• Nouveau Demographic
• Camels Redux
• Whiskey Behavior
• Innovation Ovations
• News ‘n Notes

New Affluents

According to a recent study from Dwell Strategy and Research, San Francisco, a new class of elite consumer has emerged over the past few years: the “new affluents.” With an average age of (surprise!) 45, these folks are making purchasing decisions based not on impressing others, but on a brand’s “aesthetics, innovation, integrity, originality, authenticity, design and performance.” They also have the economy and the environment top-of-mind when they buy. For marketers wanting to reach this group, interaction is key. According to the study, the new affluents expect to have a relationship with their favored brands, so texting, tweeting, and posting on social networks will become de rigueur for marketers who wish to win over this generation of nouveau riche. The study’s main takeaway for us is that we need to “cultivate relationships” and “create experiences.” Wise advice; we at Global Package are tweeting and texting, too  To view a summary of the study on Ad Age, click here: http://adage.com/cmostrategy/article?article_id=143147″

Hello Kitty Wines

Hello Kitty?

If you haven’t seen this already, check out Stephen Colbert’s hilarious riff on the new Hello Kitty brand line of wines where he congratulates Sanrio for “having the guts to put a kids cartoon character on alcohol,” telling kids to remember that “this awesome new product is not for you, so ignore the pretty pink color and the shiny gold heart on the bottle. . .and the fact that it’s small enough to put in your lunchbox.” For a LOL good time, click here: http://bit.ly/9ODYo7

According to the Hello Kitty Wines website, “Sanrio’s delightful kitten had much more potential than its designers imagined and has gone from a school product for teenagers to a global fashion brand for all ages.” Really? Wasn’t Joe the Camel the same sort of questionable sales gimmick? We all need to keep in mind that building a viable brand these days demands careful attention to not only sales opportunity, but ethics as well. Here’s the Hello Kitty Wines website link http://mwcimporterforhellokittywine.com/

Blended Scotch and Asian Whiskeys

We found this recent piece in the SF Chronicle interesting. It appears there’s a “rising tide” of Japanese and other Asian whiskeys coming on the market; and many of them are winning praise among aficionados and critics alike, such as India’s Amrut Fusion, which was ranked in the 2010 Whiskey Bible as the “third finest Whiskey in the World.” While Asian whiskeys are finding a enthusiastic consumers here in the US, American whiskeys are eyeing India and China for their future prosperity. According to a recent report released by The International Wine and Spirit Record (IWSR) and just-drinks.com, these two emerging economies hold great promise for many spirits categories, including blended Scotch whiskeys, because they both are “culturally open to alcohol,” are enjoying rapid economic development, and have a growing class of “newly affluent consumers.” There are barriers to entry, however, including inadequate distribution systems and import taxes. Read more here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/11/FDN11CMU7U.DTL and here: http://www.just-drinks.com/article.aspx?id=100435&lk=dm

Industry Inventors

Global Package at WSWA 2010

This year was the first year we exhibited at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Show in Las Vegas (see photo below). . .and what a show! It’s always so energizing to see the package design innovations happening in the spirits world. But wine packaging is not far behind. We were reminded of that fact after hearing news last month of the death at age 92 of South Australian grape grower Thomas Angove, the man credited with inventing bag-in-box wine. We’d earlier learned about the creative team at Crushpad, which joined Healdsburg-based startup TastingRoom Inc. to develop the unique flight-test mini-bottle concept. Then later in Wine Business Monthly we read about the introduction of the new ZORK Sparkling Wine closure, also from Australia. And there are the new Pewter labels that are being used on high-end oils, wines, and spirits (see the Grove 45 package on the right that was designed by Sausalito’s Through Smoke Design team).

Grove 45 Pewter Labels

Last, but certainly not least, at the the North Bay Business Journal Wine Conference last month we were impressed with Jean Charles Boisset’s presentation on package innovation. President of Boisset-America and Vice President of Boisset La Famille des Grands Vins, Boisset told the audience about his vision to “Respect nature by minimizing external factors on her” and “Add creativeness and value for the consumer.” His company is introducing wine in tetrapak and aluminum packaging. Of course, we at Global Package continue to “think outside the box” to bring you eco-friendly, distinct, and classic bottles, as well as custom decoration and unique label design. Kudos to our clever cohorts! Click here for Boisset’s lecture:

http://www.boissetfamilyestates.com/The%20Pursuit%20of%20DesignCompostmodernVIDEO.aspx

News ‘n Notes

Now in Stock: Global Package’s new bottle, the Bordeaux Venus Magnum, is not too tall, sports a strong taper, and is perfectly proportioned for bottling ease and to match your cool tapered 750ml bottles. Check it out in our Elegant Light lineup. . . On Politics: We’re encouraged by the Massachusetts’ 1st Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling last month in favor of Family Winemakers of California that says the state’s 30,000 gallon cap is unconstitutional, hopefully paving the way for small winemakers to both ship direct and take part in the three-tier system (http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataid=70604). Also controversial was the Napa supervisors’ vote to back WDO changes, “relaxing marketing rules, allowing business meetings on the agricultural preserve, doing away with appointment-only signs for tastings, and creating an independent special events permit, or SEP, for cultural events such as weddings.” Would love to hear your views on the topic; reply to this newsletter or go to our Global Package Facebook page. Here’s the Biz Journal piece: (http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/19015/napa-supervisors-back-some-changes-to-winery-ordinance/)