206: The Best Newsletter You Can Send | Marketing Tip Monday

Your wine club members are more than just wine enthusiasts – they’re YOUR WINE’S enthusiasts!

They are invested in and have a personal connection with your brand.

Welcome to Marketing Tip Monday with SIP Certified. We know customers are looking for wines labeled as sustainable. While our longer-form episodes help you learn about the latest science and research for the wine industry, these twice-monthly micro podcasts will help you share your dedication to sustainable winegrowing so you can show your customers that you share their values.

Newsletters invite your members to form an even deeper affinity with your brand. It's an opportunity to share your brand’s history, current projects, and behind-the-scenes details that aren’t available through other channels.

Need Content? You Got It!

A multi-page newsletter gives you more space to work with. While the idea of having several pages to fill and decorate can be exciting to some, others may be intimidated by the task.

Being a brand that’s passionate about sustainability means you always have something to talk about. Having a handful of Sustainable Stories on deck can be a great asset to your newsletter!

SIP Tip: Adjust the amount of detail you go into to fit the space you have. For longer pieces, consider breaking them up into serials.

Today we will share two examples of SIP Certified members whose newsletters feature their dedication to sustainability in engaging ways. There are some great images to go along with these, so I highly recommend going to the show notes and clicking on The Best Newsletter You Can Send.

Ancient Peaks

Ancient Peaks invites their members to understand their deep relationship with the land and their community through their May 2021 ne wsletter’s Feature Story, For the Love of Land & Community.

The article shows how and why Ancient Peaks embodies sustainability through colorful photos and specific examples that touch all 7 SIP Certified Values.

A QR code on page 4 of the excerpt transforms this newsletter into a multi-media experience! Readers can scan the code to watch a thoughtful explanation from the ranch’s owner, Doug Filipponi, on what sustainability is and how they address all three legs of the three-legged stool.

Niner Wine Estates

Their Spring 2023 newsletter opens with A Note from Winemaker Patrick Muran, giving readers the sense that their shipment was crafted with love and devotion from the entire team at Niner Wine Estates.

After providing a rundown of the wines included in their shipment, Niner announces their 2023 Green Medal Sustainability Leadership Award. They explain what the award is, and provide several specific examples of their sustainable practices.

Several members of Niner’s team are featured in the newsletter, giving it a personable feel and inviting readers to become familiar with the faces behind the wine.

More Tips

As you saw from these two examples, there are many ways to create a newsletter that’s unique and authentic to your brand.

Here are three elements both of these examples have in common:

: Thoughtful “whys” and descriptive “hows” invite your readers to:
- Make a deeper connection with your brand.
- Better understand what it means to be sustainable.
: Quotes and opinions from team members:
- Give your newsletter a personable feel.
- Familiarize your readers with your team.
Food and Wine: Pairing notes and recipes specific to the wines included in your shipment give:
- Utility to your readers.
- A reason to keep your newsletter around for longer!

What’s YOUR Sustainable Story?

We are here to help you tell your customers how your brand protects natural and human resources with the Sustainable Story program.

This simple yet powerful free tool helps you tell your own personal sustainable message. And it just got better with a new online course. Go to the show notes, click the link titled Tell Your Sustainable Story to sign up, download the worksheet, watch the videos, and you are ready to tell your Sustainable Story!

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how your peers fulfill the 7 SIP Certified Values as much as we’ve enjoyed sharing them!

Your story can be featured in next year’s Sustainable Stories campaign! We are looking for a brand with an innovative approach to one of these three values.:

Water Management
Safe Pest Management
Energy Efficiency

If you have a great Sustainable Story, we will help you tell it.
Reach out to me at whitney@vineyardteam.org with a few quick notes!

We’ll get your story ready to be featured in our newsletter, podcast, online course, and social media, and in magazine articles and influencer campaigns.

Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard Team.