freighter trends,lampoon …

beers summonses Afrikaans Johnstown babes courter….

That dirty box problem is dealt with by having the “well designed” box arrive in a plain brown shipping box. I agree, I wouldn’t go through all the effort if the thing was going to get all beat to hell during the shipping process. Also, at least to me, packaging is more than just the exterior box - it’s what’s inside as well. Hand signed notes, literature, temp trackers, the “experience” of opening the thing etc. And of course the wine has to live up to hype for any of this to work. I’m assuming very high quality.

Your example of not remembering the winery that had the nice packaging is instructive. I would just say that “pretty” shouldn’t really be the goal. Creating an experience that takes the customer’s desires into account, is thoughtful and elegantly presented is the goal.

Hey, I’ll send you a prototype when I get one made so you can see what I’m talking about!

As always, thanks for the comments Tina!

Anyway, regarding packaging, I think you’re right about how uninteresting it has become. However, one winery that I think does an excellent job of direct to consumer is Navarro. I’ve been a wine club member of theirs for nearly 15 years now. Besides the fantastic wines, their appeal, at least for me, is the personal touch. It doesn’t take much and doesn’t even have to cost a lot. For example, every shipment I’ve ever received from them has included a hand-written note on the box right by the shipping label. There’s always a newsletter inside that I usually read cover-to-cover and once a year there’s a non-wine gift (olive oil, smoked sea salt, apron, …).

I realize that there’s probably a difference between how wine club members and direct sales customers may be handled but of all the wine clubs I belong to, I’d give up all of them before canceling my Navarro membership. It’s the only one where I don’t feel like a number on a customer sheet. There’s got to be something to be learned there.

I hear you about packaging. It all ends up in the garbage after all…or does it?

I have almost every single one of the boxes from my Apple products. Part of the reason is that I might have to take them in/back for service someday, but I think there might be other reasons as well. Indeed, people have written whole articles on the experience of opening the packages of certain products like Apple because the experience so perfectly matches what the brand is all about: elegance, thoughtfulness and simplicity.

I’m no Jonathan Ive or any of the other creative geniuses that work at Apple, but the bar in direct packaging is so low I don’t think I have to be.

In the end though, the “experience” has to be more than a logo, more than cardboard, and more than simple utility. It has to be a seamless process of going from anticipating the wine in the box, to opening the box and being surprised and humored by the thoughtfulness therein, to finally clutching the wine sure in the knowledge that it has made it into your hands in perfect condition.

If Capozzi can deliver *that* experience I think we will have gone a long way toward being remarkable. And that’s the ultimate goal.

Thanks again for the comment!