Australia opts for personality push

Calling yourself “good” and having the word Australia written on a label just isn’t enough to get consumers to engage with Australian wine these days.

To address this issue, Wine Australia has launched "A+ Australian Wine – Every one has a story", a campaign to get consumers to grasp the concept of the country’s personalities and places in relation to its wines.

The new initiative, which joins the country’s already jam-packed strategic plan thanks to its focuses on Brand Champions, Generation Next, Regional Heroes and Landmark Australia, is now being hailed as the heart of the country’s marketing strategy as it invites people to take a new look at Australian wine.

Wines eligible for the strategy must comply with the following criteria – they must be bottled in Australia, from one of Australia’s 64 regions (which must be shown on the label), and they must be from an Australian proprietary brand (ie they should not be private label or bulk).

Speaking on behalf of the campaign, Lisa McGovern, director of Wine Australia for UK, Ireland and Europe, said: “We are encouraging winemakers to tell their story and what led them to making wines in their chosen regions.

“We want to redefine perceptions around Australian wine and build greater awareness for our unique expressions of style and place,” she added.

The campaign kicks off with the launch of the website australiaplus.com, which is increasingly featuring stories and information of individual producers.

The second stage of the initiative will see “customers and consumer engagement with an aim to invite people to look at Australian wine with fresh eyes, to discover the stories that lie behind Australian wine,” according to the generic body.

What are your thoughts on the initiative? Let us know in the comment box below.

Jane Parkinson, 28.07.2010