Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
Uncorking the Past: Redefining Identity at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
History Factory collaborated with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates to weave its corporate narrative into the rich tapestry of the Washington wine category, igniting brand positioning and propelling future growth by:
- Conducting comprehensive research into the 90-year history of SMWE brands, unearthing untold stories and insights
- Crafting a master brand narrative to encapsulate Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ journey and values
- Developing engaging content to align the brand story with current messaging, ensuring consistency across all internal and external communications
- Differentiating Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ in the market as the brand leader in the Pacific Northwest region
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is an iconic figure in the winemaking landscape. As the oldest winery in Washington, established in 1934, and the third-largest premium winery in the United States, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates has played a pivotal role in shaping the Pacific Northwest’s viticultural legacy. Despite its storied history and impressive growth, however, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates faced a myriad of challenges that necessitated a reevaluation of its business model and brand narrative.
Shifting consumer preferences exacerbated by the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant hurdles to the company’s sales trajectory. In addition, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates had a change in ownership and leadership in 2022, which underscored the need to redefine its identity and position itself strategically within an increasingly competitive market landscape. The company approached History Factory with the following urgent requests:
- To untangle its 90-year history
- To produce a compelling two-minute internal history video to captivate and inspire
- To frame its brand narrative as a launchpad for future success
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Unveiling Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ Rich Brand Heritage
Adhering to the principle of “Start With the Future and Work Back,” we gained a deep understanding of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ current goals and strategies to align our efforts with its vision for the future. This involved facilitating vision and alignment sessions with key stakeholders to identify business priorities, target audiences, success metrics, and other considerations.
Delving into the archives, our researchers uncovered the company’s original articles of incorporation, revealing that its founding moment coincided with the end of Prohibition. This discovery underscored Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ pioneering legacy and its readiness to seize opportunities, providing a foundation for the narrative blueprint. Together, we developed thematic topics and chronological eras to organize the company’s 90-plus year history, ensuring a cohesive and engaging storytelling experience. The excitement surrounding the newly crafted narrative led to the creation of a brand history video, which was unveiled at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ internal all-hands event, further amplifying the company’s heritage and vision for the future.
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Harvesting Success
By aligning our historical messaging with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ current brand identity, History Factory facilitated communication across all internal and external channels, including press releases and onboarding materials. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ brand coherence equipped the company to deepen customer engagement, foster brand loyalty and drive sustainable growth in the wine industry.