Somms: You are a Brand

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

A. Camille Copeland — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:25:37 GMT

LOVE THIS ARTICLE

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Brent Grider — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:12:48 GMT

Great advise!

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Rick Bakas — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:25:01 GMT

Here's the link to this month's Sommelier Journal article covering similar territory: www.sommelierjournal.com/.../article.aspx

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:41:24 GMT

Awesome post!!

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:06:24 GMT

It's funny the timing of this post... I have been, and am wondering how to start a Wine & Beverage Consulting biz. One of the areas that seems quite easy for me is marketing. Unfortunately I am the ONLY CMS Somm in my city. The flip side is, I am realizing that this provides for a great chance to discover what works, and what doesn't work because there is NO competition. As I continue to develop my product and what I have to offer, the social aspect is becoming more and more necessary to create that bottom part of the pyramid. The bottom part it seems, is the majority who will be willing to spend $$$ for services...

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Rick Bakas — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 06:02:20 GMT

Glad it was helpful, [mention:392bca92c2e24db890153f0884151857:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05]

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Charlie Berg — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:12:37 GMT

Tremendous. Thank you, Rick.

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Rick Bakas — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:08:00 GMT

[mention:28610c04372e459ab6084d91f4290fc7:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] bingo

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:35:24 GMT

What a great article! Thank you for the insight! I am just starting out in the wine world and the ideas here I am sure will be uber helpful. Lets all follow each other! Find me @jennifergoosman! Seriously. We can only make social media work for us if we all help each other!

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Judy Chang — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:04:08 GMT

#5. spot on.

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

FRANK SEIDL — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:31:20 GMT

Spectacular, Rick! Well thought-out, well-presented, and well-said. Thanks for sharing.

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Josiah Baldivino — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:16:12 GMT

I feel like i did when i was on homeschool and i found the answer book hidden in the cupboard!

Awesome article Rick

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Jeff Kellogg — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:58:27 GMT

GREAT article Rick, thank you for sharing. It is easy to see why you have been such a success.

Jackson, I think you made a smart comment as well, I am not likely to follow someone who posts pictures of the epic bottles they drank, it always reminds me of the Vince Lombardi quote about endzone celebrations, "Act like you've been there before." That being said, there is a difference between posting a picture of the Raveneau you just waterfalled, and posting that you are a pouring Raveneau btg for one night only as a way to build both your brand, and your employer's brand. The somms that I follow on twitter tend to be the ones who post links to articles that I would not have come across otherwise, making me a better somm.

Rick, it may be a difference of SF vs NYC, but I had a different interviewing experience last fall when I was looking for a job than you describe. The employers I spoke with seemed intent on making sure I was a somm who was not above breaking down cases and working the floor vs how many twitter followers I had. I dare say that if I had mentioned that I had a large twitter following it would have been viewed as a negative. It seems as if some somms have a rep for spending more time building their personal brand via social media, vs building their brand with spot-on pairings, attention to service and hard work. I think this is something to keep in mind as we all strive towards relevance and notoriety.

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Rick Bakas — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:15:11 GMT

[mention:8ab670ae2a7c4924865287776961505d:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] [mention:9d170d29d4e14e7889f6f8ab3d01a2a2:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] Thanks for checking out the article.

RE: Somms: You are a Brand

Rick Bakas — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:14:25 GMT

[mention:6adb67bc12f2436cb40465c279946d62:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] To be a good sommelier means to have humility, both on the floor and online. Somms with egos are rarely a good idea.