Corking campaign to boost iconic closure

A €20 million campaign highlighting the science behind cork has been announced in a bid to convince the public it’s top of the stoppers.

With cork closures losing market share in the face of competition from alternatives such as screwcap, the industry has moved to remind people of cork’s reliability and versatility.

The Portuguese government is funding the campaign. From April 2010 to June 2011 the Portuguese, via Apcor, the Portugese Cork Association, will run promotions via TV, radio, press, wine fairs and the web.

‘We want to convince the public with the help of the scientific background’, said campaign spokesman Jean-Marie Aracil.

€12m has been set aside for running campaigns in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the United States, with each country running its own campaign, though each with the same message that cork is not only traditional but is also an innovative and sustainable industry.

Aside from its use in drinks, the remaining €8m will be used to promote cork’s value to the construction and aeronautics industries.

The cork industry pulled in €2.09bn in 2007/8, of which cork closures accounted for around 80%.

However, the rise in popularity of screwcaps is making a severe dent in the market. In 2009 there were 3.1bn screwcaps sold worldwide, a total which is increasing by 500m a year.

Cork closures’ market share has declined from over 90% in the early 1990s to around 75% today.

Alan Lodge, 10.02.2010