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Pernod Ricard UK pushes NZ via virtual reality tasting and label reboot

Published:  12 September, 2016

Pernod Rocard UK is hoping to accelerate growth in the New Zealand category with new packaging and a multisensory consumer experience for its flagship New Zealand brand.

With double-digit growth across the category, Pernod Ricard UK is focusing its energy on premium Marlborough winery Brancott Estate with a new experimental campaign.

The campaign puts the emphasis on origin - putting the brand's "Red Shed" icon on its labels and introducing new consumers to the brand via virtual reality visits to the winery.

Pernod Ricard UK is focusing its energy on New Zealand which is not only currently in growth but also has a higher average bottle price.

According to the brand, £7.20 is the average bottle price MAT for New Zealand on UK shelves, compared to the average of £5.40.

"New Zealand is a positive area of market for us with total volume growth for the category up 13.6% and 11.9% value to June 18," Toni Ingram, head of wine and champagne marketing at Pernod Ricard UK said.

"The category is demanding a premium."

The new design was debuted at The Big Feastival in The Cotswolds at the end of August where the company launched a True Virtual Reality (VR) multi-sensory experience tour.

The tour offered visitors to the festival to "visit" the Marlborough vineyard via a multisensory experience.

Ingram added: "Brancott is growing 12% by value and 16% volume in the grocery market. Consumers are engaging with the New Zealand landscape but rarely get to go. We are trying to bring innovation to the category with our virtual reality tour and tasting to events like Camp Bestival and The Big Feastival.

"We wanted to do something different to the white tabletop experience - with something that fitted with consumers and their environment."

Last week, Pernod Ricard global announced it would be making €400m worth of savings by introducing SKU reductions and "operational efficiencies".

Pernod Ricard UK confirmed these cuts would not affect the wine business in the UK.

The drinks giant said that the changes were in response to consumer desire to learn more about the brand's legacy and deliver stronger appeal at point of purchase.

Brancott made its name through becoming the site of the first Sauvignon Blanc plantings in Marlborough in the 1970s.

Brancott Estate is one of Pernod Ricard's strategic brands, along with Jacobs Creek in Australia, Campo Viejo in Spain, Graffigna in Argentina.

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