Kumala is the best selling South African wine brand in the UK and the company says the investment shows Accolade’s commitment to its South African portfolio, despite the difficult vintages the region has had due to ongoing drought issues.
Accolade says the brand has undertaken an extensive piece of positioning research to discover what South Africa and Kumala mean to consumers.
There has been little investment in the South African wine category so Accoldae says this marks a significant move for Kumala and is the biggest investment into the brand for more than 10 years.
Activation will take place between September and November across digital, on pack, in-store and outdoor advertising. The first stage of the activation focuses on bringing the South African spirit to tasting notes in a visual campaign brought to life by South African artist: Maaike Bakker.
With an estimated reach of 9.5m, the outdoor advertising will feature across key cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh, as well as social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.
In partnership with UK multiple retailer, Tesco, the in-store activity will include a ’Keep it Kolourful’ roadshow featuring JCD screens, sampling, themed food pairings and recipe cards. Kumala will also be helping to ‘Keep shopping Kolourful’, said to be “energising shopping trips by encouraging Tesco shoppers to have a little fun while doing their daily shop”.
Kumala brand manager Christopher Buckwell said: “The ‘Keep it Kolourful’ campaign is centred on the brand’s core positioning statement of ‘pouring positivity’ and aims to highlight the vibrancy and energy of South Africa. We hope the Kumala campaign will bring some distinctive South African spirit to the UK market as the category’s leading player.”
In the UK, the South African wine category is steadily declining at -3.6%* year-on-year. Despite the category decline, Kumala is performing strongly in the market, growing at 8.5% value year-on-year. Accolade says this has largely been driven by the phenomenal growth of Kumala Reserve which has seen a 61.9%* growth year-on-year, offering consumers a trade up option at £8 and championing specific regions in the Western Cape.
Accolade Wines General Manager UK and Ireland, Ade McKeon, said: “We’re committed to driving the market for the UK’s number one South African wine brand, championing the great heritage of South African winemaking and bringing it to the attention of loyal and new consumers.”
(*Nielsen Scantrack data to 14.07.18 value)
