Marketing Matters I am sure I am not alone in the group of people who are dumbstruck by some of the names that people give their children. We have all heard them – the names that bring a smile to the faces of those not inflicted. Have you met Chastity Beltz, Wrigley Fields, Justin Credible, Tiny Bimbo, or a girl whose father was an auto mechanic but somehow didn’t realize he was effectively giving her the name of a tyre: Michele Lynn? I mean really, where do some people get off? Not all parents know when they’ve crossed the line, but these kids surely won’t be spared at school. While kids can be cruel, so too can the wine trade if we don’t get things just right. Chances are few and making strong decisions are imperative at this time. So for these reasons I want your feedback and involvement in considering the branding of an emerging wine category, one that I believe has some potential to extend the interest and profile of our key Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc category. It is currently mostly called ‘Alternative’ Sauvignon Blanc. This category refers to wines such as Te Koko, Dog Point Section 94 etc, Sauvignon Blancs that have been aged with oak, or produced in a non mainstream way. To my mind, this category is mislabelled. However it is important to remember that winemakers, viticulturists, marketers and many in the wine media and wine trade are well aware of what we mean by “Alternative.” I see huge potential within these wine styles to quietly lobby the world and to
build distinction and diversity within our world class Sauvignon Blanc category. Don’t get me wrong, this is a tiny category, usually targeted at the elite end of the (on premise) wine trade. But from observation, the quantity and quality of wines in this new category is growing, and importantly this isn’t at the expense of our day to day offerings which remain world class. I love the additional layering, depth and texture that can be introduced by astute viticulture and practiced winemakers through techniques such as lees stirring, careful/delicate oak contact and natural fermentation. To me there are three or more benefits that having a distinctly different Sauvignon Blanc in your portfolio can offer. Such a wine or category can enable sales and marketing to; • Target/enter different market sectors • Get distinction between your core brand and this wine or • Gain a higher price for this special wine. So what’s wrong with the name Alternative Sauvignon Blanc as a category? Sectors of the wine trade or indeed wine consumers can be notoriously conservative – would telling these sectors that our wines are alternative be the best positioning? Alternative can conjure up images of rebellious, untested, unproven, different
and unexpected. Some of these connotations are okay in the right hands, but downright off putting if not handled correctly. I am not convinced this is the right word. What about Oak Aged Sauvignon Blanc then, surely that says it all? Well no – the risk is we define these wine more tightly than we need to. We want to encourage understanding and trial by the sectors of the market we think the majority of these wines are going to be consumed in. That to me is the on trade. The ground swell against Chardonnay was partially driven by a new aversion to oak flavours and Marlborough linking this developmental style to oak wouldn’t be wise to my thinking. So what it is the appropriate name? I’ve been searching for a while but need your help. Talk it over during vintage and let me know. As a final word what I don’t like are names that detract from or belittle our key existing and far more commercially sensitive Sauvignon Blanc category – for instance ‘Winemakers Sauvignon Blanc’ does make traditional Sauvignon Blanc sound like lab/recipe made Sauvignon Blanc. And, just in case you are tempted: Fumé is passé now of course!
The Official Magazine of Wine Marlborough
04/2011 WINEPRESS
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