Cheeky Drop is one of the newest online wine distributors in the business, and it’s making its mark in the saturated category with some savvy branding and social media marketing.
Cheeky Drop launched at the end of last year to target the rising number of value conscious shoppers. According to head of marketing Franc Zvonar, economic and market changes have created a new breed of value driven shoppers, allowing the online wine retailing category to grow substantially. Zvonar told Dynamic Business research shows 30 percent of Australian wine sales are now at the $10 or less price point, many of which are cleanskins or “fictitious wines” made using leftover and lower quality grapes.
Enter – Cheeky Drop, which Zvonar said differs to its competitors by offering products from “real wineries, with real locations, who sell genuine wines,” at 30 percent less than other retailers and distributors
“Not only are our consumers buying reliable trustworthy wines from real producers who need our support, but they also know to return to our website every day of the week to take advantage of the best value deals,” he said.
Zvonar said Cheeky Drop’s other points of difference include its tried and tested eCommerce platform and distinctive brand.
“Entering a rather saturated online wine retailing category we realised that to stand out we needed to establish an authentic product range of quality wines, a strong eCommerce platform and a distinctive brand that consumers would trust, connect with and remark about repeatedly,” he added.
Social media savvy
Cheeky Drop has also turned to social media to differentiate itself, and to generate some buzz, launching its ‘Cheeky Friday Drinks’ competition in which followers are asked to give a reason why they deserve Friday drinks using the hashtag #cheekyfridaydrinks. The winning entry is then treated to a delivery of 12 bottles of wine to share with their workplace.
Zvonar said the initiative has allowed the brand to position itself as bold and surprising.
“It’s been good to be able to carry out this tone in all our communications… To make the brand to come life via our Twitter and Facebook pages,” he said.
“Most start-up businesses are faced with the task of getting consumers to become aware of them, trial them and then become loyal. You can spend and lose a lot of money on advertising and other blanketed approaches. With Cheeky Drop we went about it slightly differently,” he added.
Cheeky Drop is taking a different approach than other start-ups to its future growth too; with Zvonar revealing the business is in no rush to grow.
“We’re more focused on getting the right products and more importantly, the right consumers – those who understand our brand, our wines, and ultimately what Cheeky Drop stands for,” he said.
“We’re interested in the quality not quantity. This way, we know we’re going to be tapping into the right mindset and acquiring a higher number of higher quality new customers organically,” he added.
Getting it right online
For other businesses looking to enter the online retail environment, Zvonar has the following advice about what must be done properly before launching:
- Research your customers and market to identify customer needs and the benefits you will provide.
- Have a clear business objective and plan to work towards.
- Have a clear position you want to take up in the market and how your brand or business is going to be different.
- Understand the online buying cycle of your target audience and think about how to enhance yours.
- And finally, get your key messages right.
If you’d like to enter Cheeky Drop’s #cheekyfridaydrinks competition, this is the last week you can do so. For more details, click here.
