I was featured in a recent article with that title written by Liza Zimmerman (Lizathewinechick) in Meininger’s Wine Business International, with a nod to How to Get U.S. Market-Ready book. (Click on the link to register and get a free first chapter, or buy the whole book. The print version is now available in the U.S. and globally.)

The key points Liza picked up on were the importance of prospective exporters being educated on the U.S. market, and finding a way to communicate the success of the brand, even before launch. I know, that sounds like a paradox, but it’s really not. It just requires a bit of creativity.

A case in point referenced in the article is Invivo Wines, with which I’m working to help launch their Invivo X SJP brand. Still a work in progress, but on track to launch in September with a powerful push from Sarah Jessica Parker’s social media support.

Most brands we work with, of course, don’t have the celebrity leverage. But for every brand one we work with we help identify what I like to call a “Point of Difference that Makes a Difference.” And it’s this POD that MAD distinction that can make the difference between success and failure for new brands.

Want more ideas on how to do this? Here are two ways: 1) Buy the book, it’s loaded with case histories and examples of how we’ve done that for other clients. And 2) check out some of my prior blog posts on the subject, also with practical case histories and metrics.