offer wine enthusiasts, but be discreet if others are tasting too. You don't want to pour samples for one couple and leave the bottle on the countertop and not offer it to others
- Give all visitors your attention, even when there is a VIP at the tasting bar. Specifically, "If you are going to lavish wine and attention only on [VIPs]…take them to another room and flatter them instead of just pretending that we're not there" (http://on.wsj.com/2wY1ggr)
- Indicate which wines are only available at the winery, which supermarkets/retail outlets sell your wine, and if your wine is available for sale online
This quote may strike a chord: "Many impressive wineries offer very poor service with staff that 'pour and ignore.' They don't act interested in the customer, and they expect all the energy to come from the customer's side of the counter…To "pour and ignore" is like being the last person in a relay race and deliberately dropping the baton. It is the worst possible public relations we could provide next to outright rudeness. (http://on.wsj.com/2wY1ggr)"
Providing training and reviewing customer service skills
It is suggested that training tasting room staff "has the potential to reduce turnover and build staff loyalty… [and that] a winery may be able to obtain a competitive edge at the cellar door and improve the bottom line of its retail sales by incorporating strategic cellar-door training and development programs" for both existing and new employees (http://bit.ly/2x0okGw).
Several free resources are available online ranging from training manual templates (http://bit.ly/2ycFJB4) to video modules (http://bit.ly/2ydhqTr) to interactive "games" (http://bit.ly/2yc1D7d).
Holding staff accountable and rewarding excellent customer service
When you are out shopping and see customers interact with employees, discreetly observe their conversation and ask yourself:
- Does the customer service representative look/sound like they are interested in helping the customer and that solving the customer's problems is his/her number one priority?
- Based on the customer's issue, would your response be similar or different from what the customer service rep is doing/saying?
- If you were the customer, would you be satisfied with the response/outcome?
Remember the saying "praise in public and criticize in private." Employees will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when they are recognized for providing great customer service. When you do provide praise:
- Included details about the situation (e.g., while assisting a customer with buying wine for a gift…)
- How the employee provided "excellent customer service"
- The outcome/what happened as a result of the employee assisting the customer (http://bit.ly/2x0MjFK)
Empower your employees by giving them the ability to make decisions (http://bit.ly/2ybYDI0). According to the article, "Think about employee empowerment, not as something a manager bestows on employees, but rather as a philosophy and a strategy to help people develop talents, skills, and decision-making competency."
Where to look for customer service complaints online
Most likely you are aware of the following review sites and (hopefully) claimed your business page, where appropriate.
- Yelp
- TripAdvisor
- Foursquare
- Google local guides
- Yahoo! Local
If you have not searched these sites for customer comments, it is critical that you know what customers are saying about your winery/tasting room.
Another site to consider, though you will not necessarily see customer reviews and complaints, is Glassdoor.com. This is a website where employees complain/provide reviews about companies they (supposedly) work(ed) for. While you may not learn about customer issues you may get an idea of how employees feel about your business and how they perceive manager/owner leadership and expectations.
For example, an employee, who worked in the tasting room at "X" in Kenwood, California, wrote that working at the tasting room was a "seasonally fun place to work," but he/she also indicated that management focused "solely [on] sales" and that "a little more focus on simply learning the wines and delivering better client experiences" was needed (glassdoor.com). Perhaps this employee never talked to the manager or owner because he/she didn't feel comfortable doing so, maybe they have brought up issues in the past and felt the input was ignored, or maybe they just like to complain. Regardless, now the comments are on the website for all to see.
If responding to online comments and criticism seem intimidating, look online for examples of how businesses have responded to customer reviews and comments (both positive and negative). Follow companies like Zappos.com, Apple, Trader Joe's, JetBlue, Starbucks, and others you feel provide good customer service to see examples as to how you can appease customers who feel that they have been wronged.
Until next time.
Telling your story: Letting consumers know why your brand is unique
By Dr. Kathy Kelley and Dr. Bonnie Canziani*
Every winery has a story to tell about its history and about its wines. A winery's story often comprises the main advertising message that consumers receive. Critical visitor expectations are being formed as your potential customers read marketing materials about your winery or listen to your staff in the tasting room embellish on "the story," using it as a performance script during visitor encounters. Indeed, your tasting room hosts are often the main onsite story tellers and serve a vital role as direct ambassadors of the brand and the company—sharing important information with all visitors to the winery.
In this post, we discuss why wineries should have a well-crafted story, examples of national brands that have been recognized as having compelling stories, and steps you can take to develop your story.
Why is a story important?
Researchers have investigated consumer response to storytelling to learn if businesses do benefit from such efforts. The Origin/Hill Holliday research group conducted studies with 3,000 U.S. consumers, age 23 to 65 years, and investigated their response to winemaker stories. Two groups were shown product pages for four different bottles of California Chardonnay. Group one was shown the pages with standard tasting notes, while group two was shown three of these product pages and a fourth page with the winemakers' story instead of the tasting notes. Based on responses, the researchers found that the second group "was 5% likelier to choose the bottle with the winemakers' story – and willing to pay 6% more for it" (http://bit.ly/2umZCCE).
Brands that have successfully crafted their story
While both of the following examples are outside the wine industry, each is a successful business with owners who realize that their stories resonate with their clientele and that their narratives support important business strategies.
Being authentic and personable
Dannijo, a jewelry company created by two sisters, was built on the owners' belief that a story needs to be "compelling to consumers, [such that] they want to build your products into their lives" (http://bit.ly/2tipnzG). The sisters often model the jewelry in the ads and their social media posts include images of them outside the office and with their families, which helps make them relatable to their target customers.
In their stores, the sisters have installed a selfie booth for customers to take and share images of themselves having fun in the store (http://bit.ly/2tipnzG), and they host speakers who present "unexpected and yet brand-related subjects (e.g., fitness and health, philanthropy and sisterhood)" that are important to the owners and that can interest their primary customers (http://bit.ly/2tMN46Q).
These activities, their core products, and a café all encourage consumers to visit often and to extend the amount of time they spend at the retail outlet on each occasion.
Focusing on customers' interests
Adidas, like several other brands, sells running shoes. While their loyal customers will buy their shoes again and again, others are drawn to the business based on how they "feel" about the brand, how the brand helps professional and novice athletes succeed in the sports they love.
Adidas is also credited with being a "listening brand." Instead of talking purely about their shoes, the company learns what customers care about and then uses these concerns and passions as a basis for developing the "brand['s] message through social conversations" (http://bit.ly/2tNdi9h). Examples of Instagram posts based on follower interests include World Oceans Day, #RunForTheOceans (http://bit.ly/2tN4wbg); Earth Day; sustainable athletic clothing (http://bit.ly/2tMLS3c); and encouraging consumers to perform to the best of their abilities – both on and off the court.
So, what should you include in your story?
A brand's story is more than words on a page designed to be a pitch for your winery. Rather, your brand's story includes "facts, feelings and interpretation" and is a way to differentiate yourself from competitors (http://bit.ly/2tNGkWf). A successful story will help a business build a following, which in turn encourages these consumers to care about the brand and, hopefully, leads to customer loyalty. Following are some tips for making your winery story genuine and engaging for your visitors.
- Storytelling is based on "interpretation"
Interpretation is a skill that connects your audience with information in ways that create emotional ties between the speaker and the listener. Basically, you take important facts about the wine (e.g., type of grapes or fruit used and production processes) and the winery (e.g., family history or facility information) and share these facts with your visitors in an informative and entertaining manner. A story is not just a dry recitation of facts and figures. Stories attract consumers looking for higher levels of personal recognition and warmth from service staff at your winery.
- Storytelling is part of your marketing strategy
Your goals need to be clear when forming and telling the winery story. Typical goals include connecting your guests emotionally to the brand, influencing guests to try something new (e.g., join the wine club or attend a future wine event), and motivating your visitors to buy your wine and share their experiences with others via positive word of mouth. One sign that your guests are engaged is if they ask for more details about the wines, the winery, or the winemaker/owners. A good story will lead to conversation and customer action.
- Your stories must seem genuine to your listeners
Storytelling in the winery setting needs to incorporate truthful information about your ingredients, your production techniques, and your business background. Stories create personal ties between the winery and its visitors and people want to be able to trust that the information you are providing is accurate and relevant. The more believable stories will be shared with others via word of mouth after the visit.
Example: Honor Brewing Company & Winery
It seems only natural for a winery to support a cause either with raising funds during an event to donating a portion of the proceeds/price per bottle to a charity. Sometimes, though, the connection between the cause and the wine brand is not as clear as it could be and why the cause was selected (e.g., to help fund medical research for a disease that an employee has suffered from, to support local community efforts). Honor Brewing Company, Inc. and Honor Winery owners either served in the military or who had close family members who did. From the name to the labels (e.g., pictures of dog tags, combat boots) to their mission ("…supporting and celebrating those that have served or are serving…), the brand's is exclusively "dedicated to the men and women who proudly serve our country" (http://bit.ly/2tO1J1K).
The owners also raise money and donate funds to charities that assist injured veterans and families of those who have fallen – and they are transparent in their efforts. In 2014/2015 they raised over $200,000 for these charities. They also encourage social media followers to post about family members in the military and partner with many veteran organizations.
- Stories are built on essential raw material
Winery stories need to cover the basics so that every visitor has a good understanding of the wines being served and sold, the fruit that goes into the wines, and other interesting details that make the winery business unique. Proof of quality is often incorporated into the winery story by emphasizing the various awards that your wines have won. The story can move from the past to the present as well as indicate new wines and strategies that are forthcoming in the future. It can also help the visitor identify the role of the winery in the greater community or wine industry in the state.
Example: Gimblett Gravels
When you think of the Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District, terroir might be one of the words that come to mind. This patch of land, 800 hectares, once "regarded as the poorest, least productive land in Hawke's Bay…and no hope of growing a decent crop of anything" (http://bit.ly/2tNlKoN) can lay claim to producing grapes used to make award winning wines: domestically, 600 gold medals and 210 trophies and 105 gold medals and 35 trophies awarded in international competitions (http://bit.ly/2tNqGKD).
Strict guidelines determine whether a wine can be marketed with the Gimblett Gravels designation. These measures protect the brand's image and ensure that growers and winemakers make no compromises and that only high-quality wine that reflects the terroir is bottled with the name and logo of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association.
- Most winery stories are also family stories
The concept of 'family' appears either overtly or as a subtext within many winery stories on their websites and during the exchanges between visitors and tasting room hosts. The idea of 'family' is represented in multiple ways:
- remarks about preserving the family farm, land, or agricultural business heritage through the development of vineyards and winemaking operations (the 'family-business' message),
- sharing a history of family generations in the wine-making business (the 'family-tradition' message), or
- an advertising appeal aimed at generating closeness to the visitor based on the inclusive treatment of guests (the 'join-the-family' message).
Example: Wente Vineyards
Wente Vineyards in Livermore Valley, CA was founded in 1883 and is recognized as the oldest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the U.S. Their story begins with C.H. Wente immigrating to the U.S., learning about winemaking, purchasing land in California, and then…Prohibition was implemented (http://bit.ly/2tNtOpI).
The family and the business survived hard economic times and war and contributed to the advancement of the California wine industry. And, if this wasn't impressive enough, the winery can boast that each winemaker has been a Wente including the current winemaker who is a member of the 5th generation (http://bit.ly/2tNtOpI). What a story they can tell!
The various family messages can overlap in a single winery story. Family images are also positively associated with consumer perceptions of winery trustworthiness.
In closing
The art of storytelling can be especially useful to wineries that are trying to develop a visible brand presence and uniqueness in the marketplace. Ultimately, winery hosts need to know how to craft and present a winery story that moves their customers to positive actions, e.g., buying wine and sharing winery experiences with others.
*Dr. Canziani is a faculty member at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Bryan School of Business and Economics, specializing in the management of customer service relationships and business profitability in various sectors including hospitality, tourism, and transportation. Since 2001, she has been involved in marketing and business research focused on the NC wine and grape industry, with more recent emphasis on wine tourism.
An American (Wine Marketer) in Paris
By Dr. Kathy Kelley
I have been fortunate over the past few years to co-lead groups of Penn State undergraduates on a two-week experience in Paris, France, with the goal of comparing U.S. and French agriculture and food systems. The students learn about U.S. systems from Penn State experts during the spring semester and then they learn about the French systems when abroad in mid-May. Grape and wine production happens to be one of the topics they study, and they get an opportunity to not only visit a vineyard and winery in Pennsylvania but a couple of operations in the Champagne region. On my time off I visit wine shops and look for wine-related "things" that may be of interest to you, our blog readers. What follows is a bit of what I have seen so far on my trip.
Learning about Wine in High School
One of the stops we took the Penn State students to in the Champagne region was an agricultural high school (Lycée Agroviticole – Crézancy; http://bit.ly/2qyL40l). The school was founded in 1870 and is just one of several schools that teach students about farm management. Some of the students who have an interest in becoming winemakers, along with high school graduates who seek viticulture and enology training, are responsible for the vineyards and grow the three main wine grapes used to make Champagne (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier).
In addition to learning about grape production, the students also learn the multi-step process of making Champagne and are involved in all steps of the process.
Under the direction of a cellar master, the students' final product is labeled and available for purchase. Selections, with the price in U.S. dollars, include Brut Tradition ($15.00), Brut Blanc de Blanc ($16.30), Brut Rose ($16.75), Demi-Sec Tradition ($15.73), and Euphrasie Millesime 2008 ($21.35) (http://bit.ly/2rljEMQ). A product that is now available, but was not in 2015 when I last visited with a group, is Brut Terroir – their organic option ($19.11).
Champagne can be purchased online as well as from the cellar at the school. A building is currently being converted into a retail space that the students will operate. Students interested in Champagne production also attend conferences, participate in judging events, and co-host events for the industry.
A 20,000 Euro ($22,474.74) Bottle of Wine
I am drawn to retail establishments and really enjoy observing how products are displayed, how the space is used, and the overall "feel" of the store. While Paris has many wine shops and places to buy wine (even a wine shop where no French wine is sold/served (http://soifdailleurs.com), I enjoy visiting La Cava at the Lafayette Gourmet near the Opera Garnier in the 9th Arrondissement (http://bit.ly/2rkwriQ) because it is in the midst of a supermarket in the basement of a department store and it is staged as if it were a museum. It is roomy, security guards are staged at the entrances, and the lighting highlights certain pieces (wines).
There are approximately 2,500 labels, of which almost half are from Bordeaux. Each time I visit I look for the most expensive wine available for purchase. Though I found a few bottles that were priced over 2,000 euro (approx. $2,250 U.S.), I also found a few 750 mL bottles that were just a bit more: a 1945 Chateau Latour (Bordeaux), which Parker awarded a 90/100 and Wine Spectator a 100/100 (http://bit.ly/2rTOKs6), that sells for 12,900 euros (approx. $14,500 U.S.) and an 1899 Chateau d'Yquem (Bordeaux) for 20,000 euros (approx. $22,500), which Wine Spectator awarded a 91/100 (http://bit.ly/2qjseYs). However, if those prices seem a little steep, do not forget that you can request a VAT tax refund when you leave the country, which for the Chateau d'Yquem is 2,400 euros (approx. $26,900 U.S.).
Another shop that I visit when in Paris is Lavinia (located in the 1st Arrondissement, http://bit.ly/2qnVah7). The business was established in 1999, has over 6,500 labels (including selections from the U.S.), and is often referred to as the Europe's largest wine store.
"La Cave" is in the basement level and houses rare and expensive wines. In order to access the wines in this section, you will need to ask a staff member to open the door with a code, after which they will accompany you while you make your selection, and then they will bring the bottle to the cashier. This is the one section of the store where it is forbidden to take photos of the bottles in an effort to minimize any exposure to excessive light from a camera's flash.
After walking around both floors you may be interested in having a meal in the restaurant. If you are interested in learning what wines pair with items on the menu you need only look at the display outside the dining room, find the particular food item (e.g., salad, cheese, a specific entrée), and refer to what wines are positioned in the column under the photo. If you would like to taste a particular wine, ask for a card (deposit of 3 euros), load 10 euros or more onto the card, and insert it into one of four machines that will dispense a select number of reds, rose, or white wines, all for 1.10 euro to 9.60 euro per 3 cl (1 fluid ounce).
As you can imagine with a city the size of Paris – the number of options for getting a glass or bottle of wine is immense. If Paris is on your list of places to see, or if it is time for you to visit again, be sure to investigate what bars, restaurants, shops, and tastings you would like to experience. While many establishments are well known and marked there are also a number of speakeasies in the city that deserve a visit, one of which is Lavomatic (https://www.lavomatic.paris).
Lavomatic is a working laundry mat with a secret door hidden behind one of the dryers. After you push the "start" button on the dryer and pull the door to open it- you will find a dark staircase that leads up to a small bar with a few small seating areas including a few swings that hang from the ceiling.
Until next time…
Using Social Media to Engage with Customers: Filters and Stories
By Jennifer Zelinskie and Dr. Kathy Kelley
We have written a few blogs on social media, how to use the tools, and our survey participants' use of these tools to connect with wineries and tasting rooms. You can learn what Snapchat is and the number of U.S. adults who use Facebook and Instagram in one of our more recent posts: http://bit.ly/2o44NFy. We are finishing our social media series by describing a couple of features that wineries, tasting rooms, wine festival organizers, and similar can use to engage with consumers and enhance their experience.
Snapchat Filters
If someone has shared a Snapchat photo with you and it looked as if it was embossed with words/phrases, cartoon images, or a business's logo, the person who took the photo likely applied a filter to decorate the image.
If the filter also included the name of the location then it is likely a "geofilter," which would only be available to Snapchat users who are in a certain geographic area. For example, a Penn State University filter was available April 19, 2017 (see below) but only to those who were on the University Park campus, based on the GPS signal that their smartphone was emitting. Once I left this "area" the filter was no longer an option in the Snapchat app.
According to Spredfast.com, "Geofilters are most popularly used to represent a location or event, but they can also help spread the news of an upcoming release, or trigger participation in a campaign" (http://bit.ly/2m874tv).
Imagine the power that a filter could have:
- A wedding takes place at your winery, you host an event, or are present at a wine festival, and you promote that a filter is available on Snapchat (which includes either your winery's name, the festival, etc.).
- Visitors take photos with Snapchat, apply the filter, and then share the photo with others who follow them on Snapchat. The photos can also be saved to a smartphone or tablet and shared via Facebook, Instagram, email, etc.
- Those who receive the photo see what a great time attendings are having at your event or tasting room – hopefully prompting them to visit.
While the following provides guidelines for designing Snapchat geofilters, some of these tips are applicable when creating filters using other social media tools.
- Your design:
- Be sure to keep the middle of the screen open and free from any design (http://bit.ly/2m874tv).
- One source suggests that the design "shouldn't take up more than one-third of the screen space (http://bit.ly/2m8fX69). Your design should include your logo, but it should be "secondary to a good design" (http://bit.ly/2m8mptY).
- Snapchat may reject geofilters with designs that cover the "entire frame or take up too much space in the four corners of the frame" (http://bit.ly/2m8mptY).
- Consider developing a few different geofilters so that your customers have some choices. This also gives you the opportunity to highlight more than just one key activity during your event. According to Ashley Ranich, one could have a "strong typography" and the other could include a "fun illustration." She also suggests that offering two or more filters can help you determine which filter is more appealing based on use (http://bit.ly/2m8mptY).
- Font color considerations:
- If your geofilter will be used at night, or in dark spaces, use light font colors so that your text is visible (http://bit.ly/2m874tv).
- The reverse is true if the filter will be used in the sunlight or well-lit area. You'll want to consider darker text font colors (http://bit.ly/2m8fX69).
- Some minimums and maximums specific to Snapchat:
- The minimum cost for a geofilter is $5.00, which will cover a 20,000-square foot area (slightly less than ½ an acre) for one hour. It is suggested that you make the geographic area a little larger as "geo-targeting isn't quite as precise" as it could be (http://bit.ly/2m8fX69).
- The maximum coverage area is 5 million square feet (approximately 115 acres) and a campaign cannot last for more than 30 days (http://bit.ly/2m8fX69).
You can upload your own design, use one of Snapchat's templates, or create one using their online design tool, which provides business designs (with generic themes) and special occasions (e.g., weddings, birthdays, current holidays, events).
Personal geofilters cannot include "branding, business marks/names, or logos, and doesn't promote a business or brand" while a business geofilter can be used to promote your tasting room and include marks, logos, etc. that you own (http://bit.ly/2mKCkmG).
The one-hour campaign yielded the following:
'Uses' and 'views' "include any repeated views or uses from the same Snapchatter" (email exchange with Team Snapchat, March 9, 2017).
What was the return on investment? If all 28 views were unique, meaning that 28 individuals viewed snaps with the geofilter, then our cost per impression was 18 cents. If 14 individuals viewed the snaps twice, then our cost per impression was 36 cents.
Facebook Filters
Facebook recently introduced "frames," which can be used to decorate profile pictures or photos that were taken using the Facebook camera feature on a smartphone or tablet. You can take a tour by clicking on the following: http://bit.ly/2o3NmoK. A few stock frames are available (see below), and Facebook users can create custom frames.
Designing your own frame
A desktop tool like Photoshop is needed to design and build the frame (no design tools are available in the Create a Frame app), which then needs to be uploaded to Facebook.
The frame can be available to "everyone" (regardless of where they are located) or just Facebook users in a particular area (instead of drawing a "fence," like when designing a Snapchat geofilter, a "pin" is used to identify a location on a map). Facebook users can search for your frame based on the name you provide (e.g., Happy National Wine Day!) and/or keywords (e.g., wine, festival, party). By indicating that "Penn State Extension Enology" owned the frame – followers may see Denise's photo/PSU Enology next to the frame, which can also help users find it.
Facebook Frames, like Snapchat Geofilters, need to be approved before they are "live." As of today's posting, we have not been able to learn how much a frame costs.
Instagram Stories
Instagram is primarily a mobile-oriented social network, but it does offer some capabilities when viewed in a desktop web browser. Similar to other social platforms, Instagram allows users to engage with one another through following each other, liking posts, saving photos, commenting, tagging, and sending private messages between users. Filter and editing options, as well as geographical location tagging, can also be applied to pictures and videos users upload (http://bit.ly/2oRyCZh).
Additionally, Instagram allows users to change their account to a business profile, which provides business-related insights, including: "top posts," "promotions," demographics of "followers," and days/times they are most active on the network (photo below).
Another way to communicate with social media followers, keep them informed about your winery tasting room, and generate a response is by creating "stories" – a series of images and video that "lets you share all the moments of your day… in a slideshow format" (http://bit.ly/2o4VWUa). While Facebook and Snapchat also allow users to create stories, we will focus on Instagram Stories and what you can do with this "feature."
Instagram Stories
If you follow Instagram users who are creating stories, you will easily find them at the top of your main feed (they look like "little photo bubbles of the users you follow"), and you can access them for 24 hours after they have been posted (http://bit.ly/2oRyCZh).
To view a story, tap the user's photo. Tap on the right side of the screen to skip to the next post or tap the left side to go back. Swipe left to skip to the next user's story.
To post your own story, select the "Your Story" icon at the top left of your main feed page and take a photo or video. You can apply filters, text, drawings, and stickers to enhance your post. You can read more about all the features Instagram Stories offers here: http://bit.ly/2auWwCJ.
Instagram Stories can be a great way for wineries and tasting rooms to engage with followers. Businesses can post photos of new products, videos of events held at the tasting room, harvest, stages of vine growth, and even post videos of the winemaker explaining processing techniques. The fact that they only remain visible for 24 hours adds an element of urgency and could encourage followers to view stories before they disappear. Another way that wineries and tasting rooms could use the story feature is to post a picture of a coupon that can be redeemed during the 24-hour period. You can also target specific Instagram followers and send the story directly to their Instagram account. But instead of being visible for 24 hours – after they view it, they are only able to replay it once and then the photo will disappear.
Social media is always evolving, and one of our goals is to identify tools that might be of value to your tasting room and give you a bit of insight as to how you can use them. These are just a couple of ways that you can use social media platforms to engage with customers, and they do require a bit more time than just posting a quick photo; however, depending on your customer base you may get much more interaction and a greater reaction than a quick photo.
What Drives Mid-Atlantic Wine Consumers to Visit Local Winery Tasting Rooms
By Jennifer Zelinskie and Dr. Kathy Kelley
Whether you work in the wine industry or are just a wine consumer who reads the Wine & Grape U. Blog, you have probably visited many different winery tasting rooms. Reflecting on these visits, you probably remember instances when you had an exceptionally good experience and times when your visit might not have been all that delightful. We are pretty sure that you made the decision to return to the facility while tasting the wines or just after the door shut upon your exit.
If you are a winery tasting room owner or operator, you want all of your customers to have a memorable positive experience and have no doubt that they will visit again. This blog post presents data collected from our Mid-Atlantic wine consumer participants as to what had a positive influence on their willingness to visit again.
The Impact of Customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is critical to the success of any business. Miguel Gomez, a faculty member at Cornell University, shared five factors that drive customer satisfaction, builds loyalty, and encourages repeat winery tasting room visits. These include:
- ambience – cleanliness, ambiance, lighting, sounds, view, etc.;
- service – staff friendliness, knowledge, appropriate appearance, and helpfulness;
- tasting protocol – variety, amount served, cost, and number of wines tasted;
- tasting experience – flexibility in choice of wines, space (crowdedness), waiting time to start and between samples; and
- retail execution – presentation of wine for purchase, quality, prices, discounts, and ease of locating the winery (http://bit.ly/2jy3v2C).
According to data collected as part of the Northern Grapes Project, funded by the USDA, the average number of bottles study participants purchased increased as customer satisfaction increased. Participants were asked to rate their "level of customer satisfaction" in tasting rooms on a scale of 1 (lowest level of customer satisfaction) to 5 (highest level). Participants that rated their tasting room satisfaction level a '4' out of '5' purchased an average of 2.8 bottles of wine, but those who rated their tasting room satisfaction level a '5' out of '5' purchased an average of 4 bottles (http://bit.ly/2k5gG7L). Average amount of money spent at the tasting room also increased as level of customer satisfaction increased. Those who awarded ratings of '4' out of '5' spent an average of $40 and those who awarded ratings of '5' out of '5' spent an average of $60.
How far did our participants travel to winery tasting rooms during an average year?
In our March 2016 survey, participants were asked if they visited and/or purchased wines from winery tasting rooms that were located within 100 miles from their home during an average year. Of the 1,038 participants, 505 (50.1%) responded "yes." These 505 participants were then asked a series of questions regarding their winery tasting room visits.
Why might purchasing wine from a tasting room be more appealing than purchasing wine from a retail liquor store?
As a winery tasting room owner you want your customers to come and visit your location, taste your wine, and make purchases on a regular basis. Yet one of your major competitors is the local liquor store, which can be more convenient (e.g., hours of operation) for consumers and provide them with a greater selection of wines (e.g., type, origin, price) than you offer.
Hence we asked our participants who visited winery tasting rooms within 100 miles of their home to react to factors that may have influenced them (positively and negatively) to travel to a tasting room, rather than a liquor store, for a visit and/or to purchase wine. Data presented below (Figures 1 through 3) are for the 95.6% of participants who indicated that at least one factor influenced them in a positive way to travel to a winery tasting room to visit and/or make a purchase. We will discuss factors that had a negative influence in another blog post.
Factors that Had a Positive Influence on Participants' Visits and/or Purchases
As you can see in Figure 1, below, nearly half of the 505 participants selected "prefer to purchase directly from the winemaker" (48.6%) and that "purchasing wine directly from the winery tasting room provides more support to the local economy" (47.9%) as having a positive influence on why they traveled to a tasting room within 100 miles of their home to make a visit and/or purchase wine, as opposed to a retail liquor store. We chose the 100-mile distance as 64% of participants in one study responded that for a food to be "local" it had to be produced within a 100-mile radius "of the store" (http://bit.ly/2jxi1VO), and there are reasons why you might promote your tasting room as being a local wine source.
Individuals who buy wine from local wineries may do so because they feel a sense of community when they make the purchase. Others may purchase local because of economic benefits. For example, when $100 is spent at a local business "roughly" $68 stays in the community while only $43 "stays in the local economy" when $100 is spent at a non-locally owned business (http://bit.ly/12cRrXn). Or, they may feel that local foods and local wines are a natural pairing. According to David Page of Shinn Estate Vineyards, though it may take decades or longer, "the wine of a region and the food of a region creates the cuisine of the region" (http://nyti.ms/2kcdVBt).
How can you, as a winery tasting room owner or operator, use the "buy local" trend to engage your customers?
- Promote your business as being local, that you make your wine locally, and/or that the grapes and other ingredients used in the wine are from local sources. The Hive Winery, located in Layton, Utah, states on their website that their "wines are crafted using fruit and home from local farms as much as possible" (http://bit.ly/2kwO47H). If you look through their website you will learn that the local theme is not just mentioned once, but they discuss why consumers may want to buy local, indicate the ingredients in each wine that were sourced locally (e.g. "11 pounds of fresh Utah black cherries [are used] per bottle" of their Black Cherry Brandy, http://bit.ly/2kx2K6F), and link to other local businesses. Discussing why local, as well as other environmental practices, is important to them helps convey to readers that they are not merely using "local" just to drive sales.
- Find a "buy local" association, build a relationship with other local businesses, and work together to promote your businesses and the community. In 2013, 14% of independent businesses located in Michigan "Local First" communities indicated that the effort had a "significant positive impact" on their business, 28% reported a "moderate positive impact," and 33% "a little positive impact" (http://bit.ly/1gcOesa). These businesses reported a greater percent change in revenue in 2013 over 2012, a 7.0% increase compared to 2.3% for independent businesses in communities without a Local First initiative, and a greater positive change in 2013 holiday sales compared to 2012 (http://bit.ly/1gcOesa).
- Register your business as a "Small Business Saturday" participant (http://amex.co/1JdleC6). This campaign, hosted by American Express, is held on a Saturday after Thanksgiving and encourage shoppers to buy from local businesses. Now approaching its eighth year, 112 million consumers shopped and dined at small businesses on Small Business Saturday 2016, a 13% increase over 2015 (http://bit.ly/2koxVRI). Not only do consumers focus on purchasing from small businesses on this shopping holiday, but 77% of consumers who participated in 2014 survey responded that "the day makes them want to shop local year-round" (http://bit.ly/2jxFO7q). One winery that utilizes Small Business Saturday is North Folk Winery, Harris, MN. Thewineyhosted a wine pairing with local cheese and chocolate and offered attendees a 20% discount on bottles when they purchased cheese and chocolate gift boxes (http://bit.ly/2jxdAKH).
Offering discounts in your winery tasting room can help attract new customers, encourage undecided customers to make a purchase, and prompt those who have not visited your tasting room in a while to stop in and see what is new.
Pertaining to discounts and programs that would provide incentives for purchasing multiple bottles, 40.1% of our participants indicated that such a discount had a positive influence on their decision to travel to tasting rooms, as opposed to a retail liquor store (Figure 2).
Ron Lykins, a wine tasting room associate, suggests in a blog post that offering a discount on purchasing multiple bottles of wine is a reasonable strategy and encourages up-selling. He provides an example where a customer is purchasing four bottles of wine and is then presented with a modest discount if the customer purchases an additional two bottles. He stresses that the policy needs to be clearly defined and that all tasting room staff must know when it should be offered (http://bit.ly/2j9BLhe).
But why do discounts work in attracting customers to your tasting room?
The psychology behind discounts is to create urgency. Which can be achieved by:
- Using phrases such as "get $10 off your case purchase" or "get 5% off a case purchase," which specify what is actually being discounted, are more likely to motivate people to buy compared to using less direct statements like "save $10" or "save 10%."
- Limit the amount of time you offer the discount, preferably no more than a couple of weeks to encourage customers to buy before it is too late.
- Inform customers about the discounts when they are if your tasting room and through all modes of communication (http://bit.ly/2jA0Cho).
Of the 505 participants who visited and/or purchased wines from winery tasting rooms that were located within 100 miles from their home during an average year, few participants (14.7%) indicated that being a member of the winery's wine club and earning rewards by making purchases was a positive influence. This low response may be due to the fact that only 20.8% of these 505 participants reported being a club member or subscriber.
Although this is the case for our survey, as a winery owner or operator, you have the ability to customize your reward system and offer benefits that motivate your customers to become members and renew annually. Keep in mind that it is not just the discount that encourages customers to join a wine club, but there are also "intangible" benefits. You have the opportunity to make your club members feel special, whether that means hosting private events or getting to know them by name (http://bit.ly/2j9BLhe), both of which help members feel truly connected with the winery and tasting room staff. You can read more about our participants' interest in wine club membership benefits by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2iCoulc.
Whether you are offering discounts to all customers or just members of your wine club, consider the following to make sure that your discount does not have a negative impact on your business:
- Calculate the best discount price that will still generate a profit by understanding your gross margin, markup, and breakeven figures.
- Know that you will need to increase your sales volume, which differs based on the discount offered, in order to maintain the desired gross margin. According to the example on the Business Victoria website (http://bit.ly/2jIa96k), if your gross margin is 40% and you offer a 5% discount then you will need to "increase your sales volume by 14.3 percent in order to make a profit." If you change that 5% discount to a 10% discount you will need to increase your sales volume by 33.3%.
- Become familiar with what discounts other winery tasting rooms in your area are offering. Though your operations may not be identical, this can at least give you some guidance as to what type of discount you might offer, amount of discount to provide, and frequency which to offer the discount.
- Review last year's sales and identify times (days of the week, seasons, etc.) when your sales were low and that, perhaps, running discounts during these times could increase foot traffic and boost sales (http://bit.ly/2jIa96k).
Figure 3 shows survey participant responses to the remaining three factors that could have a positive influence on their likelihood to travel to a winery tasting room, as opposed to a retail liquor store, within 100 miles of their home. Over half, 56.6%, of participants indicated that they like to be able to taste all or most of the wine before making any purchases. Half (51.0%) indicated that they like the taste and/or quality of the wine they purchase directly from the winemaker and approximately a third (31.2%) reported that being able to buy wines made with grapes native to their area (e.g., Niagara, Catawba) were reasons why they traveled to the tasting room.
You know how wine tastings influence your visitors' purchasing decisions, and that if you can get a reluctant visitor to try a wine that they are unfamiliar with – you might just get a sale. Whether you currently make wines that are less known or are contemplating doing so, you should consider encouraging as many visitors as possible to sample them.
In 2012, Michigan State University researchers investigated consumer awareness and perceptions of cold hardy grape wines (e.g., Brianna, Edelweiss, La Crescent, Marquette). According to their results, slightly more than half (55.5%) of Michigan tasting room visitors responded that they were not familiar with cold hardy wines, while 65.3% indicated that they had tasted them. An additional mail/email survey was implemented in six Mid-Western states. Awareness was even lower among these wine consumers, with 70% responding that they were not familiar with the wines and only 26.8% responding that they had tasted the wines (http://bit.ly/2jKwLC).
Although awareness of cold hardy wines was low, consumers who had tasted cold hardy grape wine reported to like them "a lot" (41.9% of the MI tasting room visitors and 39.3% of mail/email survey participants) or "a little" (29.9% of the MI tasting room visitors and 31.1% of mail/email survey participants; http://bit.ly/2jKwLC).
Educating your staff about these wines and guiding them as to how they can encourage customers to taste "unknown" or "less familiar" wine is crucial.
Of note….
We recognize that percentages of respondents who indicated that these factors had a positive influence on their winery tasting room visits were not as high as might have been expected. None of the percentages were greater than 56.6%. In the future, we plan to investigate other factors that may have a positive influence on winey tasting room visits.
2017 Retail Trends For Winery Tasting Rooms To Consider
By Dr. Kathy Kelley
With the New Year just over a week away, the number of reports, articles, etc. that predict what will happen in retail and food trends are filling my inbox and dominating the Internet. Though overwhelming, I do enjoy sifting through these data and identifying trends that appear in more than one source and that could be useful to tasting rooms in our region.
The one trend that appeared quite frequently was the importance of creating a customer experience. We have published a couple of blogs about creating an experience, which you can find by clicking on the following: http://bit.ly/2h1dM21 and http://bit.ly/2h1dzLZ. Since you can refer to these past blogs about how to create an experience for your tasting room visitor, I selected three other trends for today's post: being transparent, important flavors, and communicating with customers via text.
For a few years, consumers have expected businesses to be "transparent" with how they manage funds collected via their cause marketing programs. Donors want to know how each dollar collected is distributed (http://bit.ly/2i6EdIB). Some companies want to be transparent in every business aspect and they even make key employee salaries public (http://bit.ly/2i6K7ZY). Without going to that extreme – what can a business do to meet the desires of their customers who have an interest in learning "where their money's going rather than simply what it's buying?"
An example presented in Vend's 2017 Retail Trends and Predictions report (http://bit.ly/2gUbT74) is Everlane, a clothing business that promotes "radical transparency" (http://bit.ly/2h11bvA). One of their principles is to be transparent in their costs.
By clicking on a wool-cashmere scarf that they sell, I learned that the true cost ($31.00) was derived from the following: materials ($16.40), hardware ($1.60), labor ($9.65), duties ($2.21), and transport ($1.30) (http://bit.ly/2i22LSR). The retail price was $65; however, they are primarily an e-retailer, with some product available in boutiques in major metropolitan areas, so they have been able to "eliminate brick-and-mortar expenses and pass these savings on to" their customers. Consumers and some magazines (e.g., Lucky Magazine, GQ, and Glamour), newspapers (e.g., Los Angeles times, The New York Times), and fashion websites (e.g., Style.com) appreciate this strategy and insight (http://bit.ly/2h3EwPv).
You may not feel comfortable providing a breakdown of why your bottle of Chardonnay costs what it does, but I'm sure that you get asked often why your wine is more expensive than a Chardonnay produced by a "massive conglomerate brand." Reininger Winery, located in the Walla Walled Valley in Washington State, answered this question in a July 2012 blog post (http://bit.ly/2gV1urD).
Courtney Morgan, Reininger Winery Marketing Assistant, provided information to educate consumers about how factors (e.g. marketing costs, land prices, volume purchases) impact the final price of a wine. Like Courtney, you probably would make note that "there is no question that a large conglomerate winery can make a good $8 wine," but that there is something unique and special about the wine you produce and the wine in the bottle reflects the care and attention you take during harvest and the wine making process.
Do consumers get a sense of who you are as a brand?
Most likely your website has an "About Us" page that describes a little bit about your winery/vineyard and the owners. Perhaps you even have some information about your wine maker or other key employees. If the descriptions are brief, or merely mention an employee, their name, and their job title, consider adding information that them and who they are as a person.
Brancott Estate in New Zealand, which I was fortunate enough to visit a couple of times during my 2011 sabbatical, has taken such an approach. While a few of the key personnel listed hobbies and what they do on their time off, others described what specific tasks they oversee.
When I clicked on their "About Us" page, I learned that Patrick Materman, Chief winemaker, "decided he would study horticulture at Massey University" at age six, that he was awarded the title of "New Zealand Winemaker of the Year" in 2001, and his job entails "monitoring vineyard blocks, tasting fruit and determining the optimum harvest date." Eric Hughes, Winery Manager, is responsible for "turning harvested grapes into wines of the highest quality" and he is the head instructor at the Blenheim Dojo for Seido Karate.
If someone writes your blogs or posts your social media updates and readers merely see their first name in the byline – this could be a missed opportunity. Wouldn't you, as a consumer of products and services, what to "know" who is provided the information that you use to make a purchase?
John Morgan, who wrote "Branding Against the Machine: How to Build Your Brand, Cut Through the Marketing Noise, and Stand Out from the Competition" (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2012) stated that "What you do may not be unique, but you are. This is why putting your personality into your brand is so important…Personal brands can coexist with a company brand." The author provided examples of businesses, one of which was Ford Motor Company, that does this well. Scott Monty, head of the company's social media, does "a good job of letting us know the people behind the logo. Scott is building relationships with people and is a brand within a brand." Lastly, "People do business with people…Today people connect with your personality, content, and values. Not your product or service."
Throughout the year several magazines, food businesses, chef organizations, etc. develop lists of food trends. The number of these resources can be overwhelming and some focus on the impact of a specific ingredient (e.g. turmeric, http://bit.ly/2i6KMe8). I try to find trends that relate to particular types of cuisines and that are mentioned in several reports. So, what cuisines might we be savoring in 2017? Mintel, a provider of market research (http://bit.ly/2i6kdWA), predicts the following:
Cuban influenced cuisine
This food flavor trend is expected to gain greater appeal due to the U.S. travel ban to the island being lifted. Consumers who travel to Cuba for leisure and business and eat Cuban food during their visit may then want to consume these foods when they return home. Look for foods with rich sofrito sauce (Cuban sofrito is made with tomatoes, red bell peppers, and diced ham and differs from Dominican, Puerto Rican, and other sofritos, http://abt.cm/2i6g7Od) and pork-based dishes.
Korean, Filipino, and African flavors will become more prominent
Korean flavors such as kimchi (fermented cabbage dish made with garlic, salt, vinegar, spices, and chile peppers, http://bit.ly/2i6cJ5V) and gochujang (sauce made from chile peppers, salt, sticky rice, and fermented soybeans, http://bit.ly/2i6o71B) "are becoming mainstream as they are incorporated into everything from Polish sausages to ketchup," and more Millennials (23%) "want to see more pickled ingredients on the menu, compared to 14% of all US consumers" (http://bit.ly/2i6kdWA).
Are you familiar with harissa (a chile paste made with smoked peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and a variety of spices and used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking, http://bit.ly/2i6fB2z), teff (a fine grain used to make breads and baked goods and can be steamed, boiled, or baked, http://bit.ly/2i6exM6), or piri piri (peppers used to make a sauce, http://bit.ly/2i6rvtb)? If not, you may very well see them served in both full-service restaurants and dished out of food trucks.
Fire-grilled or smoked foods
Cooking food in a stove or oven is being overshadowed by consumer interest in foods cooked over a wood-fired grill. The smoke flavor and aroma "can be incorporated into spreads, desserts, beverages…meats, marinades and sauces" with restaurants using specific types of wood to impart a particular flavor (http://bit.ly/2i6kdWA).
Regardless of whether you have already seen these foods incorporated into menus at local restaurants or if tasting room visitors have asked about possible pairings, now is the time to start developing a list of your wines to serve with these flavors.
There are several ways that customers can contact you to ask a question about your wine, tasting room, etc., or that you could use to inform them about an event or just say "hi." Your customers; however, may really appreciate the ability to text message you rather than send an email or call you on their phone to ask you a question.
In 2015, 92% of U.S. adults owned a cell phone of which 68% of them owned a smartphone (http://pewrsr.ch/2iaveGn). Another survey, administered in late 2014, revealed that text messaging was the primary activity smartphone users conducted on their phone. Of the survey participants, 100% of those who were age 18 to 29 used their phones to text message (http://pewrsr.ch/2iawoS8). Nearly all survey participants age 30 to 49 (98%) used their smartphone to text with just slightly fewer participants age 50 and older (92%) responding that they used their smartphone for this purpose.
If text messaging is the primary activity smartphone users conduct on their phones, might they be interested in using text to communicate with business? According to a report published by The Center for Generational Kinetics, "some 36% of Millennials say they would contact a company more frequently if they could text them" (http://nws.mx/2h1uNZD).
Why do consumers prefer to send a text to a customer service department rather than call the company? The top five reasons why U.S. and German consumers preferred text, according to a May 2016 survey conducted by Ovum, were:
- "less time consuming," 44% of respondents selected this reason,
- "more convenient," 42%,
- "less frustrating," 30%,
- "enabled [them] to ask the company to text/call back," 26%, and
- "enabled [them] to have a record of the conversation," 19% (http://bit.ly/2h1vt1p).
To facility a smooth texting experience, several companies provide 2 Way SMS services that allow businesses to send and receive text messages in real time, send automated replies based on keywords, send appointment reminders, and other communications (http://bit.ly/2h1r3rr).
One such company, SMS Global, a messaging solutions provider (http://bit.ly/2h1m8GT), described some of the things a business can do using 2 Way SMS:
- Send coupons, offers, and inform customers about sales. SMS Global indicated on their website that "in many cases [their] customers yield a more than 300% increase" in offers and coupon redemptions "compared to email or hard copy offers" (http://bit.ly/2h1r6TW).
An example of a winery that uses text messaging to connect with customers is Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery, located in Kasota, MN. The winery uses text messaging to alert customers about the promotions as well as when they release their wines (http://bit.ly/2iaxaOS).
- Increase email open rates. SMS Global clients experienced a 30 to 40% increase when consumers received a text "prompting [them] to check their email."
- Get customer feedback. Every so often, send your customers a text with a question or two and instantaneously learn about their thoughts and interests.
Why might a business want to incorporate texting into their marketing and communication strategy? Kenneth Burke recently published a list of reasons on the Text Requests website (http://bit.ly/2iakkjA). Some include:
- Responding to consumers via text is a quicker way to answer their questions, allowing you to solve a problem before your competitor can, which may result in more sales.
- According to Burke, "for the average person, texting is one of the more personal things we do every day." His rationale is that we receive a lot of emails, many of which "are simply marketing and sales messages," and phone calls, I'm sure that when you see an unrecognized telephone number on your screen that you automatically think that it is a telemarketer. But, when you receive texts – you know who sent it and these texts are most likely "from people you have close relationships with."
- "Texting makes your business fully mobile." Texting completes the cell phone usage experience. If a consumer uses their phone to access social media apps, read emails, play games, and a multitude of other activities – then why not reach them on the device that is most likely to be by their side?
Of course, as with any other marketing and communication practice you implement, you will want to make sure that you follow the rules, which include an opt-in consent, directions on how consumers can opt out of text messages, and that message rates may apply (http://bit.ly/2iaFYEC).
We will continue to share trends that could be useful to wineries and winery tasting rooms in the New Year.
Blog Topics
- Bloom
- Brewing
- Customer service
- Distillation
- Enology
- Hard Cider
- Sensory Training
- Students & Projects
- Team Members
- Uncategorized
- Viticulture
- Wine Marketing
- Wine Marketing & Research Board


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All K-12 schools and education entities can benefit from solutions made possible through Virtual Education. Below are examples of the various types of schools and education related organizations that take advantage of Educere's Virtual Education solutions.
|A private school system.
|A small school district.
|A regional education services agency.
|A vocational school.
|A suburban school district.
toll-free 866.4EDUCERE (866.433.8237)
telephone 215.283.0380
fax 866.348.1050
Educere LLC
Ambler Plaza
12 East Butler Avenue, Suite 100
Ambler, PA 19002

subset: commoncrawl


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15 Feb 2018 04:31
Expert might give you not only his consent but also the work in sensible form. Everybody who wants to have the fruit of the SEO Dublin is on the way to find the greatest employee. This employee known as expert will give him these products much better than anybody else. So, having just a small more work done one could easily find the guru and then anything will go exactly good with his organization.References make a large distinction so you need to inquire them who have they done this for and was their procedure effective. Speak is cheap and you can sign a contract with anybody claiming to do SEO but that doesn't imply anything. When choosing a company you have to know what you're paying for and what is the expected outcome of their efforts. This is a metric that should be clearly determined when they current you with an provide or a agreement or you could possibly get the short end of the stick. Don't be afraid to inquire relevant concerns like when will I see a return on my investment and are all of you tactics white hat.Do I require an in-home SEO professional? The answer is Yes, if you have the budget to hire the "Best". But if you don't have the spending budget you can outsource to a SEO professional at half the cost (minus the employee advantages).Another way to find the very best SEO services Dublin out of many companies is to go their customers' recommendations. Discover the function your shortlisted SEO firms have done in the previous and the strategies they undertake for reaching high search motor rankings for websites. Each SEO company has some plans to provide. The firms, you have shortlisted, would offer you some SEO plans. They would both provide brief phrase plans or long phrase projects or both. If you require customized SEO plans then you should location your ask for to the SEO businesses, you have shortlisted.Think of a test that is fun and also relevant at the exact same time. By doing this, you will not only increase the quantity of fans, but you will also improve the length that the user will remain on your page. One of the businesses applied the strategy is Molotov, a organic Search engine Optimization, among whose clients include actors David Spade and Jamie Kennedy. To promote the new George Lopez's Television display, they thought of making a Fb test known as "How nicely do you know George Lopez?", in which users experienced to answer concerns associated to his most recent roles and his personal lifestyle, plus some additional questions from the episode that was aired.Once the key phrases and the Google+ account are created, your Nearby SEO services Dublin moves with the hyperlink developing process. Since the goal is nearby, hyperlinks are produced from the nearby area. The SEO Company produces hyperlinks by submitting your site at numerous local directories and search engines this kind of as Yelp. As quickly as the links are increasing in number, your rank in Google increases.The next better way to generate efficient back links by utilizing back again links is with your discussion board profile. While signing up in the forum, you can find a profile region with that you can produce a personalized profile. Here you can include website names in your produced profile region. Actual website URL or anchor textual content is placed to get internet names posted. Any these forum back again link is very important to get more traffic from the discussion boards.Linking service provides the ease towards the website owners to market their web site through links supplied by another web sites that are ranked higher online. Seo is one with the major resources that really help you out to deliver profitable hyperlinks to your website. Seo stands for the search motor optimization. It assists 1 to make your site noticeable for the eyes with the significant number of people throughout the globe. Along with the back again links your web site could possibly get higher rank online such as Google, MSN, Yahoo etc.Outsourcing is an effective way out if you want to get relevant search outcomes in the directories. However, the initial thing that you need to discover out is the number of years the SEO services business has been in company. It is great to zero in upon a business that has been buying and selling in business for at minimum two-3 many years and has a checklist of clients. You should attempt and find the consumer testimonials. In situation the Company is new, you can go via the customer critiques to determine whether or not they are competent enough to work on your website. You can demo them by placing a little order to check if the business is dependable or not. The Business ought to provide a comprehensive submission report and provide the project on time.A SEO services Dublin can make precise Robots.txt information and place these in the correct directory, therefore making the web site lookup-pleasant. The Robots.txt file tells the search motor robots or spiders what not to look for in your website. For example, you may have a "cgi-bin" or a personal directory on your server, correct inside your website listing. You can use the Ribots.txt file to inform the search engines not to display such content. This file should be meticulously prepared and positioned correct in the leading-degree listing.


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What is
Public Health?
Topics &
Publications &
Martens Dr Black Shoe Cherry Red 1461 Professional
Events &
News &
Preventing and controlling the spread of disease is at the heart of much public health work. From influenza and Lyme disease to malaria and Ebola, outbreaks of infectious diseases can have an extraordinary impact on human health.
From The Nation's Health: Public health making progress in eliminating infectious diseases
There are many ways to prevent the spread of disease. FSJ Toe Stylish Buckle Green 4 US Size Party Dress Women Sandals Shoes 15 High Chunky Strap Open Heels rqrpfx5EYw have helped eliminate or greatly reduced disease threats. Kids, teens and adults should all be protected and stay up to date with their recommended immunizations. Proper handwashing, especially before and after handling food and using the toilet, helps keep germs at bay.
Other important ways to slow or stop disease transmission are by ensuring the food we eat and water we drink is safe, avoiding people who are sick and practicing safe sex.
Some diseases spread from one person to another while others can spread from animal to person. Some are spread through the air, by touch or through bodily fluids. Some diseases may produce mild symptoms; others can be lethal. As APHA member Jonathan Fielding, professor of public health and pediatrics at UCLA, writes in this op-ed, "Without the necessary funds, fighting Zika, Ebola and other infectious disease is a losing battle."
More than 200 infectious diseases are listed in APHA's Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. Some include:
Zika Ebola Dengue Influenza: seasonalby Classic Mens Loafer Red Shoes Santimon Car Penny Modern Shoes Leather On Driving Slip Boat 711q5r; pandemic (PDF); H1N1 swine flu (PDF) Lyme disease MERS
Get Ready CDC Brown Toe Tenworld Wedge Women's Open Platform Sandals Peep Summer High xnSzpAqw6n CIDRAP
The Smallpox episode of the multimedia series Microbe HuntersBlack Full Shoe Men's Training Air Stealth Max 1 Ride Tr Cool 5 Nike Grey w7tzqW tells one of the greatest health stories out there.
The National Foundation for Infectious Disease has a shingles awareness campaign that includes a Zipper Boots KemeKiss Women Black Simple EtggqF and online quiz.
Black Red Cherry Shoe Martens Dr 1461 2018 © American Public Health Association


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Shanthan Ganesh is a specialist Colorectal and General surgeon. He operates at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ashford hospital and Calvary Wakefield hospital.
He consults at North Adelaide rooms. Dr. Ganesh specialises in the treatment of perianal conditions such as Haemorrhoidal disease and anal fissure. Dr. Ganesh's other area of interest include laparoscopic colorectal surgery for both benign and malignant colorectal conditions and laparoscopic general surgery (laparoscopic cholecystectomy and hernia repair). He is accredited for colonoscopy through Gastroenterological Society of Australia. He also performs trans-anal Endoscopic resection of large polyps and early rectal cancers.
He graduated from medicine at the University of New South Wales in 2001. He completed his General Surgery training in Sydney, obtaining his FRACS in General surgery in 2009. He also has a Master of Minimally Invasive Surgery (University of Adelaide) and a Master of Surgery (University of Sydney). He was selected for the Colorectal Speciality training program with Fellowships undertaken at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide and the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, under the auspices of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand.
He is also Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. He is actively involved in teaching of medical students at the University of Adelaide. He is currently a surgical tutor for both 3rd and 4th year medical students at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
He is a early adaptor of the taTME( trans anal Total Mesorectal Excision) which is a new minimally invasive technique to remove advanced low rectal cancers. This allows patients to avoid a permanent colostomy. He a is a member of the faculty in Australia and New Zealand which runs workshops for other colorectal surgeons to learn this technique. He has proctored other colorectal surgeons both in South Australia and New South Wales.
He is married with one child. He enjoys playing cricket, regular exercise and travelling with his family.
Procedures that Mr Ganesh specialises in:
- Endoscopy
- Colonoscopy
Perianal surgery
- Haemorrhoid surgery
- Surgery for perianal fistulae
- Surgery for anal fissure
- Excision of skin tags
- Drainage of perianal abscess
General surgery
- Excision of skin lesions( not on the face or hands)
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- Laparoscopic hernia surgery
- Open hernia surgery
- Large incisional hernia repair
- Laparoscopic appendicectomy
- Pilonidal surgery
- Ingrown toe nail surgery
Colorectal surgery
- Surgery (colectomy) for bowel cancer
- Surgery (colectomy) for diverticular disease
Consulting Locations
File size: 24 KB | File format: doc


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You'll be the sherpa of style on the slopes with our Apex, a modern comfort adaptation of the high Asian steppes that cushions yours. Cordlock lacing cinches in the leather upper with a protective and waterproof soft shell front, and sits above an anatomically precise, durable Q-Form® Comfort midsole to intuitively absorb impacts. An impermeable waterproof membrane upgrades performance by keeping chilling moisture out, while the wool fleece footbed naturally manages it inside.
- Cement construction provides lightweight durability
- Pig suede, nubuck leather upper and waterproof soft shell material
- Waterproof Membrane provides impermeable but breathable barrier
- Lining treated with Aegis® antimicrobial solution
- 200 grams of Opti-Warm lightweight, low bulk, synthetic insulation keeps you warm
- Ortholite® Anatomical Footbed
- Molded nylon arch shank
- Q-Form® Comfort EVA Midsole provides women's specific stride-sequenced cushioning
- Merrell Air Cushion in the heel absorbs shock and add stability
- Temperature rating -32°C


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MarketWatch rounds up 10 of its most interesting articles published over the past week.
1. Obama's forgiveness of student debt
The Obama administration is sending letters to nearly 400,000 people telling them they will be forgiven their federal student loans. That could cost taxpayers $7.7 billion. Jillian Berman explains why these people are getting this treatment.
2. There's a big deadline looming for this Social Security benefit
Robert Powell points out that one strategy people use to maximize their Social Security benefits, called "file-and-suspend," will no longer be available for new filers after April 29. This strategy allows someone to receive spousal benefits while the other person (a spouse or ex-spouse) continues working or merely delays claiming, thereby gaining a bigger Social Security later on.
The closing of this loophole under a 2015 budget act affects millions of people who still qualify for this strategy, potentially costing them thousands of dollars apiece in benefits. But there are a lot of details to consider. After dozens of readers sent questions, Powell followed up with Everything you need to know about the Social Security claiming deadline.
3. You don't need to form a company in Panama to avoid U.S. taxes
The so-called Panama Papers have made public some of the wealthy who form offshore companies to avoid taxes. But companies have their own techniques to dodge some taxes. Ciara Linnane talks about the various loopholes that allow companies to make all sorts of structural changes to lower their bills to Uncle Sam.
4. Is a do-it-yourself will valid?
Quentin Fottrell, MarketWatch's popular Moneyologist, tackles a question on inheritance and do-it-yourself wills. Readers suggest there might be a deeper issue.
Also see: My mother wants to give me 70% of her estate — my sister is furious and Is a gift registry for a child's birthday party the new normal?
5. Flint, Mich., isn't the only place with bad water
Emma Court considers how investors can help clean the U.S. water infrastructure and what consumers can do to protect themselves from contamination in the meantime.
6. Facebook talks bots, drones and planes
At its F8 developer conference, Facebook Inc. FB, +1.16% spelled out its vision for virtual reality, artificial intelligence and Internet connectivity. It also announced the beta launch of Bot Engine, which provides personal assistance to people using the company's messenger services, Jennifer Booton reports.
7. The movie-theater industry is very worried
The major reason people go to cinemas rather than watching a movie on their big screen at home is the exclusive period during which new films can only be seen in theaters. Trey Williams discusses a major new threat to the core of the theater owners' business.
8. A frightening look at China's debt market
The definition of a Ponzi scheme is using money provided by new investors to pay promised returns to previous investors. Here's an alarming statistic: 45% of new debt raised by companies in China is used to pay interest on existing debt. Jonathan Rochford provides more alarming details.
9. An end for the euro rally?
The euro has been rallying against the dollar this year, which can only be good news for U.S. exporter. However, Joseph Adinolfi points to early signs that the rally may be over.
10. A strong dollar may hurt if you play the emerging markets rally
U.S. companies have been whining for several quarters about how the strong dollar hurts their exports. But the strong dollar can hurt other economies. Anora Mahmudova explained the various threats to emerging-market stocks.
Have this weekly roundup sent to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Weekly Roundup newsletter. Sign up here.


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Our main excuse to attack Iraq is because it does not respect United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 on disarmament. In a nutshell, one can say that force is now required to enforce the UN's will on the Middle East. However, the United States does not feel that it needs UN support in order to invade Iraq. So, essentially the US Military Forces are going to go into Iraq, against the UN's will, in order to make Iraq obey the UN. Does anybody else see the irony in this?
I was really sick yesterday, and I still haven't gotten over it today. My brother just built a new home (which is absolutely beautiful) in north Orem up in the foothills, and he needed help moving all of his stuff in. So, there I was, hefting boxes left and right with a fever, sore throat, and runny nose. It was a nightmare. I suppose I could have just told him I was sick, but I had offered my help on Sunday and I didn't want to back out at the last second when he was counting on my help. I went home and tried sleeping for the evening but people kept calling who wanted to move in to my condo at La Jolla (I just listed it yesterday afternoon). I literally got a call every 15 minutes. It was out of control. Finally, at about 11:00 pm I called Rachel because I was feeling like total crap and I needed someone to talk to. She decided to come over and bring me chicken noodle soup and medicine! What a sweetheart!!!


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The race course is in great shape for both the classic and skate race this weekend at Boyne Highlands. The weather forecast for the rest of the week looks warm with a chance of rain. Even with the threat of rain and warm temps the trails have plenty of base and the race will still be held.
The classic race will be a 10k not 15k as indicated on the race schedule. The skate race is 15k as indicated. The classic race is on Saturday, March 11, the skate race on Sunday March 12.
We are looking for a head count for both races. If you are planning on racing any of the races please call Boyne Highlands Cross Country Director Gary Day at (231)526-3029 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Please specify classic, skate or both.


text: At AAMEN we mentor, teach, guide, and model. We help our kids with their academics, and we try to provide them with opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have. Our mission is to develop character, discover potential, and inspire world vision in marginalized young men ages 15-18, up until 21 years of age.


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I do not yet have this completed for redistribution ... but soon will. I was able to do this by creating hacked copies of Dave Winer's blogger.newPost methods, and creating a blogger.newAtomPost method. I did one quick test post, and then headed to bed. There are a couple of bugs that I have to work out, and then I was to see if I can hack this into the #upstream.xml file processing. I'd like to simply be able to put a line in the #upstream.xml file that indicates that I want to upstream using the Atom API.
If not, then I'll still end up creating a seperate tool that will be a fork of the xManilaBloggerBridge tool written by Steve Hooker. Fun stuff ... I'm glad that I took the time to write this ... it was a good learning experience.
P.S. For anyone who wants to use the xManilaBloggerBridge tool with Radio and Blogger, I found that there are two core changes to get this working ... I had to search for "metaWeblog." and comment out the calls to these methods, and then look right next to them and un-comment the "blogger." methods. Once I had done this, the basic Blogger API stuff started to work just fine. There is not support for 'titles' in the Blogger API though ... this is why I pursued the Atom API support.


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MotoGP news: Valentino Rossi influence scrutinised amid serious Yamaha mistake - EXCLUSIVE
Valentino Rossi has struggled with the Yamaha M1 this season
MOTOGP superstar Valentino Rossi didn't push Yamaha into apologising for the M1 bike's continued issues.
That's according to BT Sport pundit James Toseland who says Yamaha realise they have dropped a huge clanger this season.
The M1 has been blighted by acceleration issues related to the bike's electronics throughout the campaign.
Things came to a head in qualifying before the Austrian Grand Prix last month.
Rossi started the race in 14th spot after a dismal Saturday session.
However, the Italian rallied and ended up finishing the race in sixth spot.
After the qualifying shambles, M1 project leader Kouji Tsuya publicly apologised to Rossi and his team-mate Maverick Vinales.
Toseland says huge oversights made in Japan meant the heavyweights couldn't bury their heads in the sand.
"I know Rossi has a lot of power in Yamaha," Toseland exclusively told Express Sport.
"But for me there must have been a categorical mistake made in Japan that they've known about and it was too late to rectify.
"The results are showing the mistake, but obviously someone in Japan has made a wrong call."
Tsuya is not a well known figure outside of Yamaha and Toseland says he was shocked to see the press conference called.
The former World Super Bike champion is also unconvinced it was the right decision.
He added: "I think the public apology by Yamaha, that was such an unusual thing to see.
Valentino Rossi has a lot of power at Yamaha according to James Toseland
"There must have been some serious mistakes within the factory in Japan to allow one of their head developers to hold his hands up and apologise.
"I can't remember any manufacturer ever doing that.
"I'm not sure if it was the right decision.
"If there were big mistakes made in Japan at Yamaha it's very humble for them to hold their hands up and admit it in public."
MotoGP has tightened up its rules in recent years in a bid to keep the sport competitive.
Valentino Rossi received a public apology from Kouji Tsuya
Toseland says errors in the development stage can cost teams dearly.
He said: "With the rules in MotoGP, because the seven engines are sealed, you cannot have any upgrades basically throughout the year.
"If they make a bad call at the start of the year, then that's it.
"It is the nature of how the rules are in MotoGP.
"If you make one bad move in the winter on the development of a new bike, it can really hinder the whole year.
"It puts the manufactures under a lot of pressure. It's much tougher than it used to be."
* Watch every moment of the MotoGP season exclusively live on BT Sport 2, with three full days of action every race weekend. Watch the San Marino and Rimmini Coast Grand Prix on Sunday September 9 from 1pm on BT Sport 2. For more info visit www.bt.com/sport


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Shirt – (ZARA) T-Shirt – (EXPRESS) Shorts – (Forever 21 -old- SIMILAR) Watch – (MICHAEL KORS) Shoes – (ZARA)
One thing a lot of people may not know about me, and trust me when I tell people I ALWAYS get the same reaction. I'm only 20 years old. I know, I know I look older, I'm taller, and those that know me say I'm more mature. Well, one thing that comes with that is that i'm very driven and focused on my career. Im a Full Time fashion student, Im a designer specialist for one of the worlds largest retailers, I write my own fashion blog, and on top of all that i'm a partner to an amazing person. So in between my passions I don't have a lot of time to do things for me. Through this blog I can only thank you for helping get my passion off the ground and running, trust me I AM a force to be reckoned with and you all are the first to know it! Thank you for letting be me! NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF!
In Dallas were just DAYS away from reaching 100 deg, and with that comes not so many cute fashion choices. As a male its even HARDER. No blazers. No pants. No jeans. No layers. No anything except for shorts, t shirts, and tank tops….AND THAT AINT CUTE! At least not for me. So i'm doing the remix on mother nature and meeting in the middle with this look. This is what I call my "Leisure Look" So when i'm out shopping (probably for cute fall clothes) I cannot be looking a sweaty mess in that under 100 deg junk. This bright short helps me keep up with the not so cute summer clothes, and who doesn't like a polka dot shirt?! Open it up for some breeze and hit the pavement, your ready for some hot fun!
P.S. – If you see me repeat this look around Dallas don't judge me….Its hard out here for a Male fashion blogger in 100 deg fahrenheit!
P.S.S – The Tan is courtesy of St.Tropez Located at your local beauty realtor!
-Christian Alexander Craven


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This anniversary card has a masculine recipient in mind, but I'd love to get it too! Adding the darker distress ink around the panel intensify the colours and highlight the stitched border.
CASology Cue Card: CAS
Love your spritzed and splattered background, Gra! The negative die-cutting adds lots of depth. Thanks so much for sharing with us at CAS Mix Up!
Wonderful colors and pattern in your background, Gra! I love that you've kept it simple and let that beautiful background shine! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at CAS Mix Up!ReplyDelete
What gorgeous, rich colors! Love the look you created!!!
Thank you so much for joining us for our 200th challenge over at CASology! :)
Gorgeous saturated DI background Gra! I love your splatters and negative die cut sentiment. Very artsy card! TFS and joining us at CAS Mix Up. Hugs, nancyReplyDelete
Oh wow! Love it Gra. The colours really pop and love the die cutting. Thanks for joining us over at Craft for the Craic this month 😀
Stunning card. The background is amazing.ReplyDelete
I need to play more with my distress inks! This is beautiful, Grá!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous background work! Love your card. <3ReplyDelete