The Importance of First-Class Content

In a recent blog entry, wine writer Steve Heimoff revisits an article he penned in 1997 about the emergence of the internet and winery web sites.

Here’s what he writes, contrasting his 12-year-old observations with the present day:

I quoted the then-PR manager of St. Clement to explain why her winery had rushed to set up a Web page. “We didn’t have a goal,” she explained. “We just knew we had to be a part of it.” From there, I quoted Peter Granoff, an original founder of Virtual Vineyards (which went belly up; it’s now morphed into wine.com). “Most wineries are still caught up in the Web for its own sake and are struggling to find out what to do.”

Peter, or that PR manager, could say precisely the same things today! It’s amazing that, as far as we’ve come, most California wineries remain well behind the digital curve and don’t seem to know what to do with the Internet, including social media (which didn’t exist in 1997). True, most wineries have a website. But most of them are boring, unfriendly, and not even up-to-date with new vintages (which you’d think would be easy to do with a computer). Wineries should be leading other businesses in forging ahead on the Internet, not dawdling behind.

Heimoff’s conclusion is open to debate, but he does make a compelling point.

On that note, we believe that there are two fronts that need to be optimized for a winning web presence: technology and content.

Our line of business is content, or what we call storytelling. The story is the delivery vehicle of your message, be it the larger message that defines your brand, or the smaller messages that communicate your special events or new product releases. Even a 140-character Tweet is a story, albeit a short story.

This brings up the question: Why would you invest a year’s worth (or more) of careful labor and tens of thousands of dollars to put a wine in the bottle (or bring some other product to market), only to wing it in matters of telling the product’s story? That’s a good question, but we see it all the time.

Before you charge forward with your next web site upgrade, or new web site, ask yourself: Do I have a clear strategy for communicating my message and telling my story? Does the caliber of my content match the quality of my product? What can I do to take my content to the next level, to generate more impact and more sales?

Of course, we’re always happy to help you find the right answers to these questions.

Time to Face Facebook

If you think you have no use for Facebook, think again, because Facebook may have a use for you.

Facebook topped 70 million U.S. users last month, dethroning MySpace as the nation’s top social networking platform, and there are no signs of it slowing down. And now that Facebook is offering custom profile URLs, you may want to think about taking action sooner rather than later. Previously, Facebook profiles and pages were limited to hard-to-remember URLs filled with numerals and techno babble.

Here’s the scoop: you can now secure www.facebook.com/yourname or www.facebook/yourbusiness or facebook.com/ilovecats or whatever by logging into or creating a Facebook account and visiting www.facebook.com/username. That is, if someone hasn’t already snatched your choice. And there’s the rub. If someone else takes your choice first, you are out of luck and stuck with finding an alternative.

Therefore, even if you aren’t using Facebook at the moment, you may want to secure your own Facebook URL for possible future use, or at least as a hedge for protecting your (and your business’s) name.

Following is an excerpt on a recent article about the Facebook user name stampede:

UC Berkeley Assistant Professor Coye Cheshire, who researches social-exchange environments, wasn’t surprised by the rush to compete for a piece of virtual real estate. ”If Facebook continues to be the premier social-networking utility, then vanity URLs very well could be as important for individuals as domain names are for organizations and companies,” he said.

He’s right, but it’s not just important for individuals, but brands and companies as well. Indeed, you can create a Facebook “page” for your brand or business in addition to your own personal profile, and now that page can also have its own custom user name URL (starting right now if you currently have a page with 1,000 or more fans, or starting June 28 for others). See facebook.com/dell for an example.

Meanwhile, Twitter is coming on strong, too. Have you signed up for Twitter.com/yourbusiness? If not, you might want to grab it before someone else does. Never understimate the potential of online “squatters” to disrupt your URL experience.

P.S. If you are concerned about privacy on Facebook, click here for a primer on Facebook security settings. Remember that a Facebook personal “profile” is different than a business “page.” Even if you do not want to personally network on Facebook, you can create a business page. Such pages can be particularly beneficial for businesses that sell products or that otherwise have a “fan” base.

UC Berkeley Assistant Professor Coye Cheshire, who researches social-exchange environments, wasn’t surprised by the rush to compete for a piece of virtual real estate.

“If Facebook continues to be the premier social-networking utility, then vanity URLs very well could be as important for individuals as domain names are for organizations and companies,” he said.

Tap into The Power of Blogs

We are big proponents of blogs as a way for you to tell your story in a more informal and personal format compared to traditional marketing venues. Blogs put the power of publishing right in your hands, enabling you to feed your niche and get your word out quickly.  

For this reason, we have been working with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitor Bureau to establish a new blog dedicated to Santa Maria Style Barbecue, a regional culinary tradition that remains a huge attraction in the valley. 

This blog enables the Chamber to maintain the official word on Santa Maria Style Barbecue (the Chamber copyrighted the Santa Maria Style Barbecue menu in 1978) while promoting news, events, tips and insights related to this foodie phenomenon. 

The Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Blog has already been named a “best web find” by Sunset.com, the web site of Sunset Magazine. 

The Pacific Coast Business Times recently observed that “the hottest new thing on the Web might just be a tasty blog ‘hatched’ by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.”

Reka Badger of the Santa Maria Sun also had some kind words for the blog: “A lively mélange of commentary, interviews, and event listings, it offers insights into the local cuisine and tips for visitors, as well as plenty of information for Central Coast residents eager to savor regional flavors…It boldly promotes ‘California’s Barbecue Capital’ with light-hearted flair.”

Check it out at www.santamariavalleybbq.com. 

We are big proponents of blogs as a way for you to tell your story in a more informal and personal format compared to traditional marketing venues. Blogs put the power of publishing right in your hands, enabling you to feed your niche and get your word out quickly.  

For this reason, we have been working with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitor Bureau to establish a new blog dedicated to Santa Maria Style Barbecue, a regional culinary tradition that remains a huge attraction in the valley. 

This blog enables the Chamber to maintain the official word on Santa Maria Style Barbecue (the Chamber copyrighted the Santa Maria Style Barbecue menu in 1978) while promoting news, events, tips and insights related to this foodie phenomenon. 

The Official Santa Maria Style Barbecue Blog has already been named a “best web find” by Sunset.com, the web site of Sunset Magazine. 

The Pacific Coast Business Times recently observed that “the hottest new thing on the Web might just be a tasty blog ‘hatched’ by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.”

Reka Badger of the Santa Maria Sun also had some kind words for the blog: “A lively mélange of commentary, interviews, and event listings, it offers insights into the local cuisine and tips for visitors, as well as plenty of information for Central Coast residents eager to savor regional flavors…It boldly promotes ‘California’s Barbecue Capital’ with light-hearted flair.”

Check it out at www.santamariavalleybbq.com.

New Sinor-LaVallee Web Site

We are excited to see our storytelling in action on the new Sinor-LaVallee Wine Company web site at www.sinorlavallee.com. 

In addition to helping Mike Sinor and Cheri LaVallee-Sinor articulate their winery story, we also helped them strategize the structure and ambiance of the site.

Sinor-LaVallee is an artisan winery with a focus on Pinot Noir, and we felt that a clean, crisp navigational experience was essential for reflecting and exemplifying this focus. 

We also built the story around a word that we felt best represented Mike Sinor as a winemaker: fanatical. Anyone who has met Mike knows why this adjective is so appropriate.

With this word as our foundation, we set out to share the extreme dedication and passion that goes into the making of Sinor-LaVallee wines.

A Good Story Stops The Whining

In wine circles, Anthony Dias Blue needs no introduction. A former wine and spirits editor for Bon Appetit, Anthony is now the editor-in-chief of The Tasting Panel, as well as the founder of Blue Lifestyle, one of the nation’s most successful producers of wine and food events. 

So when Anthony speaks, it’s a good idea to listen. 

On that note, we were impressed with a recent editorial he wrote titled “Stop The Whining.” He says he often hears wineries complain that they’re not getting noticed. But when he visits their web sites, he frequently finds their web presence to be “totally inadequate.”

 Here’s what he says: 

“I, along with other serious media types, get a great amount of information on wineries and their personnel from the Internet. I’m sure most retailers and food and beverage professionals access the web frequently to expand their knowledge.” 

“If you are producing wine and trying to sell it, not having a comprehensive web site is suicidal. There needs to be background information about you, your winemaker and your wines.” 

“Your web site is your calling card. It represents you. Your web site should create an image…Tell us things that are relevant and will give us insight into what you are trying to accomplish.” 

“Show some nice pictures of your place and your vineyards, but don’t clog things up with too many pictures of barrels and vines.”

You will note that Anthony doesn’t say a lot about the design of the site. Of course, a snazzy user-friendly design can only help—but a snazzy design by itself only puts you in the league of other sites with a snazzy design. 

In other words, what truly sets you apart is your own individual story and how that story is told.

What makes you and your products different? What is your vision, and why should people care about your brand? What are your unique selling points? What is your content strategy for maximizing sales? 

These are the types of questions that can only be answered with words, not pictures. This is why our motto is “every word counts.” 

This is easier said than done, of course—which is why we’re here to help.  

In wine circles, Anthony Dias Blue needs no introduction. A former wine and spirits editor for Bon Appetit, Anthony is now the editor-in-chief of The Tasting Panel, as well as the founder of Blue Lifestyle, one of the nation’s most successful producers of wine and food events. 

So when Anthony Dias Blue speaks, it’s a good idea to listen. 

On that note, we were impressed with a recent editorial Blue wrote titled “Stop The Whining.” In it, Blue says that he often hears wineries complain that they’re not getting noticed. But when he visits their web sites to learn more, he frequently finds their web presence to be “totally inadequate.”

 Here’s what he says: 

“I, along with other serious media types, get a great amount of information on wineries and their personnel from the Internet. I’m sure most retailers and food and beverage professionals access the web frequently to expand their knowledge.” 

“If you are producing wine and trying to sell it, not having a comprehensive web site is suicidal. There needs to be background information about you, your winemaker and your wines.” 

“Your web site is your calling card. It represents you. Your web site should create an image…Tell us things that are relevant and will give us insight into what you are trying to accomplish.” 

“Show some nice pictures of your place and your vineyards, but don’t clog things up with too many pictures of barrels and vines.”

You will note that Blue doesn’t say a lot about the design of the site. Of course, a snazzy user-friendly design can only help—but a snazzy design by itself only puts you in the league of other sites with a snazzy design. 

In other words, what truly sets you apart is your own individual story and, most important, how that story is told.

What makes you and your products different? What is your vision, and why should people care about your brand? What are your unique selling points? What is your content strategy for maximizing your sales potential? 

These are the types of questions that can only be answered with words, not pictures. This is why our motto is “every word counts.” 

Telling a great story is easier said than done, of course—which is why we’re here to help.

Sometimes It’s The Simple Things

As legend has it, back in the day, the kitchen cleaner Comet was suffering from weak sales. The parent company hired an expensive sales and marketing consultant to help them solve the problem. Was it the color of the package? The price? The target audience?

The consultant looked at the green cylinder and said: “Poke more holes in the top.”

Sales soared as more Comet came out of the can with each use, compelling customers to buy the product more frequently.

Sometimes it’s the simple things. 

We were reminded of this story by the recent announcement that Murphy-Goode Winery wants to pay one lucky person $60,000, or $10,000 per month, for a six-month stint as a their “wine country lifestyle correspondent.” The job requires blogging, Tweeting and otherwise spreading the “Goode” word via social media. 

Of course, the job was announced via a colorful press release and a snazzy web portal, generating extensive media exposure and drawing a crowd of 10,000 applicants in San Francisco. It’s worth noting that Murphy-Goode belongs to the Kendall-Jackson portfolio, so there’s no shortage of marketing dollars to embark on an effort of this scale. 

From a publicity standpoint, the genius of the announcement was the wage. By limiting the job contract to six months, the winery was able to publicize a salary of $10,000 per month. 

You see, offering $60,000 a year to handle social media for a winery might be news, but offering $10,000 per month is much bigger news—as evident in the many resulting headlines such as “$10,000 a month to Tweet?” and “Winery Offers $10,000 a month tasting and talking gig.”

We’re not suggesting that the job is without merit. But it’s obvious that publicity was a big part of the agenda here, and it worked.  

Which brings us back to the Comet story. In both instances, the solution to the challenge—how to sell more Comet or how to leverage a job offer into a publicity event—was deceptively simple: Poke more holes in the top. Divide your investment by six months, not twelve. 

All of which goes to show that great ideas are not always the biggest ideas. Indeed, sometimes a smart and simple tweak is all it takes.

New Ancient Peaks Web Site

We are excited to see our words in action on the new Ancient Peaks Winery web site at www.ancientpeaks.com. 

Our goal was to help tell the Ancient Peaks story in an engaging manner while clearly and strategically articulating the winery’s numerous unique selling points. 

Other work that we have performed for Ancient Peaks includes wine fact sheets, wine label content, media kit and press releases.

Mooncatcher’s Blog Featured in Sunset Magazine

What do the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Mooncatcher’s “What’s Your Story?” blog have in common?

All three were featured on March 20 as one of “Our Best Web Finds,” a weekly column in the Sunset Traveler section of Sunset Magazine online. Needless to say, we are honored!

What got Sunset’s attention was our piece about the Twitter-Fueled Taco Truck. As Sunset remarked in linking to our blog, “And finally, a taco truck in Los Angeles shows that Twitter really is taking over the world.” A San Francisco Chronicle piece about the energy inefficiency of gyms and a New York Times piece about a classic Western delicacy were also featured. 

Well, off we go…to Twitter to tweet about our piece about Twitter being featured in Sunset!

The Twitter-Fueled Taco Truck

Nothing makes one want to jump on Twitter and pound away at your keyboard like Newsweek’s recent article about the wildly popular Kogi Korean taco truck in Los Angeles, which the magazine calls “L.A.’s latest culinary obsession.”

The crowds that greet the truck often exceed 600 ravenous people. How is this possible? Twitter, of course. Says Chef Roy Choi, “Twitter can hit, like, 5,000 people a second.” 

But buried in the same article is an insightful line by the author: “Still, spreading the word is pointless without a word worth spreading.”

He took the words right out of our mouths. 

Indeed, the article explains that Choi was raised in his family’s Koreatown restaurant but largely avoided traditional Asian cuisine. Instead, he found his culinary inspiration in the idea of “representing L.A. in one bite—Korean flavors, Mexican context.” 

The result, as the article’s author states, is that the food is “perfectly au courant: market produce and unfamiliar proteins prepared for the authenticity-craving postracial palate and sold at recession-ready prices.”

In other words, Twitter didn’t make Choi, Choi made Twitter. He built his brand around a brilliant message—one that can be summed up in one sentence—and created a timely, relevant product for which there was substantial demand. 

Without Twitter, the crowds for Kogi Korean would definitely be smaller. But without the great message and a strong brand identity, there would be no crowd at all. Twitter is a magnificent way to spread your story. But an important question comes first: What story are you telling?

Enjoying The Ride

When Lance Armstrong and his competitors on the Amgen Tour of California roll into Paso Robles on Thursday afternoon, they are going to ride right by Mooncatcher headquarters, literally 50 feet away. You’ll find us sitting on our back wall at that moment, enjoying the ride.

But there is another reason we are excited about this event. The City of Paso Robles recently commissioned Mooncatcher to write new media kits that will be distributed to the throngs of journalists covering the race. These media kits are designed to tell the story of Paso Robles as a uniquely multifaceted visitor destination, a place where great wine, fine food, rural flavor and friendly hospitality are just some of the many attractions.

The Amgen Tour of California is the nation’s largest professional cycling race, so it promises to be a magnificent showcase for our region. We are proud to be a part of spreading the good word about Paso Robles.