A Conversation with Sara Soergel of Tonic Marketing

Q&A: What’s Working (and What’s Not) in Wine and Hospitality Marketing

Our interview series where marketing leaders share their secrets, reveal their bold ideas and tell all about their game-changing strategies.

I sat down with Sara Soergel, founder of Tonic Marketing, for a candid and insightful conversation about what brands are getting right, and where they’re still missing the mark.

From brand storytelling and influencer strategy to Gen Z behavior shifts and why your customer journey probably looks more like a true crime board than a funnel, Sara doesn’t hold back. She shares real, actionable perspective from her work with some of the region’s most forward-thinking brands.

Her extensive wine industry client list includes Sonoma County Vintners, Napa Valley Vintners, Russian River Valley Winegrowers, Rutherford Dust Society, DK Wine Group, Lynmar Estate, Bacchus Landing, Aesthete Winery & Farm, Davis Estates, and dozens more. She’s also partnered with health and wellness clients, ecommerce giants like Zenni Optical, and non-profit organizations like the Buck Institute, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin, the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and TEDxSonomaCounty.

Tonic Marketing X Dawn Heumann @ Russian River Vineyards

Okay, let’s dive in and hear what Sara has to say…

Dawn Heumann: For those who don’t know you, can you give us a quick look at who you are and what led you to start Tonic Marketing?

Sara Soergel: I’m originally from Sonoma County (Analy High School grad) which ended up being a big part of why I started Tonic. I began my career in tech, working internationally on big marketing programs, designing UI/UX, and supporting software. I loved the pace of tech and learned a ton, but I felt disconnected from my community and the incredible work happening right here at home.

Today my approach to marketing is a result of layered experience. I have a psychology degree from UC Santa Cruz, which gave me perspective on topics like emotion, behavior, memory, and identity–all of which can be applied to marketing. Early in my career I worked in software, competing with giants like Microsoft and HP, which taught me how to move fast, use technology to my advantage, and stay ahead of trends. The first creative agency I worked at was The Engine is Red, which taught me to embrace unconventional ideas–and hold on tight. Working with that team was a really powerful experience.  

As I got deeper into creative marketing, I built the confidence and skill set to go out on my own, and chose wine as my focus. I took the Wine Entrepreneurship course at Sonoma State University and wrote a business plan under the guidance of an amazing mentor. Then I launched Tonic in 2016 to work with small business owners, emerging brands, and entrepreneurs who were ready to take their businesses to the next level.

Dawn Heumann: In today’s crowded marketplace, brand awareness is a constant challenge. What are the most effective ways brands, big or small, can get in front of new audiences? 

Sara Soergel: It’s a complicated time, and we’re all working in the face of so much change. While there’s no silver bullet, here are three important pieces of advice I can offer:

First, consistency is key. Consumers don’t always buy the best product; they buy the one they understand the best. To make your brand understood in the minds of customers, it’s critical to maintain consistent visual styles and coherent messaging. Having a strong brand kit, with an arsenal of images and stories written about your brand, becomes the core of your brand's DNA. It’s something you can continually build from as you grow.

Second, make advocating for your brand a turnkey solution. Find ways to amplify the voices of people who already know and love your brand (press, influencers, loyal customers) and make it easy for them to share it. Be ready with soundbytes, imagery, and above-average social media content. Wine is social, and brands can create ways to tap into that social dynamic. 

And third, focus on validation and collaboration. If you have an influencer or group of influencers that aligns with your brand values, create programs that allow you to get together with them regularly. They need content, and you need content, so you really have the same goal. Support each other by creating together. And don’t underestimate the power of third-party validation. When someone sees a friend or trusted voice engage with your brand, they may think, “Oh, I trust that person. This must be the real deal.”

Dawn Heumann: So, if a brand doesn't have any connections with influencers and doesn’t know where to start, but maybe they’re influencer curious, do you have any advice for how they could strike up an influencer relationship? 

Sara Soergel: Definitely. Start looking by topic. For example, search for people covering wine, check out their following, and see if you can get age demographics. Look at what they post, which events they attend, and how often they show up. That helps you create a clear set of criteria for who you want to reach.

Also check who your followers follow, and who your peers are working with.

There’s a strong sense of community in the influencer world. So if you find one person you connect with, just start a conversation and ask who they recommend. Relationships and referrals go a long way.

Tonic Marketing X Dawn Heumann @ Lynmar Estate

Dawn Heumann: We’re learning more and more that brands need to engage and rely on storytelling. What makes a brand story compelling enough to break through the noise, and how do you help clients craft those narratives?

Sara Soergel: Storytelling is so important. It’s what makes this work interesting and rich, for both the business owner and from a creative standpoint. I love helping people craft their stories.

A mentor of mine once said, “Branding yourself is like giving yourself a haircut,” and I think that’s exactly right. It’s easy to lose perspective, especially when you’re leading your own business. You’re often surrounded by people telling you how great you are, (despite ironically having imposter syndrome), and it can be tempting to just present a really polished, positive version of your story. But that often leaves out the deeper why– the tension, or the unique way you’re approaching things that allows people truly connect.

I work with clients through workshops to get to that deeper why and to articulate brand stories, values, and voice, and then develop an aesthetic that brings all of that together into a full package.

My role is to stay objective and help them identify the emotional layer, that part that creates a genuine connection and helps build meaningful relationships.

I was reading this article the other day about how our culture is becoming more narcissistic, and for better or worse, I think it's completely true. As marketers, we often discuss how to get our consumers to see themselves in the story, and I think that's becoming even more important. 

Creating a connection can really be anything. We think it has to feel like alignment, but that's not necessarily true. You can create a feeling and a reaction within an audience by making them feel charged up or called to arms, or make them feel held and safe, in a place of trust. There's such a spectrum of ways to connect.

Forcing yourself to go to that next level and think not only about what you're offering, but what space you're creating for people to join you on this journey can be powerful.

Dawn Heumann: With so many marketing channels available today, how should brands decide where to invest their resources for the best ROI?

Sara Soergel: The marketing funnel isn’t linear anymore; it’s more like a true crime murder board. There are touchpoints everywhere! You don’t always know when your next interaction with a customer is going to happen. That’s why I encourage brands to set up small experiments, track what’s working, and learn quickly.

Social media gives you the quickest feedback loop. You can test visual styles, stories, content, even influencer marketing, and get a sense of what’s resonating. If something performs well, reward it. Build more content like that, and invest in what’s gaining traction.

Email marketing, on the other hand, is getting trickier. Open rates are becoming imperfect due to Apple’s privacy updates, and cookie-based tracking is changing dramatically. So it's harder to get clean data from some of those channels.

That’s why I recommend starting with tools that give you reliable, on-platform tracking, like social media insights, Google Analytics, and native metrics.

And while it’s not a silver bullet, I did want to share one low-hanging fruit tactic that I’m really interested in right now: YouTube. It’s a brand awareness tool that not everyone is using to its full potential. For a relatively low ad spend, you can run short-form video and reach a large audience. You can also tap into lookalike audiences to find people with similar interests. There’s a lot of targeting flexibility, and it’s something I’ve been looking at closely right now as a smart, scalable option for increased awareness and visibility.

Dawn Heumann: Many brands are struggling to connect with younger consumers as their core audience ages. What strategies have you found most effective for engaging new demographics?

Sara Soergel: This is a big one. Brands need to be authentic and stay true to themselves, while also understanding the interests and values of younger generations. 

For example, the National Institute of Health has studied differences in how generations eat. Approximately 26% of Gen Z individuals follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, citing health or ethical reasons. Millennials are foodies and grazers, and Boomers still enjoy the traditions of a sit-down restaurant experience. What does this tell us about the wine and hospitality industry? It’s no longer one-size fits all.

While this may sound painfully obvious, there are also significant differences in how the generations communicate. Gen Z isn’t going to pick up the phone and call. They are much more comfortable using in-app messaging, chat, and texting. Make sure you have chat support enabled on your website, and that you’re responsive in your social DMs. That accessibility goes a long way.

Dawn Heumann: What’s one marketing trend that brands in wine, food, and hospitality should be paying closer attention to right now?

Sara Soergel: Social media and e-commerce integration. If you’re not thinking about how your brand can sell directly through social, you're missing a huge opportunity.

Every day, more transactions happen on social media because it shortens the customer journey. People see a great ad, read the reviews, see “back in stock,” and buy in 90 seconds. Wineries, especially smaller or exclusive brands, need to embrace this shift.

Takeaway: If you're running an educational, inspiring ad on social, give people something to buy! Don’t delay the sale.

Dawn Heumann: Wow, thank you so much Sara! So many incredible nuggets in here, thank you for sharing with the Folk Haus audience. Do you have any last words of wisdom for brands looking to sharpen their marketing strategy?

Sara Soergel: Get curious. Track your efforts, lean into storytelling, and experiment with new digital tools. And, of course, don't be afraid to reach out for expert guidance.

Tonic Marketing X Dawn Heumann @ Russian River Vineyards