27 August 2021

Second Great BIG Wine Survey set to deliver great BIG insights into wine consumer behaviour

Submitted by: Vanessa Naude
Second Great BIG Wine Survey set to deliver great BIG insights into wine consumer behaviour

Now, more than ever, the SA wine industry desperately needs meaningful insights to ensure production, packaging and marketing efforts are in line with consumer needs. The inaugural 2020 Great BIG Wine Survey - embraced by wine producers and celebrated by industry stakeholders - established a strong foundation and paved a pathway forward for future growth. The most in-depth consumer wine survey ever undertaken in South Africa will be conducted for the second time this year with Hollard Presenting Partner.

Says Andrew Douglas, founder of the Great BIG Wine Survey: “We have taken learnings from the inaugural GBWS along with input from key wine industry stakeholders to once again compile a survey targeting the South African wine-drinking public. The resultant insights and access to free research will equip South African wine producers to make more informed decisions amidst these uncertain and challenging times.”

2021 Great BIG Wine Survey Partners

Following the successes of the 2020 GBWS Hollard has extended its GBWS commitment for a further three years.  Says Hollard National Business Development Manager, Andries Wiese: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with such a proactive project which aligns to our overarching company purpose of ‘securing a better future for all’, particularly for an industry which has been so deeply affected by the devastating effects of this global pandemic.”

Through the engagement with strategic research partners, it became possible to fully interrogate the 2020 GBWS dataset and provide far more focused and in-depth analysis along with much needed practical recommendations.

Leading independent consumer insights agency, KLA, has again partnered with the Great BIG Wine Survey and will be responsible for coordinating the finalisation and uploading of the 2021 GBWS as well as providing valuable insight and interpretation of results.

Global Wine Industry expert and founding Principal of Wine Business Solutions (WBS), Peter McAtamney, will return to play a major role in interpretation of the 2021 GBWS findings providing highly useful comparisons to international markets.

Feedback from Producers

Looking back on the success of the inaugural Great BIG Wine Survey which started as a “bootstrapped lockdown project” in 2020 to assist wine producers in tumultuous times, Douglas shares: “The 400-plus report downloads of last year’s survey results are a strong indicator of how useful that data was for industry. We hosted a webinar where we offered a deeper dive into results that was incredibly well-received. Our intention is that the Great BIG Wine Survey will evolve further to the ultimate benefit of the South African Wine Producer.”

During the webinar Caitlin Bauristhene from KLA took a deep dive on three key consumer insights whilst Peter McAtamney provided a global perspective alongside some of the 2020 GBWS findings.The feedback from industry most certainly has inspired the continuation of the Great BIG Wine Survey through until 2024.

Ross Sleet, Managing Director of Rascallion Wines shared his appreciation: “For our business the most interesting data was around how consumers are responding to different marketing cues in relation to how they make purchasing decisions. So, for example, how packaging changes overtime can guide their purchase. Because of the nature of our brand, the packaging element is of extreme importance, something we will be paying a lot more attention to. Obviously, price plays a very big and very important role too, so we need to pay attention to what sort of spend and consumer group our consumer sits in. So overall, we will be looking at how we can derive better benefit from making sure that our striking packaging can be better brought to life and appeal across all income groups.”

Similarly National Sales Manager at Bonnievale, Patrick Lovell, shared what they found beneficial from the data sets: “It's interesting to note consumer motivators for wine consumption, such as reward, ‘me’ time and escapism – these all remain key to consumption. It's also encouraging that people did not feel that wine was only for ‘special’ people or special occasions but is gaining traction as everyday drink for all people. Content and engagement with consumers is key and in this area it is clear that social media and anything digital is here to stay in terms of marketing channels. However, the playing field has changed, and this served as a reminder not to forget the high-income consumer. An important focus must be on the younger family market, especially at cellar door by offering an experience for the entire family.”

Marinda Kruger-Classen, Vintner at Elgin Vintners offered the following feedback: “This survey gives you amazing insight into the South African wine market. As a business you can use these insights in your marketing and sales strategy to benefit your business. Congratulations on undertaking this survey which will have a positive impact on the wine industry for years to come!”.

The involvement of key industry stakeholders has been integral to the integrity, legitimacy and direction of the GBWS.  VINPRO’s Manager: Wine Business, Christo Conradie says “Wine producers and brands are in the midst of tough times, and any form of relevant intelligence, concerning the marketplace and consumer needs/preferences, is going to be very helpful, as we need to be market-driven in all our endeavours – ranging from cultivar selection at production level, style, packaging to price points. In this regard the year-on-year trend following from the 2020 GBWS vs 2021 will be incredibly useful across the wine value chain, and we eagerly await in anticipation of these findings.”

To find out more about the Great BIG Wine Survey please click here.

Strategic Public Relations

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