Today we are joined by Kelly Mordecai and Tiffany Tribuiani from E&J Gallo Winery. Kelly and Tiffany are Area Sales Managers and members of the E&J Sales Leadership Development Program. They are going to discuss E&J Gallo’s marketing tactics within the digital realm and Gallo’s historical and present use of omnichannel marketing strategies.
E&J Gallo Winery is the largest family owned winery in the United States. The company was started by two brothers, Ernst and Julio Gallo in 1933 in Modesto, California. Julio was the winemaker and Ernest was the businessman. The company is still in the family and has had three Gallo CEOS.
When E&J Gallo was first starting, they were the first company in the wine industry to create advertising campaigns and to utilize television advertising. They also were pioneers in brand management and modern merchandising in the wine industry. Additionally, they introduced international wine sales which has led to the present where they export to over one hundred ten countries.
Now that our members understand the history of E&J Gallo Winery, Kelly and Tiffany can begin to share some of their AMA-zing marketing strategies. They introduce the main marketing concept at E&J Gallo, Path to Purchase. This includes three main sections, living, looking, and buying. An example of living would be seeing a product on social media or your friend with it. Looking would be doing research and seeking out information on the product. Buying is when the marketing strategy is successful and the customer purchases the product.
Tiffany shares that one of the biggest influences on shipping is digital. E&J Gallo found that seventy percent of shopping is influenced by mobile advertisements. This is why they value omnichannel marketing. Omnichannel marketing is a multichannel sales approach that creates an integrated shopping experience.
Omnichannel: defined as a multichannel sales approach that provides the consumer with an integrated shopping experience
Due to the influence of the digital world, Kelly shares some of E&J Gallo’s key tactics when creating campaigns. Their main focuses are social media, targeted digital advertising, podcasts and press write ups.
Social media is a very powerful tool; thus, some of the E&J Gallo brands have their own Instagram accounts where they promote the products and keep them fresh in individual's minds. E&J Gallo works with influencers who have millions of followers which ultimately spreads the word of the brand. Tiffany points out that E&J Gallo works with Barstool Sports, which has fifteen million followers to promote some of their brands such as New Amsterdam and High Noon.
Tiffany shares how the company uses targeting digital advertising to captivate
different audiences. Additionally, E&J Gallo works with many different large companies and sponsors them. For instance, New Amsterdam is the number one wine sponsor of the National Hockey League and Barefoot Wines is the number one wine sponsor of the National Football League.
“Not all press is good press,” says Tiffany, “but good press is great.” Tiffany shares how the hype around a product launch can really bring in customers and revenue. When E&J Gallo had their Apothic Red Brew – a cold brew wine coming out, there was lots of press surrounding the release. Overall, this made more people aware and boosted sales.
The last key tactic Kelly and Tiffany share with AMA is E&J Gallo’s podcast advertising. Around one hundred twelve million people listen to podcasts. The company works with podcasts and has them promote their products. One example is Spittin Chiclets, which is a hockey podcast that is presented by Pink Whitney, an E&J Gallo brand.
To close up the marketing conversation, Kelly and Tiffany had some final thoughts to share. They say that the path to purchase has evolved and is now fluid and you have to engage your consumers where they live their lives. Additionally, they also share the biggest takeaway, which is that marketing is omnichannel.
If you want to work with E&J Gallo and all of their amazing brands, they have a fulltime and internship opportunities. Kelly and Tiffany are currently in the Sales Leadership Development Program. It is a three phase program full time opportunity. Phase I is being a Distributor Sales Representative, with a territory and the opportunity to build relationships with your accounts and work in the wine and spirits industry. Phase II is a district manager where you can lead a team of four to seven sales reps. Phase III has many opportunities to explore in E&J Gallo.
The internship program is open to students who will be twenty-one or older before the start date. This is a rotational program where you have four weeks working with a Distributor Sales Representative and four weeks with winery personnel. If you are interested in pursuing either of these opportunities, you can reach out to David Black, the main talent acquisition partner.
Thank you so much for Kelly and Tiffany for coming out today! AMA members learned so much about omnichannel and how to incorporate different streams of media to create the most effective marketing campaign!
-Maeve Smarick