Launch Region's First Canned Wine
Design & launch Amador County's first canned wine, a slightly effervescent Moscato
objective
the details
Timeframe: 12 months
My Role: Project Director
Sector: Wine, Premium CPG
Tools: Dropbox, Adobe InDesign, Basecamp
summary
One of Vino Noceto's key values is creative innovation. As such, they sought to launch their slightly sparkling Moscato, called Frivolo, as a canned wine. This launch required significant logistics, marketing, and design coordination.
problem
Winery Wants to Launch a Canned Wine & Has No Experience with Canned Products
Research, Design, Market, & Launch a Canned Wine
When I joined Vino Noceto, the previous Director of Sales & Marketing had already convinced the team to release the region's first canned wine. Grapes had been purchased, and the process was rolling. However, there'd been zero User and Competitor Research, and the existing mockups lacked in quality. Important details, like volume and dimensions, hadn't been finalized. As such, I was on a mission to research, design, market and launch a canned wine.
While coordinating the research, design, marketing, and launch for this product, I also handled all logistics regarding obtaining a mobile cannery and facility to manufacture the cans/packaging.
research & findings
Starting with Logistics & Pricing
Two of the key decisions when canning are product size and bundling method. In terms of the can's volume, competitor research suggested two common sizes 187ml (slim can) and 355ml (beer-style can). We quickly selected the 187ml slim can for two logistics and pricing-related reasons. First, if bundled in a four-pack, the slim can was volumetrically equal to a single bottle of wine. This direct relationship simplified pricing and logistics. Second, at smaller volumes, we could keep the single can price under $5 while maintaining profit margins.
When considering bundling methods for packs of cans, we perused stores with large beer selections. While many of the larger producers used boxes, we quickly realized that boutique beer shops often selected PakTek snap tops. Selecting the snap tops was an easy decision. When working the canning line, you can quickly "snap" the can into its recycled plastic 4-pack handle. This allows the label to stay on full display, and additionally, it saves time and money on packaging and design costs.
research & findings, continued
User Research that Doubles as Marketing
After finalizing can dimensions and packaging, I found a designer with experience in canned wines. Although Vino Noceto had an in-house designer, I felt that it was important to work with someone who had experience, given the product's 3-dimensional nature. In the first iteration of mock-ups, the designer sent us three options. The internal team didn't like any of them, and we asked for another iteration. The next time, the designer sent six mock-ups. They were better, but we still didn't love them and weren't sure what to do. So we decided to do some User Research.
Vino Noceto has a strong brand following. Its customers jump on chances to give product feedback. Plus, sharing mock-ups of potential product designs was an opportunity to market the upcoming product. To that end, I posted all six of the second round designs to Vino Noceto's social media and asked followers for feedback. Since the majority of Noceto's wine drinkers represent older demographics, I focused outreach on Facebook.
The Clear Standout Looks Too Much Like Grape Juice
The top-right design with Frivolo printed vertically up the label was the runaway customer favorite. Customers had great nuggets of feedback, including:
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I really like this one but would pull the F down a bit, it looks like its more part of Noceto than Frivolo. I love the leave and walnut logo tie in and the font of Noceto really keeps the symmetry with the entire brand! I can't wait to try some!
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Love this one - love the colors and the flow of it and yes, the "F" would probably look better down lower.
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Love this one the best! Very catchy. I would agree with pulling the F down a tad. Exciting!
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My favorite! Fun and flowy! I think the F is ok where it is because it's a larger font.
However, even as some named the winner, others expressed strong hesitation. In particular, the internal team was concerned that the can was marked with purple juice when the wine, itself, is white. So I went back to the designer and said to stick with the breezy curves of text running vertically up the can, but I asked him to lose the purples and embrace a fresher, more modern style.
research & findings, continued
Doubling Down on User Research
Our first round of soliciting user feedback had been a wild success. Tasting Room customers were asking about release dates, hoping to get a can in time for summer boating trips and club shipments. Fortunately, as soon as the designer's next set of mockups hit our inbox, we knew we had a winner. The designer sent us one design in three different color schemes. We were almost certain that Noceto fans would agree with our palette selection, but as we'd learned from Round 1 of User Research, product research is a great way to generate buzz and word of mouth marketing.
Sunshine in a Can
To our surprise customers loved all of the colors, but there was a clear winner. The orange and yellow can received wildly positive feedback:
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As a most happy wine club member, the orangey-gold can. But they all look great!
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Orange/Yellow---happiness in a can!
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Orange and yellow has my vote!
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I like the yellow and orange best....it is really noticeable!
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This color is my favorite! The yellow and orange is like happiness and sunshine
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This one... depicts #sunshine perfectly. ❤
After receiving the last round of user feedback, I knew we had our final design. We refined the details, and then I got to work getting legal label approvals and printing the cans.
application
The Final Design in Action
results
Sales on Related Products up 130%
overall sales for release month up 28%
product release featured in Northern California newspapers and magazines
The product was a wild success, generating both online and in-person sales. The release also generated significant Tasting Room traffic. In the 45 days after official product launch, visitations were up 16% relative to the previous year. Revenue increased across all sales channels and products, with overall revenue shooting up 28% in the period following the can's release. Moreover, through early adoption of innovative packaging design, Vino Noceto was able to obtain significant free marketing.
One year after release, ROI on the canned wine was 117%. However, due to shifting trends in consumer habits following the pandemic, the canned wine was discontinued from the winery's lineup after four years. This decision is in line with company strategy, as the winery specifically targets innovative products with short-term return potential. They find it beneficial, from a marketing standpoint, to regularly release unique, buzzworthy products, and it's important to maintain a tight portfolio in order to minimize costs and logistics.