Who are you, and why should we care?

"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe" - Simon Sinek.

Imagine a picturesque landscape with two charming wineries nestled side by side. Both produce Syrah wine from the same vineyard and are crafted by the same winemaker in the same style. However, one sells their Syrah for a modest $20, while the other asks a princely sum of $35. How is it possible for the latter to charge a premium price for virtually the same product? Let's take a step outside of our industry.

Why do people love Nike products? They are like any other sports brand that makes clothes for active people. If that description feels understated, it's because Nike isn't just a sports brand. They inspire, innovate, and create a lifestyle around their products - they know their why and why matters to their consumers.?

Discovering your "why" and possibly pricing your products at a premium boils down to crafting a captivating, Unique Value Proposition (UVP). Your UVP is the key element that sets you apart in this crowded market. With a well-crafted UVP, you pledge to your customers, making them feel part of your mission while prompting them to take action. Your UVP is the secret weapon that distinguishes you from your competition and sets the stage for your success in direct-to-consumer sales.

Beyond a slogan.

A UVP goes beyond a slogan, yet it should be clear and concise and create instant customer understanding.?

It should:

• Follow the golden circle. Tell your audience why, how, and then what. Start with the purpose or belief behind why you do what you do, then how you do it that makes you unique, and finally, the product - the least important of the three. Learn more about Simon Sinek's theory here.

• Speak to your ideal customers. Consider who you are speaking to, and craft your UVP towards these personas.

• Be specific. Avoid using industry jargon and, instead, use the language of your target market.

• Be kept current. Your ideal customer, products, or services may change over time, so regularly review your UVP to keep it fresh.

Once defined, it should integrate into the ethos of your brand, influencing your marketing, customer experience, and selling propositions.?

In the example of Nike above:

• The Nike value proposition "focuses on satisfying its customers with a superior product made of the best available materials and latest technologies, which is also fashionable, worn by supreme athletes and accessible to anyone."

Other, more industry-specific examples include:

• Avaline Wines - Avaline would focus on the most notable characteristic of their brand: celebrity ownership. While essential and an excellent marketing tool, this is not their UVP. Avaline crafts quality wines using only 100% organic grapes with complete transparency on what goes into every bottle.

• Empathy Wines - simply put, let's quote the Empathy Ethos: "Our mission is to make the highest-quality wine for the most affordable price. Using our decades of experience in the wine industry and our passion for making better wine more accessible as our guides, we don't stop until there's disproportionately more value in our bottles of high-quality Red, White, and Rosé than you're paying for it." They've differentiated themselves, explained their value, and explained the why.

• Penfolds - this is an example of a large and traditional brand keeping its UVP fresh to the market. Penfolds defines its brand by both its age and its innovation. They tell the consumer we've been at this a while, so we know what we're doing. But we constantly strive to learn more and be better.

• Wine for The People - this brand does an excellent job establishing exactly who they are in the marketplace. Defined as "A new generation of Texas wine," their UVP identifies their brand as "…producing traditional wines in a new frontier. Connecting community, culture, and a sense of place from grape to glass." In two sentences, they've told you everything you need to connect to their brand.?

Everyone knows what they sell - alcohol. They also know how they sell it - through excellent customer experience, storytelling about the product, and relaying the brand's history. The why is more challenging to figure out. Why do you get out of bed each morning, and why should your consumer care? Once you nail down your unique selling point, it becomes the foundation of your entire marketing strategy. It shines through in everything you do, from your website design to the ambience of your tasting room, and it's what sets you apart from the rest!

P.S. Grab our 7-step process to grow your alcohol brand from ferment to fame (for both beginning and established brands). Get your copy here:?bit.ly/fermenttofame