Abstract:
The research explored how the four marketing!mix!elements!namely!product,!price,!promotion!and!
place,!can!be!used!to!position!premium!commodity!brands!in!such!a!way!that!it!stimulates!regional!
competitiveness!and!business!growth!for!producers!and!marketers!operating!globally.!!The!study!
specifically!focussed!on!fine!wine!as!a!premium!commodity.!!Factors!such!as!product!innovation,!
place!of!origin,!pricing!strategies,!promotional!activities!and!channel!management!and!distribution!
were!considered!as!part!of!an!integrated!marketing!strategy.!!
!
Eighteen! respondents,! including!wine! industry!experts,!wine!producers!and!wine!marketers! from!
four!New!World!wine! producing! countries,!South!Africa,!Australia,!New!Zealand! and! the!United!
States of America (USA) formed part of the qualitative study. The research and associated model
aimed to identify a link between brand positioning strategies (as related to the marketing mix),
brand knowledge and brand equity.
It was found that making fine wine accessible to its target market and having relationships with key
players in the industry are the most relevant factors in building strong New World fine wine brands
that can compete effectively in the global fine wine market. To illustrate these findings the
research project concluded with a conceptual framework based on the Dimensions of Brand
Knowledge(Keller,1993).
