I enjoy wine. One of my favorite things to do is to take a stroll up to The Wine Cabinet in Reston, Virginia on Friday evenings for their weekly wine tastings. It’s a little treat for me to do this and I usually leave with one or two of the bottles that I’ve sampled

The tastings are usually organized by a distributor and generally consist of about five wines to sample. Most people who organize the tasting take time to explain the different varietals, the vineyard, the wine-making process, and the notes that make up the bouquet and overall taste of the wine.

This past Friday when I strolled into the store there was something very unique about the tasting. I noticed a large computer screen set up next to the tasting table with all the wines laid out. There via Skype was the Winemaker of La Cappucina Winery streaming live from his home near Venice, Italy. Over the course of the tasting, he patiently explained in heavily accented English, a detailed summary of each wine’s background. He took questions and was pretty amusing noting that he was able to stay up so late (due to the time difference) by consuming several espressos.

It was a unique experience and one that left an impression on me. While it might seem routine to use a method like Skype nowadays; I had never really thought of it as much of a marketing tool. Years ago I read Thomas Friedman’s book “The World Is Flat”; in which among other subjects, he covers the communications capabilities that makes correspondence between individuals in any geography almost seamless. And yet here it was in full view that previous Friday to job my memory.

What did using Skype do?

Using Skype allowed the wine maker to communicate to a group of customers and market his wines in a location without ever leaving his home near Venice. Plus he was marketing to the individual.

Marketing to the individual means knowing enough about your prospect, in this case wine connoisseurs, in order deliver a timely and relevant marketing message to them, so much so that it seems like a service or a favor rather than a sales pitch.

Personalized touches, like speaking through Skype, are a great way to add a unique touch to a customer’s experience. In my case, it was a little extra touch that added to an activity I already enjoy. And at the conclusion of the tasting; I purchased three bottles of wine from the tasting instead of my usual two. And isn’t that what marketing is all about?