News

Slowly, slowly, catch the US wine market monkey

by Greg Castle

There is often the misconception that one has to be all things to all markets. A Jack of all trades inevitably is a master of none, and this is decidedly so in the big world of wine marketing. South Africa, let alone individual wine producers and brands, in wanting to break into the large and lucrative American market, will have to focus on highly concentrated niche market identification and follow through with appropriate strategic intent and activation thereof.

For too long now, a few big brand names that most South Africans have never even heard of, have denigrated the "Wine Brand South Africa" by offering what is often perceived by most Americans as "cheap and nasty", if not simply perceived as nasty because it is so cheap. Despite great strides in reducing wine snobbery around the world over the years, the 'Snob Effect' is most certainly still very much in play for many wine shoppers seeking a perceived good or excellent wine. As a result, South African wines have to some degree been forced into a corner which we should not have allowed to happen. This unfortunate success by these bold and careless 'marketers' in the past decade has done South Africa's perceived quality name much damage. Of course there are the wonderful exceptions, though in most instances in insignificant volumes to really make any sort of mass impact. This has simply led to market perception confusion, or simply indifference.
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South Africa's Wine Industry Needs a Collaborative Strategic Marketing Approach to Succeed
- by Greg Castle
  
  ...there is little doubt that the South African Wine Industry Brand requires significant brand equity investment and strategic advancement. We are clearly being left behind the rest of the New World, and likely to be left further behind in the not too distant future with China and India developing vineyards at the rate of knots. As soon as their marketing kicks in, there'll be all hell to pay.
  
  The recent demise of the SA Wine Council and generalised impression of SA wines being cheap and nasty amongst many Brits and Europeans is a serious indictment on the industry as a whole. Forget the internal political reasoning for now; however we cannot afford to leave our highly disjointed wine industry to compete on the world stage against the likes of Australia, California, Chile and others unsupported. The South African wine industry needs a banner, and a proud one at that, under which to fly ones own well defined and perceivably differentiated terroir and product brands. [Full Story]
The CEO - the real chief marketing strategist
- by Greg Castle
  
  The marketplace is strewn with carcasses of once very successful companies and brands that failed to keep up with changing needs. Why? Because marketing tacticians were left to it, rather than the business as a whole, led by the CEO, says Greg Castle from marketing strategists, Torquil.
  
  A bee is attracted to a flower by its sweet scent and colourful petals. That's marketing. Were the flower to have been dull and unattractive the bee wouldn't have been drawn to it in the first place. However, if the flower was attractive but the pollen offering unsatisfactory, the chances of that bee coming back for a return 'purchase' would be very slim.
  
  Click here to read the full article on the Marketing web
ARA launches practical guide for parents to talk to teenagers about alcohol
- The Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use, also known as the ARA, launched a book on 27 May 2008, entitled Teenagers and Alcohol - a practical guide that will assist parents in initiating conversations with their children about alcohol related issues.
  
  Click here to read the full article on the SA wine site
Varying Shades of Green
- by Greg Castle
  
  A little food for thought perhaps from one married to an Aussie, living in South Africa. As much as I love Australia, and Australian's, and have visited the country every other year for the past 15 years; perhaps a little perspective could help some folk see that it's not that the grass is greener, just a different shade on the other side. I don't consider myself an ostrich with my head in the sand of patriotism; rather a reasonably well travelled individual who accepts that there's a lot to be rectified in South Africa, but a hell of a lot more that's bloody damn good too.
  
  Many folk, who believe that the grass is greener on the other side, either haven't spent much time on the other side, or have possibly been there on holiday during idyllic circumstances. As much as there are clearly problems in South Africa, these are largely centred around education and employment, both clearly legacies of Apartheid, as much as we may not like to admit it. 13 years of democracy is not nearly enough time to eradicate the negative impact that these two areas were subjected to for decades (some would argue centuries). Nevertheless, I am not one to accept excuses easily either, and there is some truth in the fact that Apartheid and the race card is used too quickly at times to cover up lack of progress on the part of some government officials and others with their backs against the wall. Now consider these:
  
  Click here to read the full article on the Homecoming revolution site
Torquil's link to the discovery of the Coelecanth
- Founder and Managing Partner, Greg Castle's great-grandfather, Nathan McLeod, (Direct descendent of Torquil McLeod), arrived in South Africa from the Isle of Lewis, Scotland in 1908 as a Royal Navy Captain. Years later whilst serving as Port Captain of East London harbour in 1938, he was called down to the quayside by one of his understudies, Hendrik Goosen (captain of the trawler Nerine), on returning to shore having caught a strange turquoise blue, fish-like creature with four legs. On inspecting the fish and immediately realising its importance, McLeod contacted family friend Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer (curator of the local museum). The fish turned out to be the famous coelacanth, and is still on display in the East London museum in South Africa.