July 2010
EDITORIAL
Who's gonna do it?
It’s no longer a matter of whether it has to be done; it’s a matter of who’s going to do it and where the money will come from. This, with reference to the issue of generic wine promotion in South Africa.
The above was certainly the only conclusion one could reach from the panel discussion on this subject at the recent Wine Cellars South Africa AGM (actually much more of an industry seminar). This features in our VinPro Special Report and the message is that while South Africa’s wine exports have boomed over recent decades, the stagnant domestic market needs urgent attention.
It came to the fore that the old Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery had in the 70s implemented a Wine Plan to promote wine in general on the domestic front. And it was mooted that this successful initiative should be revived as an “SA Wine Industry Plan.”
At the same time, there was a warning from a panel member that the wine producers should not be so focused on competing with each other that they forget about the threat of other fast growing alcoholic beverages like ready-to-drink (RTD) products and whisky. Not to mention wine opposition from abroad – see our report on E&J Gallo entering the SA market.
It also emerged at this panel discussion that there had actually been a study on a possible “generic market development strategy for South Africa”, completed in 2004 – which was forgotten with the demise of the SAWB (later the Wine Council) – which had commissioned it.
WineLand still has a copy of the study – by Prof Stephanus Loubser of the University of Stellenbosch – which kind of beats about the bush about whether or not generic promotion was the way to go and asking more questions than giving answers, but providing valuable facts, insights and guidelines. The following is an extract from its Executive Summary:
... when your market appears to have reached maturity, when you have lost control to distributors who are not interested in building your brand equity, and your product is rapidly becoming a commodity, one needs to ask whether brand marketing is enough. We know that there is at least a huge potential in the black market, we know there is a lack of knowledge and therefore appreciation of wine, and we know we are largely focusing on traditional established market segments. Does this justify the need for a generic marketing strategy to develop the wine market for all stakeholders?
Among others, the study report recommended: “Promote and sell the idea of a domestic market development programme to key stakeholders and seek feedback, involvement and commitment ... Within the SAWB a steering committee should be appointed to oversee progress and to take responsibility for communicating with the wine industry.”
It would appear that we’re still at that point. And such a steering committee should solve the problem of where the money would be sourced for generic promotion. The big question is, however, who exactly is going to appoint this committee?
Cassie
Vang gees
Suid-Afrikaners is darem maar ’n kleurvolle, begeesterde klomp. Een dag voor een van die grootste toerisme gebeurtenisse op ons kontinent (Sokker Wêreldbeker) en dis vuvus, vlae en spieëlsokkies (om maar ’n paar te noem). Ja, die sokkergees is voelbaar in die lug – en dis lekker. Die boodskap is duidelik, sokker bring mense na mekaar. Maar wat van ons wyn?
As jy bietjie rondsnuffel in die wynland, ontdek jy onverwagte wynjuwele en sal jy vinnig agterkom dat die wyne jou vind, as dit nie andersom gebeur nie. Loop net in die Paarl se hoofstraat rond tot jy op 10 Chapters se drumpel land. Hier vind jy Suid-Afrika in ’n bottel, tien wynstreke in tien hoofstukke. Heerlik!
In die VK lyk dinge ook rooskleurig ondanks die resessie. By die onlangse London Wine Trade Fair het SA 33 handelmerke/kelders gehad wat wyne aan die res van die wêreld gewys het. Die terugvoer van beide die handel en uitstallers was positief, al was dit ’n “stiller jaar”.
Volgens Pieter Mulder, adjunk-minister van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye is ons produsente die beste in die wêreld, ’n nasionale bate wat gekoester moet word – aan die woord by die WKSA-samekoms. Goeie nuus in ’n bedrukte wynomgewing met heelwat uitdagings vorentoe.
Ons Kaapse Wynmeesters is ook aan die meer word. Die Wild Yeast Wyngilde blyk een of ander geheim te hê (lees meer oor die wynklub in ons volgende uitgawe) en spog met nie minder nie as vier wyngeesdriftiges wat die uitdaging aangepak – en oorwin het – oor ’n wye verskeidenheid redes, maar een baie belangrike rede: omdat wyn so lekker smaak.
Helaas is dit nie slegs sokker wat ons nasie besiel nie, maar wyn ook. WynLand is hierdie maand, soos gewoonlik propvol wyndinge wat jou sal bemoedig, troos, aanmoedig, prikkel, aansteek en gees laat vang.
Op almal wat wyn na die mense neem – en andersom!
Wanda
