iPads in restaurants – get with it!
Posted: 10/01/2011 10:43:01 a.m.
This is all changing and fast. The arrival of the iPad and its swift take-up in restaurants means that at last, wine producers have another way of ‘talking’ to customers. As well as the wine name and in many circumstances and description of how the wine tastes and even how it was made, a bottle shot is likely to sway diners just as much when making their choice.
So are wine producers understanding this opportunity and taking it into account when developing or revamping their brands? And what are the key elements to consider? For a start, the competition isn’t so great. If you have a Sauvignon Blanc on a retail shelf, you could be one of 100’s, but on a wine list you are likely to be one of maybe five, or fifteen depending on the style of the restaurant. Your chances of shining are far greater. Perhaps elements to consider include readability of the label – less is often more. You only have a small thumbnail to attract the attention of the diner, which they can tap to read more details about a specific wine. A bit like the front label of a wine bottle on the shelf attracting someone enough to pick it up and read the back. Once that happens you’re halfway to making a sale.
When developing the brand, the marketer needs to consider the target audience (ok, we all know this) and therefore the places they will likely come into contact with the wine. If the target audience is likely to enjoy high end restaurants then the wine needs to have high-end appeal – not only to the diner but to the restaurant sommelier or wine buyer as well. They need brands that add value to their business by demonstrating an empathy and understanding of what they do – endorsing their own brand positioning and unique selling point. A wine that is in every grocery store is unlikely to be of interest to this type of outlet, or their clientele, whereas a small production, highly rated and food-oriented wine will be. Another reason for this is the obvious price comparison – restaurants don’t like to offer well known grocery brands as they have to charge significantly more to cover costs and make a margin. Answering ’Why is this wine three times the price of what I can get in the supermarket for?’ is not fun.
Using an iPad, diners will be able to sort the list exactly as they want – for example Pinot Noirs in price order or Syrah listed alphabeticaly to search for a particular wine producer. Dry to sweet, light to full-bodied and by food style (providing the ideal aid to matching food and wine) are only a tap of the screen away.
Other bonuses will be the simplification of doing business. If the iPad app also reflects real time stock, then another common restaurant bugbear is avoided. Diners spending time considering which wine to order to then be told it is unavailable are generally displeased. And the option of a line drawn through the offending wine is never a good look. And imagine the ease of emailing restaurants with the latest tasting notes and bottle shots and the outlet being able to upload them straightaway – ideal for vintage changeovers.
The iPad and other similar devices are here to stay – and will only be further refined to give the diner the best experience possible while simplifying business for the bars and restaurants. Embrace it and jump on board – if you do you’ll be ahead of your competitors.