Augmented Reality for the Rest of US
Steve Raye
Author "Get U.S. Market-Ready." U.S. bev alc mkt access consultant, lecturer at Cornell, Univ. Bologna. Host, Italian Wine Podcast
I've been talking with Dave Chaffey, the force behind Winerytale, a revolutionary new AR app. What blew me away from the very beginning was the potential I saw not only for wines, but also spirits.
(the image here doesn't do credit to the app...check out for a better sample of how it works" https://winerytale.com/video-demo/
A bit of history: 19 Crimes was "first mover" in using AR with wine labels and has since grown to be a 2.2M case behemoth in just a couple of years. And while that was no less than stunning, at its core it was just animating a label. I noted that at the time and said that the real power of the app would come when someone develops the technology for engaging consumers. I'm not quite clear if Winerytales has gotten that far, but for sure, its current manifestation is like the difference between radio and the the internet.
Winerytale issued the initial release targeting CA wineries, but it's my personal POV that the app has huge potential...especially for smaller/craft/new-to-the-U.S./new-to-the-world brands of spirits, beer, canned cocktails, and hey, throw in Coke and Pepsi too.
The one most common...and earliest...objection I hear from the trade regarding new brands is stated in a question: "How do I know it will sell?" All too often these "baby brands" get stuck in the hard place between no one knows about it so it doesn't turn, and it doesn't turn because it's not on the floor, in displays and in broad based media promotions.
Well, I think this concept is not only revolutionary enough, but also visually powerful as to not require an explanation...you see it, you get it. Whether you're a 25 y/o millennial, or a wizened bev. alc. elder who's "seen it all before." Not even close...this ain't your father's promo tool.