We often hear that the simplest way to market a wine is to stay consistent with the messaging. But even though many agree that rosé would benefit from more joined-up thinking, others insist that its true strength lies in the broad variety of styles the category now spans.
For advocates of the former approach, rosé would benefit from a clearer marketing battle cry. But for others, having a more unified positioning is not the be-all and end-all, especially when one pink wine can be very different from another.
Speaking to the drinks business, Minuty president Jean-Etienne Matton explains that “a unified marketing message for rosé could certainly strengthen the category”, but insists that “it is important to preserve the diversity that makes rosé so dynamic”.
Saint Aix global marketing director Victor Verhoef agrees. “A consistent marketing message is essential for every brand of wine, and rosé is no exception,” he says.
Looking more closely at this, Villa Sandi commercial director Flavio Geretto agrees that “a consistent marketing message” is an element that is “essential” for those who want to strengthen the identity of rosé wine as a category. He insists: “In an increasingly competitive and trend-driven market, a unified communication approach helps build brand recognition, enhance perceived quality and boost consumer engagement.” But is this the correct way to go? The jury is still out.
The key marketing messages, for instance those which amplify key topics that swirl “around quality, provenance and sustainability” also go some way towards helping consumers “navigate the category”, says Bijou brand and marketing manager Emily West. Noting how crowded the wine sector is, West suggests that any help that can be given to consumers to make good choices should be considered. But she adds: “Brands still need to show what makes them stand out.”
This is the crux. How can any wine stand out if all of them look and sound the same from bottle right through to how they are marketed? Or, more succinctly, the category is large and diverse. Can something so broad have a unified message?
Mirabeau co-founder Jeany Cronk says: “There cannot be one message that fits all, given the rosé category is not uniform.” Laurent-Perrier UK brand director Daniel Brennan agrees: “It is hard to have a unified approach when the category is so vast with so many different styles of wine and price points.”
There are, as we know, so many different ways of gaining that rosy pallor in the glass. As any expert will attest, one wine is not like another just because of its colour.
Wide spectrum
Orestes García-Miján, wine ambassador at Spain’s García Carrión, pinpoints it perfectly. “Rosé is not a monolithic category – it spans a wide spectrum of styles, colours and intentions, from the delicate, ethereal wines of Provence to the structured, age-worthy rosados of Spain and the expressive Chiarettos of Italy.” With this, he insists, the wine world needs to be mindful, because “a single rigid message would flatten this diversity”.
García-Miján ponders the fact that a “crucial point often overlooked is the misconception around colour and quality”. He explains: “In Spain, for example, traditional rosado involves longer skin contact to extract not only colour, but also fruit expression and texture.” This emphasises his point about what we see and what we get.
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