Give something a new treatment, it becomes different, fresh and unique

Whether it’s finding an inexpensive but delicious bottle from a little known winery or just identifying the subtleties of flavors in a new cuvée, there’s no doubt that wine holds a unique spot in California’s culture and history, and aficionados are always looking for what’s new.
This month’s Uniquely Northern California highlights the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail, a 28-mile long collection of wineries, most of which have been in operation for decades.
So while most wineries are veteran enterprises, the route is new and is now visible because of more than 70 directional signs placed along the trail that guide guests through the state’s oldest ongoing wine producing region.
Which proves that there is always a way to find something fresh and new in an older product or entity.
For a number of years, there has been talk that some wines are approaching commodity status. That is, there is little or no difference between the brands and prices are virtually the same for all.
While I am the first to admit I am not qualified to write about wines, I can sympathize with winemakers that when a product becomes commoditized, it’s not good for business. There’s no longer any difference between competitive brands, and the typical points that create distinctions between them — quality, price or service — don’t offer any advantages for one brand over the next for the consumer.
The CEO of a manufacturing company that I interviewed recently says he doesn’t like the word commodity in his business. Why not?
“Because you could commoditize any product but we believe, why commoditize any product? Somebody could say, well, your product has been around forever — that’s a commodity.  Not in our eyes.  That’s why our product has been given different colors and styles to make it new, different, fresh and unique, even though it’s been in the market since 1950.
“When you do those new ideas, there is a financial return because it tends to carry a better margin, because it’s new and it hasn’t gone through its maturity cycle yet.  It gives us something more than what the other guy offers.”
That kind of reminds me of the scene in the movie “Forrest Gump” when Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue is telling Forrest about all the different ways to prepare shrimp. Look for the lesson here:
“Shrimp is the fruit of the sea,” he says. “You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich.”
Bubba goes on and on and you think he’s never going to finish the list. Each listing took the same product and gave it a distinct treatment, and it became a new version.

While I’ve never heard any CEO refer to Bubba’s list as an example of how to innovate and expand your brand, there’s something to ponder there, perhaps over a bottle of wine?