Earlier this year, I wrote a piece called "Why Hiring a Non-Wine Creator Is Really Fucking Smart," making the case that the people best positioned to bring new audiences to your brand often aren't wine people at all. Then this spring I saw a real-world example of that idea in practice: The Banana Republic x Bells Los Alamos collaboration.
If you haven’t seen it, Banana Republic put out an Instagram post styled as a photo diary by Matt Morris Films (an awesome photographer, btw). It featured Matt’s recommendations for a weekend in Santa Barbara County, centering on Daisy and Greg, the folks behind Companion Hospitality (Bell’s Los Alamos, Bar Le Côte, Bodega, and a handful of other beloved Santa Ynez Valley spots).
I didn’t even realize it was an ad for Banana Republic until the fifth slide, when I was like, “Oh, that’s a nice dress Daisy is wearing.” It’s a lookbook for the apparel, certainly, but it felt very natural and (forgive the word here) authentic because the clothing wasn’t featured so prominently.
Banana Republic was, very intelligently, showing how “regular people” (in quotes because while Daisy & Greg are awesome and gorgeous individuals, they aren’t professional models) wear their clothes in their daily intrigues. They also add value (where to eat and visit when you come to the Santa Ynez Valley) and show you how you could look while doing those things. It’s a similar strategy to Michelin Tire Company’s guidebook-turned-restaurant rating system, which, as we all know now, was originally intended to get more people driving.
Even better, the Companion crew then capitalized on the influx of new people finding them through this post by creating their own Santa Ynez Valley Guide, and increased the value still further by including a curated Roadtrip to Los Alamos Playlist.
What Wineries Can Learn From This
Find partners outside your industry who can complement what you’re selling. Wine country is inherently lifestyle-driven. That makes it a natural fit for things like fashion, travel, and even beauty brands, categories with huge built-in audiences who are passionate and often have a little extra cash burning a hole in their pockets.
Let the partner be the hero, and let your brand be the setting. As you saw, Banana Republic’s clothes didn’t even show up until the fifth slide of that carousel. They let the valley, the restaurant, the people be the actual story, and the clothes just happened to be worn by the people living it. This helps your ad feel less ad-like and more value-driven.
Have something ready to catch the attention once it arrives. This is good advice for anyone who happens to go viral. Companion took advantage of the attention they got from the post with that guide, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it resulted in an increase in traffic to all of their restaurants (for what it’s worth, I do know that it resulted in one of my winery clients getting more wine orders, as they were mentioned in their guide). TL;DR, if a bigger platform ever points its audience at you, you want a place for that traffic to land that’s just as thoughtful as the thing that sent them.
Find little ways to add even more value. Playlists are a low-effort way to add to the sensory experience of your community. But there are other ways to add more value. My baby’s swim school gives us a Polaroid picture when we reach certain milestones to mark the occasion. A wedding photographer I know sends new clients a look-book guide with links on where to purchase outfits for engagement sessions. These are all low-lift things that add a little extra pizzazz to a customer’s (or potential customer’s) experience.
I’m a big fan of everything the folks at Companion Hospitality do. Their newsletter is among the few that I read top to bottom (for the others, see this post), and I’ve had nothing but awesome experiences at their restaurants and wine bar. Their social media is also a joy to follow, and they have built a really special team across their programs. Long story long, I really encourage you to follow what they are doing and if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit any of their restaurants, you are really missing out.
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