The verdict in three sentences
For a Dublin wine merchant selling to importers and distributors in the UK and the Nordics, a marketing automation agency costs 2,000 to 6,000 EUR to set up and 400 to 1,200 EUR a month to run, plus a platform at 50 to 400 EUR a month. You can tell a good agency by its answers on a few specific points: which scenarios ship at launch, who owns your contact base and workflows, and whether it measures orders rather than opens. Ask the questions below in writing and compare answers before you sign.
Questions on scope and budget
An export manager sends spec sheets, tasting notes, market price lists and follow-ups after tasting samples every week. Automation should free that time without turning the relationship with a buyer in Manchester or Stockholm into a faceless sequence.
| Question | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| How many scenarios do you deliver at launch? | 3 to 6 written with you: new trade fair contact, post-sample follow-up, new vintage release, reorder reminder | as many as you like, with no list or deadline |
| What is the first-year total cost? | set-up, management, platform and copywriting priced separately, for example 4,000 + 12 x 800 + 12 x 150 = 15,400 EUR | a single package with no breakdown |
| Who writes the emails, and in which languages? | copy included or priced, English plus Swedish or Danish reviewed by native speakers | unchecked machine translation |
| Which platform do you recommend, and why? | matched to your volume (500 to 5,000 contacts), licence in your name | the agency's proprietary tool |
| Minimum commitment? | 3 to 6 months, then monthly | 24 months fixed |
| How do you handle the tasting sample cycle? | follow-up timed to delivery, tasting and buyer feedback dates | the same sequence for everyone |
Questions on data, consent and ownership
| Question | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the contact base and workflows? | the merchant, exportable at any time as CSV | the agency, it is our method |
| How do you handle Irish rules on electronic marketing? | GDPR plus Ireland's ePrivacy Regulations (S.I. 336 of 2011), documented basis for each business contact, one-click unsubscribe | everyone does it this way |
| What about UK and Nordic recipients? | UK GDPR and PECR checked for the UK; local rules checked for each Nordic market | no checks |
| How do you handle alcohol marketing rules? | factual product content, extra care for markets with strict alcohol advertising rules such as Norway, Sweden and Finland | rules do not apply to B2B email |
| How do contacts sync with your ERP or CRM? | connector or scheduled export, duplicates handled | manual re-entry |
| What do we keep if we stop? | base, workflows, templates and statistics | nothing, or exit fees |
Ownership matters most. A base of 3,000 qualified importers and distributors represents years of trade fairs and tastings. It must stay with you, in a platform licensed to your company. The Data Protection Commission publishes guidance on electronic direct marketing worth reading before launch.
Questions on results
| Metric | 2026 market ballpark | What the agency should report |
|---|---|---|
| B2B open rate | 20 to 40% | by language and country |
| Click rate | 2 to 6% | by scenario |
| Sample requests after a new vintage sequence | 3 to 8% of active recipients | requests logged in the CRM |
| Replies after post-sample follow-up | 15 to 30% | average reply time |
| Unsubscribes per send | under 0.5% | alert when exceeded |
An agency that only talks about open rates has not understood the trade. What counts are orders and new listings with importers, tied back to each scenario.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Aoife, export manager at a 20-person wine merchant in Dublin, spends 6 hours a week chasing importers and sending spec sheets. She signs with an agency: 4,000 EUR of set-up, 800 EUR of management and 150 EUR of platform a month, so 15,400 EUR in year one. Workflows save her 4 hours a week, about 180 hours a year, worth roughly 9,000 EUR at 50 EUR an hour. If post-sample follow-ups win 3 extra importers at 30,000 EUR of annual orders each, at a 25% margin, that is 22,500 EUR of margin. The investment pays back within year one.
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FAQ
What does marketing automation set-up cost for a wine merchant?
Between 2,000 and 6,000 EUR depending on scenarios and languages, as a 2026 estimate. Ongoing management adds 400 to 1,200 EUR a month.
How many scenarios to start with?
Between 3 and 6: trade fair contact, post-sample follow-up, new vintage, reorder. Beyond that, maintaining them becomes hard.
What open rate can we expect from importers?
Around 20 to 40% in B2B depending on list quality, as a 2026 estimate. Below 15% usually points to an old list or deliverability issues.
Can we keep the base if we change agency?
Yes, if the contract says so and the platform licence is in your name. Require a full export within 5 to 10 days.
How do we attract importers who are searching for suppliers?
By ranking on Google for searches such as Irish wine merchant export or wine supplier Ireland. Kolonell's Traffic Engine starts with a visibility audit at about 152 EUR, then monthly plans from about 191 to 534 EUR.
Get found by the clients who are looking for you. Start with a visibility audit at about 152 EUR (100,000 FCFA, credited against set-up if you start within 30 days), then a Traffic Engine plan that brings importers looking for suppliers to your wines, with a weekly report on rankings and enquiries: Traffic Engine. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
