OenoBordeaux: an app to promote Bordeaux wines around the world

The Bordeaux Wine School has launched a mobile learning app to promote the heritage and reputation of Bordeaux grape varieties. But that’s not all: the app goes much further, with the aim of improving Bordeaux wine sales around the world by offering a first-class service to professionals. Step aboard for a quick tour of this fruity project!

It’s now almost 30 years ago since the Bordeaux Wine Council, Conseil International des Vins de Bordeaux (CIVB), founded the Bordeaux Wine School. At the time, the institution was already pioneering in its approach to education, cleverly using learning as a promotional tool in its global marketing strategy. The CIVB represents more than 7000 Bordeaux wine professionals with a common objective: to promote Bordeaux wines in seven priority markets, namely, France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and the United States.

The Bordeaux Wine School brings together a community of 250 trainers from all over the world. At the association’s first International Convention on 16 and 17 June 2017, they will be given a special preview of a new tool to support their work: OenoBordeaux.

An international project

The OenoBordeaux app, available in French, English and Chinese, is targeting all sections of the wine industry, from the bottle leaving the vineyard to wine reaching the consumer’s glass: importers, wholesalers, waitstaff, wine waiters, retail managers, wine merchants, e-commerce companies, etc. This 360° view of Bordeaux wines will provide opinion leaders with the very best knowledge so that they sell more, but most importantly, sell better.

Mobile learning offered the perfect solution according to Stéphanie Barral, CEO of the Bordeaux Wine School: “OenoBordeaux is a key, cross-functional tool in our new marketing strategy. Digital learning allows us to complete our training offer, qualify our targets and maximize our impact. Through it, we can start to transmit our wine culture in emerging markets, and in mature markets, existing initiatives and courses will be enhanced, for example, through use of live online content during our masterclasses.”

The OenoBordeaux app

“A fun tool – but in no way a gimmick!”

The Live! option was one of the reasons for choosing Teach on Mars to make the digital learning project a reality: “Teach on Mars is ahead of the competition with its mobile first technology but it’s great that it can also be accessed through a web app to offer omni-channel capability. The solution is a perfect match with our target: professionals who are, by definition, mobile. But what really made the difference is the quality of education facilitated by the app. For us, that’s the primary consideration. We want to create courses that are meaningful, with precise content and a bit of fun as an added bonus. In other words, we wanted a tool that was fun,, but in no way a gimmick.”

Before the apps went online in September 2017, OenoBordeaux was first been presented to the principal large French wine retailers, with very positive feedback. The next step was the Convention held on 16 and 17 June at the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. This was the opportunity for around 100 trainers from all over the world to get to know the app and begin to explore the range of possibilities it offers. “Our trainers will be both content authors and key operational contributors in the deployment OenoBordeaux. For them, it’s an additional tool they can use to go even further in promoting Bordeaux wines, and best of all, it allows them to improve the educational courses they offer, especially to wine professionals. As far as we’re concerned, blended learning is the future!”

From September, priority will be given to bringing the app to life. “Media, news, communications, notifications: in addition to the quality of the content, it’s important to have regular happenings and updates in the app to keep users interested. A lively learning community and focusing on user-driven development are the keys to success!”

The Winegrower’s Year, learning from the land

The OenoBordeaux catalog includes both product- and profession-focused learning, including “The Winegrower’s Year”, a module explaining the winegrower’s work month-by-month, from planting of vines to harvest. Stéphanie Barral explains why this is an essential educational component: “Vines are at the very heart of our profession. Our vineyards were badly affected by frost this spring, and it’s crucial for users to understand that we continue to be closely interconnected with the land. Even with the greatest digital tools, it all starts with the land and the people.”

So on that thought-provoking note, let’s all raise a glass to the success of the OenoBordeaux app!