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COPYRIGHT 2001 Hiaring Company
Strange though it seems, I have a sneaking suspicion that the spin doctors for port wine are courting the Animal Protection Institute. Or maybe the port houses have banded together to get a good deal on the API'S second-hand promotional literature. Whatever the story, the message is clear: just like puppies and kittens, port wine "isn't just for Christmas." Marketers are always keen to emphasize the importance of brand and image to sell a product. Lucky old port has never had a problem with either. It is still an up-market drink that reeks of tradition. The only problem is that its traditional image is also a very seasonal one. For many port drinkers, port IS just for Christmas.
Now it seems that the image port has sought to engender-warm slippers, roaring fires, genteel comfort--has led to a bit of a dead end in its traditionally most important export market, the United Kingdom. Sales to the U.K. have been falling slowly but consistently in recent years. The problem with port, says Paul Symington, joint managing director for the Symington group (which owns Dow, Graham, Smith Woodhouse, Vesuvia and Warre), is that "most Brits buy one bottle a year."
With its longest-standing market at a standstill, port is striving to rethink its image. After perfecting its suede elbow-patched, fuddy-duddy image for decades, it now wants to be young and hip. Metaphorically speaking, port wine is trying to swap its Andy Williams and Perry Como records for a CD of the musical-trend-of-the-month. Just like those politicians who hope to win votes by talking up empowerment of women and minority groups, port is waking up to the idea that not just middle-aged men with fat wallets drink port. The newest target markets are women and younger people.
One of the...
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