The importance of storytelling in wine market.
26 May 2016Cathy Huyghe, Wine Writer and Journalist, Forbes.com and Food52.com, talks about the importance of storytelling in wine market.
What is the role of storytelling in the wine market?
The role of the storytelling in the wine market is all about the narrative of the product and the service that you are trying to provide. I think the producers really need to have a good sense of why you are doing what you are doing, what about a product makes it unique. But the more important part is actually to turn ??? around to the consumer. What the storytelling is capable of doing is convincing the consumers of what it means to them. The storytelling is how you are going to persuade a consumer of pick your product off the shelf rather than the one next to it.
What kind of professionals do you think are needed in the wine business?
Professional that are needed in the wine business have two characteristics. One is that they have vision, they have ideas, they have a sort of innate sense of hospitality and generosity spirit. But the second thing I think that is needed is a very pratical hands-on approach to the business. I think that we need people who have experience, who have line experience, who really understand how the business works by having done it by themselves. I think we need both two things in balance. Both the ideas as well as this practical hands-on information of how to make it work.
What do you think are the key skills managers in Food & Wine sector should possess?
The key skills that a manager in the wine/food business should possess is a willingness to peel the onion, a willingness to wash the rabarb, the willingness to harvest the grapes himself, a willingness to call on a cranky customer, a willingness to enter the data keystroke by keystroke if that it what it takes. I think that what’s required is elbow grease, what’s required is getting down to the hard work of the business.
What advice would you like to give our MBA students who are willing to turn their dreams into reality?
To turn your dreams in reality my advice to MBA students will be to really understandwhy you want to do this. I think that knowing why this job, this work, more than anything else in the world. Why are you meant to do this work. I think you need to keep asking yourself why and so you get to the actual essential answer. Because that is what is going to get up of your bed in the morning, that is what going to keep your going even on the bad days, because in this business there will be the bad days, but you need to know why this is your work to do, why you are put on this Earth to do this work, and once you do, you will never be adrift, you will never be wandering.
Would you like to read more Dialogues with BBS Community lecturers? Please click here.
