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Innovation in the Wine Industry

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    Bottlenotes.com CEO Alyssa Rapp shares company's focus and strategy

  • Duration 9:27
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I was a -- here right now founder and CEO -- notes which is this.

We cool and -- it's I mean He congress it's like a big wind a -- it's like a big wind community yet having email newsletter called the daily sick which is like the daily candy appliance you can get your daily dose of -- knowledge.

In the comfort of your email and my we should be but you don't know -- -- -- Daily emails in the fashion world they got to get every day if -- -- fashion stuff.

Except how and why did you even start this 'cause if you Google wind -- He get.

Over a member you're actually right so when I was a business school actually I was really struck by how my pretty well traveled well educated.

Friends and peers are intimidated by wind was senator it's kind of intimidating.

But I -- in power to help us figure out.

And demystify the world of wine with started as originally -- -- wine -- company has -- the last two years for now like the wine spectator for the next generation been a great email daily newsletter we have around the world in 86 events from New York to Sanford I want to that's really -- refinery to -- of that same title and then we have an iPhone -- that can help you.

Keep track of the great lines you taste collar around town so we are for really becoming the wine spectator for the next generation we talked here a bunch about why blind has taken -- -- will be announced.

You know.

Drink more wine in our European -- but why do you think it's just so hot these days I think a whole lot of reasons why there's been this democratization of wine where it's not just the stuff the thing that you have to feel intimidated by and have to spend a lot of money to enjoy first of all there's a lot of imported wine great imported -- from Italy and a lot of other places at affordable can get at -- corner liquor shop -- even in some states at the grocery store says just.

More -- -- from more places another reason is that I think that as we all can enjoy more more daily affordable luxuries even in this economy maybe you're not taking huge.

At serving occasion of buying the second or third carbon you can still enjoy daily luxuries -- -- affordable daily luxury.

And I think is more great -- information gets out through through the daily -- and other places it's just easier to feel like here.

Conquering this summer what we used to be intimidating price because -- you know.

Then make you feel it my stocks make you feel like you don't know anything you listen it's great -- after all might you and you know and you know -- you take your coffee and tea you know how much sell you put on your food.

People we want people -- that empowered by.

What kind of when they like it's it's really just that's imports about case that we could talk more about the whole line world let's talk about you viewing coming up with it's dot com.

How did you find it.

And you know you see you started SE commerce site why -- decision to go.

Blogosphere this -- to your question Tracy well in terms of the funding question we we did at the good old Silicon Valley way with.

High net worth individuals friends and Stanley yeah yeah this -- months we launched in early 2000 and sex have about six years ago symbol for the message before the mess and got some money we got some money and we grew we grew nicely over about two and a half years and then a couple things happened that caused -- to change.

First of all the mess.

It was a tough economy out there for -- one club model that was.

It's it's still luxury good and and also I think people are enjoying daily luxuries now it's you know -- -- one closer an easy thing to cut out when the going gets tough.

And the other reason is that there is a regulatory shifted in the state of California that made it.

Harder for a company that was trying to be the Netflix of wind to do we did so.

Rather than go head to head with with the government I said you know what and we'd like -- -- our ingenuity to do something different and we were always trying to educate and entertain consumers.

About wine and help brands get access to this -- intermediate.

-- the easiest audience so instead of making money when our audience chose to buy wind that we recommended to them we kind of -- the model thinking of ourselves more like a fox.

I news in some ways -- we decided that we're really a new media platform that can help educate and entertain during newsletter through events through an iPhone -- through web -- And make money through advertising when brands chief advertised our audience instead of just one consumers choose to transact and I love that part of the story because you kind of make lemonade out of lemons -- -- the regulation they're regulation the people exceeds in your chair all the time talk about regulation is killing their businesses tough.

But -- -- you go the other that way with it.

When I was thrown around at life a love the idea that you created a lot and then you have these events because it's almost like.

Because it's meet people that you talk to every day absolutely and a product to social -- wine that is literally about physically being with other people and tasting and in about the community of that experience.

I think that if we were just a dead.

Kind of email newsletter or even an old print magazine if we didn't have that live interactive event experience I don't think we'd understand our customers as well I don't think our advertising partners that is either write something coming from the comic -- with all the crazy -- that oh I would love to be is a great comic -- but it but it also goes to show that.

You cannot remove the human experience that.

I think we like to think that we can do everything online and especially to wine is their social.

It is like Susan let me say it's kind of boggles my -- a little how they're there.

They're trying but you still need that interaction don't -- absolutely and I think.

There are a lot of models we've we've what we're doing with -- that's a combination of email marketing an interactive events through a list does a great job offer men in our other.

Companies out there I think that are doing a nice job of pulling online experiences off -- and I honestly believe that.

The media companies that win in a new media companies that win won't just be -- electing these worst whether it's where they.

Jumping to the print world or not it's still gonna have to bringing in person tangible something to the customer to really.

To really.

Resonate as much sense at least my thesis certain what do you do for the safety right every day so week thankfully have -- phenomenal editor in chief another great woman in the wind this name Karen -- who wrote something called the wind Bible the most published -- of all time.

-- our acting editor in chief of the daily -- -- thankfully we have her expertise at the Helm.

I I manage -- team which includes managing.

Our advertising team includes managing our business development team our operations humor events demon and the editorial but I I do a little bit of everything or a a lean mean fighting machine as you have to be -- start of sap America these days so I have my hand and lots of posse -- not necessarily start happening mormons and so think of yourself Alan I.

I do think of myself and now we in terms of how lean mean we run the company I think in this economy companies large and small learned that if you're not running with the startup mentality no matter how long been around its.

It's going to be hard to compete and win us but know we're not start -- we do have the benefit of several years of experience and then revenues under -- make a great point because that's nice day.

-- -- -- -- -- lean -- makes it.

Fat does not listen we had to shift gears it was right after Lehman went down and worst economy nine years government regulators coming out -- with a pitchfork.

You have to really tighten your belt heart and say you have to believe -- -- and have to look at your team in the nine.

Know that they believe in I wanted to and they -- all grown in the same direction and I think once you go through that experience with someone and with a group of people.

I think there is a commitment to to run -- -- organization thereafter because you've all seen the other side a lot of the down from.

One of the things you talked about was.

Breaking into the wind business as a woman.

Why why so typical you know you wouldn't think it would be no but there is it is historically -- male dominated space -- that the media level and in terms of those.

Large -- conglomerates that are either owned by it men nor typically run by men and so I think in the beginning my business partner can Donaldson and I.

We think back and laughter -- really -- you know there were moments for people -- looked at us and said what are you little girls doing trying to.

Shake up the winds this is what we're doing at the time it was actually and still today -- Was pretty cutting edge and when we were thinking about social media -- -- was starting to take off inspiring our club members to.

Take -- tasting notes and share them with other people in the same way fast forward five years we try to stay ahead of the curve but I think when you're pushing -- -- -- industry.

It's always going to be kind of who is that trying to shake it up whether there's some prejudice either by -- -- or gender but.

I think once we've now built a brand that.

People respect and that speaks to both men and women I don't think it's as much of an issue anymore so what would you tell them let's get back to where we started -- was telling you I'm learning how do you tell people to learn outlined these days I think that there I tell people to do a wide range of things first of all.

Go to a trusted source find a Weinbach.

And whether that someone you love it gives you great recommendations -- your local wine shop or hopefully sign up for an email newsletter in your inbox it's free and give you a little daily dose of wine knowledge.

You know spend more get trusted wind I'd like you get a guide if you wanted to learn friendship -- -- have someone who knows more than you teach you the process.

And then get out there and explore and experiment if you wanna become become a great -- you can't -- once a year and I'm not suggesting that one should consume -- Every day in and large quantities but it's about tasting it's about experiencing it's about sampling and the more you taste just paying attention to -- -- can be disciplined enough to even.

Leave a note for yourself I like this I didn't like it or leave it on I -- an -- gives gate because when you write it it makes it easier for you to remember and then once you start remembering you'll start seeing patterns like oh you know.

I like that alto D.

J.

White one and I liked it that -- -- here from alto uneasy and I really -- that whites don't share from lower valley.

And then you can -- -- only at a restaurant or at a at at at -- -- cap I like these two things and that helps then make recommendations that are better for you and and it's it's a positive.

Vicious cycle is about is -- keeping notes it hit the notes are big and yet you really do -- it takes a little discipline at first our iPhone -- is great for you snap a photo the labeling you can leave a star rating like you at a restaurant -- hotel.

And then we'd like three little words it could say tasted like sprite or He did it or a loved it but just doing that.

I think inspires a level of consciousness about what you're casing that helps you learn much alike can you don't.

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