Ready for Year Number Three at Nectar Tasting Room
Goals are like magnets – they’ll attract the things that make them come true ~ Tony Robbins
Our second full year at Nectar has come to a close. The last few days I have put the finishing touches on the 2012 recap, our 2013 marketing strategy, and an evaluation of our strengths and areas of opportunity. Last year, I did the same thing in preparation for 2012. It is interesting to look back and see how my crystal ball of goals turned out. The first year was a journey of lessons learned, amazing momentum, and occasional surprises. We entered year number two with clear goals:
- Offer more food options
- Promote our event space
- Market more like a winery
Our goals helped direct our path. The principle – “Our direction goes where our energy flows,” continues to show itself to be real. We sold 15% more food, hosted 10 wine dinners, grew our event revenue by 300%, and saw a 10% increase in wine sales. What makes me most proud is that YOU, our social ambassadors made this happen. I spent $250 in two traditional marketing (direct mail) campaigns last year (with minimal results). The remaining marketing strategy was delivered by social networking and word of mouth marketing.
WHAT WORKS
The thing that continues to prove itself over and over and over again that works is RELATIONSHIPS. I truly love this business and consider each and every one of you my friends. I am proud of the fact that we have cultivated such a large following online and through email. When I hear negative things about me or Nectar (and yes, I do hear them from time to time – I am human and have bad days), it breaks my heart. Ben, Christina and I pour our hearts into each and every weekend and I think it shows with the results.
We also love giving back to the community. We hosted some amazing charitable events this year for the Inland NW Blood Center, Make a Wish Foundation, The Pour, Teen Closet, and more. We were honored to have hosted events for our three major University alumni (WSU, EWU, and Gonzaga) as well as some major corporate events for Washington Trust, Witherspoon Kelley, Sterling Savings, US Bank, Providence Health Care and Inland Imaging.
We look forward to more of the same in 2013.
In the coming weeks we will make 3 major announcements surrounding our next steps for the year. We are excited about what lies ahead. Major changes will be happening at Nectar and we know that you will embrace the change with us and be our ambassadors of communication.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FOR 2013
- A greater retail exposure (locally and nationally)
- Continued partnerships with local charities and corporations
- Continued growth and focus on event rental at Nectar
- A change in the web site that highlights our new focus
- Improvements to our wine clubs offering greater member benefits
- Expansion to other markets – while not 100% done, I will be investigating the viability of opening additional Nectar Tasting Rooms
Before I close, I want to thank you for some very proud moments. You voted us #3 in The Inlander “Best Wine Bar” category. Hope we can move up in the ranks this year. You also voted us #2 in the KREM2 “Best Wine Shop” category. You also selected us as a best First Friday spot.
We hope you will join us for our 2nd Anniversary on January 11-12. The first 100 customers will receive a Nectar logo wine glass. Saturday, we’ll be giving away $500 in prizes. See you soon – Enjoy life with friends, drink happy!
