One of my favored purveyors of ingredients for liquid libations--Shopper's Vineyard in New Jersey--takes advantage of a variety of web-marketing channels. Their liquor expert, Seth Nadel, not only sends out a bi-weekly email blast informing me about the latest deals (this week is a Bourbon sampler pack), but alerts me ahead of time via his twitter account. Beyond these more passive push technologies, Seth integrates YouTube and facebook into his advertising campaign. His twitter post references a youtube presentation featuring this week's Bourbon special. The video, in turn, provides a call to action to join the facebook fanpage, where users can find a $15 discount on the Bourbon special.
I appreciate an interactive campaign as much as the next bourbon drinker, but find the nested interactions and additional pull requirements to be a bit of a pain--I don't find it incredibly helpful to watch a video on bourbon, nor am I likely to use a fan page to dictate my alcohol purchases. There is a fine line between effective use of social media and an ineffective over-use. This seems to fall on the overuse side of things.
Luckily, Nadel also uses social channels that have more relevance to alcohol connoisseurs. Specifically, Nadel will often post to the message board Ministry of Rum whenever the weekly specials feature a rum product (e.g., here). Such direct interaction with a specific audience seems to be paying dividends, and certainly makes me more likely to stick with Seth's choices.
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