By Andrew Starke
Members of the liquor industry, specifically those in the wine trade, are lukewarm on the new name for Foster’s wine business.
While few of Foster’s competitors or customers were prepared to go ‘on-the-record’ about the switch to Treasury Wine Estates, some criticized it as lacking inventiveness.
One wine industry commentator told TheShout that he expected more given the amount of time the company had had to make the call.
“Treasury to me is impregnable, something money sits in and doesn't come out of, it’s dense and political and lacks the distinction of the many distinguished and heritage brands of the portfolio,” he said.
Others had issues with the tagline on the newly launched Treasury Wine Estates website: ‘One foot in the vineyard, one foot in the boardroom’, commenting that it reminded them of the expression ‘one foot in the grave’.
“The whole push for integrity seems to me undermined by the notion of boardroom – a move away from the heritage of brands, ancient vineyard sites and ‘old earth’ – no wine is romantic in a boardroom,” was one view expressed.
However, one high-profile pub operator said he thought the new branding was very good, providing both a strong name and promoting a clear vision for what it represents.
“It embodies a sense of high quality, of longevity, and that of a premium nature,” he said. “To me it's a name which easily identifies the strategic positioning the company wants to prosecute, and firmly discontinues any speculation or uncertainty which may have previously existed.”
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