Diageo plots to uncork wine sales

Diageo has signaled its intent to ramp up the marketing activity for wine brands such as Blossom Hill and Chalone with the appointment of a category development manager to help lift the sales in the UK.

DiageoWines-Product-2013
Diageo is looking to develop shopper-insight led marketing initiatives for its wine brands such as Blossom Hill.

The drinks maker’s wine distributor Percy Fox & Co has hired former Greene King marketer Matt Bream to develop shopper-insight led marketing strategies for all its wine brands. The role will also span sales as well as data analysis and sees Beam report to the distributor’s head of customer marketing Jonathan Owen.

The business is looking to get closer to consumers to determine what they are looking for in the wine category as it looks to kick start static sales. Statistics from market analysts Nielsen show the category suffered with volumes for the year to 31 December 2012.

Owen says the business will directly with its “customers on a number of bespoke initiatives.”

He adds: “Volume growth within the wine category remains static with most value growth the result of price inflation. Our goal is to help add value back into the wine category, Matt will work closely on driving insights and value adding initiatives that rebuild the shopper connection to wine at the point of purchase as they see it; often emotive, highly social and engaging delivering on great taste, not cheapest price.

The business has spent the last 18 months re-assessing the market and has made several senior appointments to its customer sales and marketing teams during this time to drive category growth.

Diageo’s wine brands currently account for around 6 per cent of the company’s sales.

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