Exploring Strategies for Change in Beverage Industry Culture
by Nancy Ulloa
As a Latina consumer and business owner, I know the importance of developing a marketing plan that will reach the people in my community, who have often been neglected by the wine industry. According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. will see a 163% increase in the Latino population between 2010 and 2050, making us roughly one-third of the total population. This signals a big opportunity to generate revenue. But how do we effectively market to Latinos, inviting them to seek wine experiences?
Over the past two years, I have been working to build my own wine brand, Ulloa Cellars, while fulfilling my mission to provide inclusivity, education, and empowerment to Latinos one glass of wine at a time. Let me share with you what I have found to be successful:
INCORPORATE CULTURE
Pride in my heritage is a key focus of my branding efforts. According to Forbes, 88% of Latinos online pay attention to digital ads that include aspects of their culture, so I incorporate elements of my upbringing, values, work ethic, and more in my campaigns. For instance, I wear traditional Mexican attire for photo shoots, and I develop wine pairings for Mexican dishes that I share on Instagram to show a side of wine that’s rarely explored. This strategy assures Latinos that they don’t need to have a gourmet French meal in order to enjoy wine. The appearance of my mom’s pozole recipe alongside the Ulloa Cellars Grüner Veltliner in Edible SLO has been a hit, driving traffic to my brand and inspiring me to continue enhancing the enjoyment of my wines through suggested pairings with ethnic flavors. I also share my experiences as an immigrant woman entrepreneur on social media: Transparency about the struggles I have encountered in becoming a business owner has been one of my strongest tools for drawing people who might appreciate and support my journey.
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DIVERSE LATINO EXPERIENCES
In the words of my friend Griselda, “Realizing that Latinos are not a monolith is a good start” to creating a successful marketing campaign. We come from many places, backgrounds, and economic circumstances. It is important to identify generational and cultural gaps before attempting to target a particular group: What’s important to an immigrant who has lived in the United States for only a couple of years might be significantly different from what matters to a second-generation Latino. Our language also shows variances across borders, which means that using Spanish as it’s spoken in one region in your advertising may not be effective for reaching Latinos from another.
HIRE LATINOS
Lastly, the key to generating authentic marketing content is to hire Latinos. A diverse team can bring ideas to the table without risk of cultural appropriation. We know best the Latino experience and can contribute an understanding of what is appealing, valuable, and important to us. For more information, visit ulloacellars.com.
Fresh Voices is a collaborative effort between The Tasting Panel, The SOMM Journal, and 501(c)(3) organization Dream Big Darling. The concept centers around providing opportunities to and amplifying the voices of the next generation of women in the wine and spirits industry. To learn more about Dream Big Darling, visit dreambigdarling.org or follow @dreambigdarling_org.
