The "I Heart" wine brand has the potential to become a true global wine brand that could be sold in any country in the world, according to Robin Copestick of brand owner, Copestick Murray.
He told today's Wine Vision conference in London that he had did not think "anyone would have the opportunity in his lifetime" to create a global brand with the scope of the I Heart brand.
I Heart wine range
Since its launch in 2010 the brand is now in 18 countries, soon to be 21, and is sold across four continents. But he believes the best is still to come as the brand's "I Heart" concept allows it to move in numerous different directions be it through wine or by celebrating cities or events like it has with I Heart Brazil for this year's World Cup.
He believed the difference that I Heart has over other major wine brands is that allows consumers to express their "passion" they have for the brand, or the grape variety , like I Heart Pinot Grigio, rather than being a wine that is talking about itself.
"I heart wine is the consumer saying what it likes about the wine," he said.
Copestick told Wine Vision that the I Heart brand was devised at a difficult time in the company's history when it was faced with having to take greater control of its future after losing key business contracts.
The company tasked its staff to come up with new brand concepts and when then Copestick employee, Rachel Archer, passed a doodle with the I Heart Pinot Grigio written on it Robin Copestick likened it to a "light bulb" moment.
The brand was first launched in the US through its Cornerstone business and the success it got gave him and the business the confidence they needed to carry out consumer research and look to gain distribution in the UK.
Its initial success in the UK came through impulse section which he urged more in the wine trade to concentrate on. Multiple listings have followed in Tesco, Sainsbury's and Greene King and Copestick is now keen to widen UK distribution.
I Heart is now the second growing wine brand in the UK outside of multiple exclusives, it is the 15th biggest brand in the impulse market, and is fastest growing Pinot Grigio brand in the UK. All of which it has achieved without adopting a heavy price promotion strategy, stressed Copestick.
I Heart has worked hard to drive its profile with mainstream popular female consumer press rather than covet the traditional wine trade. It has concentrated on running lots of consumer competitions and promoting music and live events rather than look to be written about by the main wine critics.
But it is internationally which really excites Copestick as the I Heart concept relates to people who do not read or understand English, like in Asia and China.