Distell names wine marketing team
Wednesday, 10 April, 2002
Distell News Service
Tailoring marketing initiatives to suit each market
Instead of running parallel strategies for domestic and export sales, Distell is now tailoring its marketing initiatives to suit each market in which it operates, says Kim Green, who as the company’s global marketing manager: wines, leads the wine marketing team.
This has meant a refocusing of the wine marketing operation and the creation of a single marketing team, expanded from a staff of twenty to thirty with six newcomers to the industry, bringing fresh insights and approaches. They include people from the legal, clothing, food and advertising fraternities.
The restructured team will work at serving Distell’s most important markets, identified as offering strong growth potential for large- volume, as well as luxury labels, says Green. They are South Africa, the UK, Germany and the US, followed by a several mostly EU countries and Canada.
One of the newcomers to the marketing department is Peter Hafner, who holds a BCom LLb and has prior experience in commercial law and property finance. He has been appointed group brand manager for global volume wines, reporting directly to Green.
Hafner joined Distell last June to develop distance channel marketing strategies for the company, improving access to retail chains, as well as wine clubs throughout the world. He has been closely involved with Green in the refocusing of the wine business. His portfolio includes brands targeted at the middle-markets, such as Two Oceans and Drostdy-Hof, as well as Nederburg, Durbanville Hills and Fleur du Cap, KWV fortified wines and Nederburg brandy. He leads a team of brand managers representing these labels. They are Jeff Gradwell (Nederburg international markets), Claudia Colussi and her assistant Brigit Bergh (Nederburg wines and brandy and KWV fortified wines), Chris Edge (Two Oceans and Durbanville Hills local markets) and Jackie Thirion (Drostdy-Hof and Fleur du Cap, international and local markets).
Naas Erasmus, who has a BCom, is also a group brand manager, servicing the multiple chains with buyers’ own brands, a vital arm of the business, as well as a selection of brands sold on international markets but not in South Africa. These include African Sky, Libertas, Blouberg, a new brand in development stage and others. He has extensive international exposure and was formerly based in Germany, where he was responsible for developing export wines and spirits brands, playing a pivotal role in the development of Amarula Cream, one of South Africa’s most successful liquor products.
Carina Gous, who is currently studying for her MBA, specializing in international wine marketing, trained as an industrial chemist and was previously a member of Somchem’s international marketing team before joining SFW in 1998. She has been appointed group brand manager of Distell’s boutique portfolio of fourteen luxury labels, including Plaisir de Merle, Stellenzicht, Lanzerac, Fort Simon and Tukulu. She is being assisted by Carlen Groenewald, who comes from the advertising industry but who trained as a lawyer, and De Bruyn Steenkamp, who practiced law before joining Distell in 2000.
Rudi du Toit, who trained in winemaking and marketing and who has thirteen years’ experience in wine marketing, is the group brand manager for a portfolio of some thirty products. These include all Distell’s sparkling wine ranges, such as JC le Roux, Pongracz and Grand Mousseux; the Vinoteque collection of vintage wines; South African perennials such as Graca, Chateau Libertas, Zonnebloem, Tassenberg and Grunberger, as well as populist products like Kellerprinz, Autumn Harvest, and also a range of sherries.
Du Toit oversees the marketing of these products in South Africa and neighbouring countries, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. His team members include Siobahn Thompson (mainly sparkling wines) and her assistant Lynette Harris, Billy Martin (Chateau Libertas, Graca, Tassenberg and others), Sindiswa Mbude (Grunberger, Monis, Autumn Harvest and others) and Colin Bridger, who is manager of the Vinoteque collection.
Jean van Niekerk, as marketing co-ordination manager is responsible for liaison with foreign markets, working principally with the agents.
Clive Torr CWM, is Distell’s wine public relations manager, developing new business, liaising with and educating consumers and Distell’s customers both on and off-consumption.
Erasmus, Gous, du Toit, Van Niekerk and Torr also report directly to Green.
A brand manager responsible for international marketing of Two Oceans and Durbanville Hills is still to be appointed.
Released by Distell News Service