Wine Institute‘s California Wine Export Program will invest $10 million in the next two years in a new global brand campaign and business strategy, showcasing California wine as a leader in sustainable winegrowing, innovation, and winemaking advancements while promoting the commitment of generations of family farmers and winemakers to producing high-quality wines.
The global campaign is part of a 10-year strategy to boost export sales of California wines across international markets. The first phase aims to grow awareness and appreciation for California wines through digital advertising and consumer-focused promotions to meet wine drinkers where they are most active in discovering and purchasing wine.
The new business strategy will reach both established and emerging wine drinkers in leading international markets including Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The campaign will also reach expansion markets for California wines with programs planned in Australia, France, Israel, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine and other Eastern European markets.
“The crises of 2020, felt both locally and globally, have underscored the importance of our enduring relationships with supporters of California wine around the world,” says California Wine Institute‘s vp-international marketing Honore Comfort. “We have an opportunity to forge a new path, to share California’s unique attributes, so that we continue to grow and evolve in the minds and glasses of our global audience and build a more robust sales channel for our wineries.”
Last year, Wine Institute launched the 2030 Plan – a 10-year strategy to increase U.S. wine exports, 95% from California, to over $2.5 billion. The three-pronged strategy aims to build sales momentum in current export markets, expand export activity into new markets, and introduce more California wines and wineries to international sales overall. While changes to international trade policy have made sales more challenging in some markets, wine drinkers around the world are eager to expand their choices and discover new wines.