Wine-drinking in Japan and Singapore: Key lessons for New Zealand
“Wine: Marker of Social Change” is a project investigating the role of wine as a significant marker of societal and market change in societies which are not traditionally wine-drinking. The research has focused on Japan and Singapore and conducted by Dr Tim Beal and Dr Michel Rod of the School of Marketing and International Business at Victoria University Wellington. It was funded by an Asia:NZ research grant.
Asia:NZ Online recently caught up with Dr Beal to discuss some of the broad themes and lessons for New Zealand that have emerged from this research. Dr Beal said that there were similarities with wine markets in the rest of the world. “Japan and Singapore are cluttered, highly competitive markets for wines, for alcohols, and beverages generally.”
He believes that the Japanese and Singaporean wine markets have much in common. However he stressed the need for Kiwi producers to “identify, and utilise, their distinctive characteristics”.
In this context, he advised a number of approaches in order to differentiate New Zealand wine. “New Zealand as a small, but high quality, producer needs to seek out niche markets, nourish distribution channels, leverage its positive country image (often overshadowed by larger countries), exploit synergies with tourism and exports of quality products from foods to educational services.”
Dr Beal noted that Singapore has become NZ’s largest wine market in Asia and will remain so until overtaken by China. “Singapore is a much more cosmopolitan and knowledgeable market than Japan, and New Zealand wine producers have found it easier to penetrate.”
In contrast he believed that, while Japan remained an important market, it had “somewhat slipped off the radar as a destination” for Kiwi producers. “New Zealand wine has a very small market share and low profile in Japan.”
“It is difficult to find outside specialist shops. The Japan wine market is led by young females and they are one of the keys to greater market penetration.”
Dr Beal noted that, while New Zealand wines are well respected in the trade and by sommeliers, they are relatively costly and “do not have the cachet of the French”. “The key to sustaining, and growing, the NZ presence in these markets is to focus on distribution channels to build personal relationships and to develop marketing programmes, in particular evoking stories which resonate with customers.”
“The appointment of ‘wine ambassadors’, especially for Japan, would display commitment and push the strategic growth of NZ wines,“ Dr Beal advised.
Photos courtesy of the researchers
Related links:
- A recent feature in our knowledge and research section explores in more detail some of the findings from Dr Beal's research in Japan.
- Another feature from our business section explains that, in order to "court Japan's wine market", a marketing story is required.
- Click here to view the project website, "Wine marker of social change"
- Click here to view the original report
