Vinpro, in partnership with the Cape Winelands District Municipality, is spearheading a groundbreaking wine tourism research pilot program aimed at generating actionable tourism insights and assisting wineries in leveraging this information to enhance their Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) ventures.
This initiative, which took off in March with the participation of 16 wineries, represents an extension of Vinpro and the SA Wine Routes Forum’s strategic vision to conduct research tailored to industry requirements and knowledge gaps. Collaborating alongside the wine routes, Vinpro, and Vintelligence joined forces last year to unveil the SA Wine Tourism Visitor Research Report 2022. In the present year, the emphasis is on harnessing technology to its full potential.
Marisah Nieuwoudt, Vinpro’s Wine Tourism Manager, exclaims, “The inauguration of this remarkable pilot program fills us with excitement, and we encourage wineries to jump on board without delay. Flow Networks, recognized specialists in location analytics, proximity marketing, and Guest Wi-Fi, played a pivotal role in launching this new pilot program. Our intent this year is to leverage technology to gain valuable insights into our visitor count, their origins, and the comprehensive market composition. Our goal is to enable wineries to maintain a connection with wine tourists between visits, facilitating consumer engagement within the DTC wine domain.”
The tasting room constitutes both the core of the DTC sales strategy and the bridge to future online transactions. A wealth of customer data empowers the refinement of offers and personalized communication. Collaborating with the participating wineries, Flow Networks will contribute to shaping marketing strategies, facilitating cross-channel sales, overseeing online reputation, cultivating loyalty and rewards programs, and executing targeted email campaigns. Flow Networks boasts an esteemed reputation, authorized to employ Purple—a platform employed by globally recognized brands such as Radisson Blu, McDonald’s, Tsogo Sun, Harrods, and Walmart.
The Presence Analytics module encompasses a software that gauges the number of mobile devices (users) within range of a winery’s Wi-Fi router, even without a Wi-Fi connection. This mechanism not only counts visitors but also gauges their duration of stay and frequency of visits.
Wi-Fi Analytics is the repository of data pertaining to visitors connecting to the guest Wi-Fi service. Each guest’s visit triggers the creation of a CRM record that updates with subsequent visits. This functionality is facilitated by linking one or more existing Wi-Fi routers to the Purple Wi-Fi platform. Deploying Purple requires minimal effort, overlaying the existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, with setup completed within an hour. The management interface is accessible through an online portal designed for wineries. Purple commences the database-building process through its user-friendly, custom-branded Wi-Fi landing pages upon activation.
An online dashboard will visualize the gathered visitor data, providing selected aggregated insights, including visitor numbers, national origins, dwell time, gender, and age, to the relevant wine route. This data empowers the wine route manager to comprehend cross-pollination—instances when a wine tourist visits multiple wineries—facilitating strategic marketing and developmental planning. Vinpro will gain the same insights at a national level. All processes adhere to POPIA regulations locally and GDPR regulations internationally.
Melody Botha, CEO of Breedekloof Wine Valley, underlines, “Our region believes that wine tourism extends beyond relishing exceptional wines and picturesque landscapes; it encompasses harnessing the potential of data and intelligence to bolster winery growth and elevate visitor experiences. This conviction fuels our participation in the wine tourism research pilot program. Through this collaboration, we aspire to unlock invaluable insights that will guide strategic decision-making for our wineries. These insights will empower them to optimize their DTC business operations, enhance customer engagement, and forge indelible experiences for visitors. We recognize the transformative influence of data-driven strategies, fostering innovation and sustainable growth within the wine tourism sector.”
Botha concludes, “This pilot program embodies an opportunity to pool our collective expertise and knowledge, elevating our wine tourism offerings to position our region as a preeminent wine destination. Our vision is a future where our wineries flourish within the DTC market, and where visitors revel in truly exceptional wine tourism experiences.”
An additional 43 wineries within the Cape Winelands region are poised to embrace Purple Presence Analytics and Purple Wi-Fi Analytics for a subsidized year-long subscription. The project extends to wineries outside the Cape Winelands as well, affording them a discounted rate.
“The tourism sector constitutes a significant contributor to the Cape Winelands District’s economy. This project, which marries technological innovation and excitement, aligns perfectly with the Cape Winelands District Municipality’s mandate of fostering local economic development and promoting tourism,” avows Dr. Elna von Schlicht, Executive Mayor of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
She continues, “We are proud to collaborate with this dynamic company. The insights garnered will enhance our understanding of district visitors. This information empowers us to deploy our resources efficiently through impactful campaigns, thereby expanding our global reach, drawing visitors to our splendid district, and ultimately enhancing the community’s prosperity. I commend Vinpro for their visionary approach. Such innovative thinking propels our wine and agricultural sector toward greater heights.”
