We are always in awe of the cool technologies our industry comes up with every year. We hear the buzz at trade shows like the DTCWS and read futuristic-sounding articles that round up what wineries around the world are doing. There are some neat things just on the horizon, and these things will particularly affect the kinds of wineries that come to us for help with their DTC shipping and fulfillment. Here, then, are some of the top trends and technologies we are seeing, and that we feel are poised to become common practice throughout the wine industry. Augmented Reality, Augmented Bottles Augmented reality is simply the idea of integrating digital information (and even digital interaction) right at the point where the user is already interacting with something in physical reality. While many augmented reality experiences started with clumsy-looking VR headsets and glasses, many simpler projects are taking root using just a smartphone and a QR code. Enter the augmented bottle. The

In a saturated market where traditional marketing techniques are commonplace and it seems like everything has been done, finding truly innovative ways to promote your winery or cidery in British Columbia can be a challenge. However, by embracing emerging trends, you can captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.   1. Augmented Reality (AR) Labels Revolutionize your bottle labels with augmented reality technology. By integrating AR elements into your labels, you can bring them to life with interactive content, such as 3D animations, educational videos, or tasting notes. This interactive approach adds a touch of magic to your products and enhances the overall consumer experience. 2. Gamification Tap into the growing trend of gamification to engage and entertain your audience. Gamification is applying some elements of game playing (like point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity, typically as an online marketing technique to encoura

BEHIND THE BOTTLE Bogle Vineyards, along with their glass supplier and design team, met with Bergin in 2018 to refresh their Phantom Chardonnay package. Their goal was to reach and engage new consumers with a visually stunning and impactful label. The original focus was the Chardonnay but quickly carried over to the Phantom Red Blend. The transition to screen print has been wildly successful for both labels and it’s now impossible to miss them on the shelves. DESIGN DETAILS Auston Design Group, along with San Francisco-based tech company Tactic, worked together to redesign the Phantom Chardonnay package. Phantom’s original paper label has been replaced with a screen-printed label depicting a haunted vineyard that is blanketed in a ghostly golden fog. The haunting feel to this label is no coincidence as it pays homage to the Bogle family name, which means “ghost” in Scottish. The design wraps around the bottle and is accentuated with an elegant, 22-karat gol