Winelikes and Balzac Communications partner to launch social networking app

The new social networking app “Winelikes” will be released as a beta version in a few weeks, connecting wine drinkers, wineries, bars and restaurants.  The new app is designed to grow consumers’ wine knowledge, wine palates and help them share experiences along the way.

The app will allow you to generate a taste profile that will guide you towards the types of wines that you will most likely enjoy. As well, you can scroll through the interface and interact with the “Winelikes Community” which connects other users and locations, sharing photos and reviews.

Wineries, wine bars and restaurants will have a direct pathway to connect with customers. They will be able to target audiences within the app by easily creating advertisements and sending direct messages while also posting regularly.

Before starting Winelikes, Owner and CEO Jeff Gillis worked as a food and beverage director at numerous five-star properties. He believes the app will bring new people to wine and give current enophiles a way to chat with like-minded individuals.

“Learning about wine and finding out what you like is so difficult alone,” he said. “Our app will provide a fun way for people to discover wines that might appeal to them. They can learn more about wine through fun quizzes and conversations with others. Our simple yet modern interface makes it easy for Winelikes to serve individuals from every generation.”

Gillis also notes that Winelikes won’t use algorithms to suggest content, which differentiates it from many existing social media apps. “When you connect with others, you see their posts and not content a computer (or AI or algorithm) thinks you’re interested in,” he noted.

Gillis selected Balzac Communications and Marketing to help recruit influencers and build buzz for the app because of the firm’s expertise in both technology and wine. “Winelikes is a wine app, so it’s important to work with someone who is knowledgeable and has access to wine regions,” he said. “But we’re also a social media company that relies on technology. Balzac has the perfect balance of wine expertise and technology experience to make this company successful. Their location in the heart of wine country and connection to influential people in the industry will help us expand our reach and do it more quickly.”

“There are dozens of wine apps in the various marketplaces,” said Mike Wangbickler, president of Balzac Communications and Marketing. “Some are quite good, but none are truly social networking apps with a focus on wine. Winelikes is. Wine is a social beverage. We use it to toast to those we care about and share time with friends. The existing, big social networks are OK at connecting wine lovers and enthusiasts, but there is a ton of noise and wine is not their primary focus. With Winelikes, users can geek out as much as they want, or simply find friends with similar interests. In addition, companies selling wines have a receptive and available audience to tell their unique stories and grow their brand engagement.”

 

Vivino Raises $155 Million in Series D Funding

Vivino, the world’s most downloaded mobile wine app and largest online wine marketplace closed (this week) a $155m Series D funding round led by Swedish based investment firm Kinnevik with Sprints Capital accompanying as a new investor. Additional participants include GP Bullhound and existing early-stage investor Creandum. This latest round brings Vivino’s total funds raised to date to $221 million and includes a mix of primary and secondary investment.

Vivino currently boasts a community of 50 million wine enthusiasts, who turn to the platform for its personalized recommendations, unbiased rating system, and expansive selection of wines from more than 700 marketplace partners worldwide. The new capital will enable Vivino to improve its core technology and artificial intelligence platform to create better and more personalized recommendations for Vivino users. The company will also deepen its focus on select markets with the greatest potential for growth, including the US, Germany, the UK, Italy, Japan, and Portugal.

“This is a testament to the remarkable work that our teams around the globe have done to build an extraordinary business,” said Heini Zachariassen, Vivino’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “This round has raised important capital for our rapidly growing company and drawn some exceptional new leaders to our board. The funding will enable us to continue to build on our core strengths, expand industry partnerships drawing more merchants and wineries to our marketplace, and support our continued global growth.”

Alcohol e-commerce sales worldwide have grown immensely, and it is estimated that by 2024, they will exceed $40 billion. Zachariassen credits the company’s growth to this continued shift in consumer behavior. “Our user retention rates are high, and we’re seeing a steady conversion of app users to wine buyers. That’s a good move in the right direction. By creating more value for our users, we also create more value for the company and industry at large.”

Since its Series C raise in February 2018, led by Vivino’s current board chairman, Christophe Navarre and former CEO and Chairman of Moët Hennessy, Vivino has increased its user base from 29 million to 50 million and has significantly grown its marketplace business, which connects wineries and wine merchants to its community. The company has posted a 100% annual growth rate for the last seven years and a 103% increase in year-over-year sales in 2020.

#vivino #vivinonews #winenews #ecommerce #winemarketing #winesales #consumerbehavior #AI #mobleapp #economics #winebusiness #winelovers #winelover #wine #wineapp #vivinoapp #winetrends #winetechnology