Way to get adults to drink more of Constellation Brands.

On the question of whether he has time to sit down and enjoy the wine of the company, Chris Fernstrem of Constellation Brands, which is the largest wine producer in the world, just laughs. Rarely, he says. Time director of marketing for wines of this giant American company spends to increase sales – it makes 75 wines, including Robert Mondavi, Estancia and Ravenswood.

The work is complicated. In the U.S. there is little demand for wine over $ 30 per bottle. Active buyers, but rather its remains, at $ 7-15, and a good profit should not wait. Sales in the U.S. last year fell by 3.3% in the financial plan for increasing the volume of only 1.2% (information Beverage Information Group).

Constellation is now having a hard time. In the fourth quarter, revenue from their sales increased by 2% to $ 260 million during the same period decreased sales of distilled spirits, 49% and reached $ 48 million (when the company refused several failed marks), and the volume of beer sales declined by 4 %, to $ 419 million

In Constellation turned to the services of the New York company Viktor, who developed them for the unusual marketing moves to expand the audience considering purchasing a technologically advanced wine connoisseurs are younger than 35 years. Now 47-year-old Fernstremu submitted an application for mobile phones IPhone and BlackBerry, which gives information on the scanned barcode with the bottle – for example, so you can find out where the grapes are grown, from which this wine is made, a description of its taste, compatibility with other products, and read reviews of other wine lovers. You will be able to get all this information simply by lifting the bottle in the photo.

With this application, customers can create custom profiles, leave comments and send them to Facebook and Twitter make recommendations about the drinks. For the Constellation will be useful to access to information at first hand as to where their consumers buy wine, what wine they prefer, and what actions and discounts will be attractive to them. On the recent action by buying Simi Cabernet Sauvignon for $ 23.99 buyers returned $ 3. “The companies selling orange juice, 50% of clients return to us for” happiness “index of 30%,” – says Fernstrem. – “In the wine industry loyalty remains the biggest challenge.”

Building applications for popular gadgets – is not the only company marketing ploy. Constellation in conjunction with American Express is working to create Pairings, web series, which consists of live shows with popular musicians and chefs.

According Ferntstrema, this year the company spends on advertising even more money than before (last year they spent $ 80 million, according to advertising tracker Kantar Media). Most of the money will go to websites such as Nytimes.com, Snooth.com, that the company should add interactivity. So, for example, promotion of wine brand Black Box, a box with four bottles for $ 20, the creator of the best promotional video company awarded $ 10,000. Contestants sent 41 video, and the best of them are now posted on the Black Box. Since June last year to a page fault on Facebook signed up 5140 people, which of the four thousand higher than Franzia Charles Shaw, the most popular wine in the U.S., known as the “Chuck-two bucks» (Two Buck Chuck).

For boxed wines make special cardboard container with a plastic bag inside. The package is compressed after the wine is finished. For the older generation, accustomed to the use of spin, such a mechanism would not be attractive. But young people may like the idea of ​​throwing less than glass bottles. Now Constellation wants people who prefer wine in packages, switched to a more expensive product. Cost of 2005 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $ 135 for a bottle with this cork.

CEO, Robert Sende, said that the ideology of Constellation reminds approach car manufacturers. His father founded the company 65 years ago, and they were selling kosher Concord grape wine. «General Motors has to start with a Chevy, then, when your wealth grows, you get a Buick, and then change later in the Cadillac».

But as the wine lovers prefer more specific brands, not companies, that idea does not always work. Constellation, for 10 years, buying up all kinds of brands, began to get rid of them only in a crisis, having sold 125 low-cost brands of alcoholic beverages. The company hopes that the strategy of targeting high-quality marketing campaigns with a smaller range will bring them profit even in a very saturated market.