JaM Cellars Makes Wine More Interactive
Looking for a wine to pre-game with before a Saturday night out? Unsure which wine to pair with brunch on a Sunday? JaM Cellars has got you covered.
A Unique History: Wine Tasting Meets Music
Founded by husband and wife John and Michele Truchard, JaM Cellars launched its first wine, the JaM Cabernet, in 2008. The wine it’s known for, the Butter Chardonnay, was launched in 2010. Prior to JaM Cellars, the couple founded John Anthony Vineyards in Napa Valley, California in 2003.
The company revolutionized the concept of wine tasting in 2016 with the JaM Wine & Music Studio. Later that year, it was the presenting sponsor at the BottleRock music festival — which draws crowds of 100,000 annually — only further increasing its visibility as a brand.
What’s Your JaM?
Whether you’re looking for a wine to have on a cozy night in, a wild night out, or a simple dinner party, the JaM Cellars quiz will match the activity to the wine you should choose. I took the quick quiz, and it was interesting. After answering a series of five questions — from my favorite fruity flavor to what my feed looks like on social media — the quiz suggested that the perfect wine for me is the Butter Cab. At the end of the quiz, though, I was only able to see my results after I provided my name and email ID; which I thought was an interesting way for the company to acquire data. It also prompted me to check a box to easily subscribe to their newsletter, but that part was optional.
Audio to Match Your Wine
As of April 2023, the winery has 55 playlists on Spotify to match its wines and consumers’ different moods. The company also releases podcasts a couple of times a month where they talk to artists and musicians while sipping on JaM wines. This, I believe, strengthens its marketing strategy — while also engaging its consumers — helping the company create a brand image outside of just selling wines.
Alexa Making Wine Easy
JaM Cellars is the first winery to use Alexa to make its consumers’ lives easier. Users can purchase an Alexa skill to improve their wine-buying experience. A simple “Hey Alexa, where can I get a JaM cellars wine?” gives consumers a list of places within the vicinity and allows them to purchase wines using Alexa. While you can do the same on the website by typing in your zip code, being able to do it using voice search provides a more interactive experience that traditional mediums fail to offer.
Additionally, users receive a message from founders John and Michele Truchard on Alexa. Consumers’ phone numbers and wine preferences — what users search for the most using Alexa — are collected and stored in the winery’s database. This information is then used for geotargeting, which, I believe, can be effective.
Why Does Personalization Matter?
JaM Cellars uses interactive content and voice search to personalize its user experience. These unique tactics in addition to its strong social media presence help in getting the brand noticed.
As a marketer, I believe personalization is here to stay. According to McKinsey, “Seventy-one percent of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. And seventy-six percent get frustrated when this doesn’t happen”. What intrigued me about JaM Cellars’ strategy is the fact that in everything the company does, it strives to reach its consumers better, improve personalization, and make it easier to purchase products.
