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Opportunities

Right now, initiatives to uncork more affordable and/or hip wines seem to be very US, UK and Australia focused. Time to get the rest of the world guzzling more wine too? Hospitality marketers, pay attention! (And NO, we’re not promoting boozing and alcoholism, just more stylish alternatives to beer and breezers!) And for a quick action-reaction example, check out TRENDWATCHING.COM’s snobmoddities update, which shows that brewers of upscale beer may go after… mature wine drinkers!

Initiatives to uncork affordable and hip wines

First it was light beers, then came alco-pops, and now the Breezer crowd (and their slightly older alcohol peers, the 25-35 olds) is being enticed to start sipping… wine! How? Well, matching the price of other casual drinks seems to work. At least in the US. Example? ‘Two Buck Chuck’, a wildly popular, USD 1.99 wine, which is only available at Trader Joe’s supermarkets. In 2002, when it was introduced, 2 million cases were sold to wine guzzlers (source BW). Launching trendy wines, with equally cool marketing campaigns, is another option: in the UK, Pernod Ricard’s Jacob’s Creek is the exclusive advertiser for TV series Friends. Not to be outdone, Diageo‘s ‘Blossom Hill’ picked TV sitcom Will and Grace to appeal to a hipper crowd. The deal is reportedly worth in the region of GBP 850,000 and will run for twenty-four weeks. In 2002, Hardy Wines sponsored London’s Mardi Gras and Gay Pride parades. And Brown-Forman‘s Italian wine brand, Fontana Candida, placed hip lifestyle ads in Glamour Magazine. (Source: WSJ.)

Opportunities

Right now, initiatives to uncork more affordable and/or hip wines seem to be very US, UK and Australia focused. Time to get the rest of the world guzzling more wine too? Hospitality marketers, pay attention! (And NO, we’re not promoting boozing and alcoholism, just more stylish alternatives to beer and breezers!) And for a quick action-reaction example, check out TRENDWATCHING.COM’s snobmoddities update, which shows that brewers of upscale beer may go after… mature wine drinkers!