Bright Ideas: The Big Rebrand
Frankie Cherry
Reserve Wines, Manchester
In a nutshell: Reserve Wines owner Kate Goodman has worked with marketing manager, Frankie, on a complete overhaul of the company’s corporate identity, taking in all five shops and the website.
Why was it time for a rebrand?
“When Kate founded the business back in 2003, her ethos of breaking down boundaries and making wine accessible wasn’t as widely shared as it is now.
“It’s now a given that independent wine merchants say, ‘we’re not stuffy, we’re fun’. So while it’s clear that the original idea behind the business was a really powerful one, and it’s still at the core of the business, it’s no longer enough to say that.
“The wine world is very competitive and there are so many other shops out there, all kind of saying a similar thing, and all selling similar products with similar prices. Obviously we work really hard to hunt out and work with amazing winemakers and producers, but there are lots of different wine companies a customer could possibly choose.
“So we’ve taken the original mission and just unpacked it a little bit and developed it. For us it’s all about attention to detail, giving customers the best service we possibly can and doing the best job we can.”
How long did the whole project take?
“Kate and I started talking about it around this time last year. Then we spent a bit of time thinking about different agencies that we could work with and met with a few of them. It’s important that you really gel with them because you’re going to be working together for a long time. I’d say from the first meeting with the agency to launch, it’s been about 10 months.
“Working with an agency meant that it was more expensive than going with a freelance designer, for example, but it depends how deep you go. We wanted to go right back to the beginning and think about where we fit in the wine world and how we set ourselves apart.
“We’re still figuring out the final costs. All sorts of new things keep popping into our minds like branding our van – we haven’t got around to that yet.”
What’s one of your favourite changes?
“I’m really pleased with all of it, but the small things are fun. We’ve added some really lovely denim aprons and branded corkscrews. We’ve now got beautiful branded tissue paper from a local supplier in Preston. I think it’s the last tissue paper mill still in production in the UK, which is really nice. The tissue paper is a great marketing tool. When a customer buys a bottle for dinner party, wrapped in our tissue, and takes it to somebody’s house, there’s that moment of connection where they think, ‘oh, Reserve Wines – I’ll look them up and pop into the shop’. I think you’re missing a trick if you’re not doing something like that.”
How does the team feel about all the changes?
“I think change can be quite a big deal, but then it can really just breathe such fresh life into something and it kind of energises everyone again. It’s had a really positive impact on the team. I guess we hadn’t really thought of ourselves as a brand before – we were just a neighbourhood wine shop. But now that we’re thinking in that way, it really motivates everyone, because we’re all pulling in the same direction and we all know where we’re heading.”
Tell us about your online activity.
“Pre-Covid, we were very focused on our physical sites. We had a website, but we weren’t really using it for online sales. Obviously the power of digital soon became very apparent but the digital space is so much more competitive, much more saturated. We have other touch points like social media, too, and we work with a social media consultant who comes and does our content for us.”
Ah, that explains the video where manager Garry shows off the new look.
“Yes, that video was all about keeping things fun and just getting across the personality and the people who are part of our brand. Again, that all ties into the customer experience.”
Frankie wins a WBC gift box containing some premium drinks and a box of chocolates.
Tell us about a bright idea that’s worked for you and you too could win a prize.
