Cockburn's looks to education to drive sales

Published: 23 July, 2008

Consumer education, not heavy discounting, is the key to increasing Port sales in the UK, according to the brand manager for Cockburn's Port.

The Port giant already has training schemes with Sainsbury's staff underway - focusing on the fortified wine market and food to improve consumer confidence with the style - and Asda has now also been brought into the fold, offering a Port education guide for customers, available in both the Port and cheese sections of the supermarket.

Cockburn's has also introduced its own on-pack communication (available from October 2005) explaining the different styles. According to Jo Smith, brand manager at Cockburn's, the company is also working closely with supermarkets on shelf set-up and the positioning of fortified wines and is launching brand new packaging across its range. Smith told Harpers that the new look is 'modern, easy to understand and designed to appeal to a younger audience without alienating the existing customer base'.

Smith also said that Cockburn's staff are very positive', following the brand's recent move from Allied Domecq to Fortune Brands/Jim Beam. Smith continued: It's a smaller company than Allied and it wants to grow along with its new brands. They're keen to drive their drinks brands forward through investment not cutbacks.'

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