Cheers to New Friends

Background.

In the heart of Texas Hill Country, wine tours are more than excursions—they’re journeys into the culture, flavors, and stories of the region. For over a decade, Cellar Rat Wine Tours has offered personalized, expert-led experiences that connect people to the art of winemaking and the beauty of the countryside. With the Hill Country wine scene rapidly expanding, Cellar Rat saw an opportunity to enhance their already stellar reputation and bring their passion to a wider audience. Tasked with digitally transforming their brand and growing their business, we launched the “Cheers to New Friends” campaign to craft a digital experience as rich and inviting as the tours themselves.

Challenge.

While Cellar Rat had built a loyal following through its personalized wine tours, the rapid expansion of the Texas Hill Country wine scene introduced a wave of competition. Cellar Rat needed a way to differentiate itself from larger, less personalized competitors while appealing to a broader audience. The challenge was twofold: modernize their digital presence to attract new customers and maintain the intimate, welcoming feel that loyal customers cherished.

We created an immersive digital platform that mirrored the relaxed, welcoming nature of their tours. Through professional imagery, detailed write-ups, and dynamic social media integration, we transformed the website into a vibrant hub that inspired visitors to book tours while showcasing the unique appeal of each destination. Social APIs automated content updates, keeping the site fresh and engaging while increasing lead generation.

We sourced original content to highlight the quality of the tours, the breathtaking landscapes, and the stories behind the wines, sharing it across social platforms to extend Cellar Rat’s reach. SEO and link-building efforts ensured the brand was front and center for anyone searching for Hill Country wine tours, with keyword optimization propelling them to the first page of Google. On Instagram, we curated visually stunning posts that captured the essence of the Cellar Rat experience, from picturesque vineyard shots to rave reviews from guests.

Campaign.

‘Cheers to New Friends’ was the unifying strategic vision behind the brand’s digital transformation of their web presence. We would allow the brand to breathe, to decant into the website with social integration, art direction, and sales copy expanding the brand’s reach and integrating Cellar Rat Wine Tours into the conversation surrounding Hill Country wine-making.

To capture the essence of each winery and wine tour stop, we diligently sourced ample amounts of original content, from professional photographs to written reviews to highlights about the quality of the tour, the views, the food, and, of course, the assortment of fine, local wines. This original content was shared on social media and integrated into the website, allowing for dynamic content updated in real-time.

We focused on previous customers, fans of wine and wine tours, and the younger, more search-savvy consumers, helping them research different venues, enjoy breathtaking pictures of nearby vineyards, and learn about the people and processes behind some of the wines.

The website was developed to make visitors feel thirsty, with the promise that the tours will make them feel like an aficionado.

Finally, we optimized the on-site content while executing an SEO and link-building campaign to solidify the brand’s presence on search engines, map services such as Google Maps, and more. We targeted the most prominent keywords to naturally connect with users looking for relevant information, and we continually optimized written and other original content with the goal of getting Cellar Rat Wine Tours in the #1 ranking for targeted keywords.

Results.

• Revenue Growth: Within the first 30 days, revenue increased by 32%, driven by new bookings and referred customers.
• Social Media Impact: Instagram followers tripled, with post impressions rising by 79% and post shares increasing by 150%.
• Website Performance: The revamped website became a key decision-making factor, with dynamic content integration and SEO efforts placing Cellar Rat on the first page of Google search results.
• Customer Loyalty: Repeat business surged as Cellar Rat deepened relationships with loyal customers, earning thousands of 5-star reviews.

“Cheers to New Friends” wasn’t just a campaign; it was a celebration of what makes Cellar Rat Wine Tours special: creating connections, crafting experiences, and welcoming everyone to the irresistible world of Texas Hill Country wine.

FIVE

In order to target broader, more diverse audiences, the first step in the ‘Cheers to New Friends’ was to improve the sales copy and art direction and capture the essence of Texas wine country. The website served as a central, dynamic repository for this content as well as a consumer touchpoint, combining a smooth user experience with insightful, deep write-ups and images of the venues available.

SEO was crucial to the website development, and with on-site optimization, compelling copy, and an integrated, social-first platform with dynamic media pulled in real-time, we put Cellar Rat Wine Tours on the first page of Google during its first year.

ONE

The single, unifying strategy behind the campaign relied on the quality and relevance of our communications with the diverse audiences of wine aficionados, weekenders, tourists, couples, and especially the younger, more tech-savvy consumers across Texas. We improved the sales copy and created new artwork, supporting a targeted, continually relevant, and engaging platform with a vast venue library and strategically integrated social feeds.

TWO

By developing its online presence while translating the brand into digital brand experiences, we helped Cellar Rat Wine Tours grow its sales by 32% over the previous year. With the dynamic website and social integration attracting new and repeat visitors alike, we focused on building brand loyalty, leading to an increase in repeat customers and referred customers that reinforced the brand’s efforts with thousands of 5-star reviews.