Wine Intelligence has announced the most powerful global wine brands of 2021, with three Australian brands in the top 15.
Australia’s Yellow Tail has once again topped the list in the fourth annual Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index, followed again by Chilean brand Casillero del Diablo. Australia rounds out the top three with Jacob’s Creek regaining its position in the list after falling last year. The final local brand in the top 15 is Lindeman’s, which came in at 11th.
Australia is the third most represented country on the list, behind Chile and the USA which are the home to four brands each. France and Spain claimed the remaining spots.
The Index looks at six areas of brand health, calculating rankings at a global and country level across 25 markets. For the first time this year, Argentina, Italy, New Zealand, Russia and Singapore joined the study.
Feedback from more than 25,000 wine consumers in markets representing over 400 million international wine drinkers goes into the study. This revealed widespread erosion of brand equity in the uncertainty of the pandemic, which may take some time to restore. This is alongside the wine trends of the last year, and how they will remain influential into the rest of this year.
For example, only six of the top 15 brands recorded positive Index results this year compare to last year. Jacob’s Creek was one of these six, showing strength through its growing brand awareness score.
“In a year characterised by disruption and lockdown, it has been a challenging year for wine brands. Whilst mainstream wine brands have benefited from a consumer shift towards tried and trusted brands, overall, wine brands have lost ground in terms of consumer connection, due to the fact that consumers were not browsing wine aisles as often, and have had other things on their minds in the past 12 months – justifiably so,” said Lulie Halstead, CEO of Wine Intelligence.
“As we emerge from lockdowns into – we hope – a more stable shopping environment, the key challenge for successful wine brand owners will be restoring the fundamental positive connections that have propelled their brands to such widespread success on the world stage in the first place.
“This will include: being relevant at more traditional wine occasions as well as the new ones of the Covid era; being available in the channels of distribution that are becoming more popular; and looking the part for a global audience that appears to be seeking reassurance and excitement in equal measure.”
Other notable movements in the 2021 Index include Chile’s Santa Carolina entering the top 10 for the first time; Spain’s Torres jumping five places since its debut last year; and another Spanish winery Campo Viejo entering the list for the first time this year at number 15.
You can find the full 2021 Global Wine Brand Power Index report on the Wine Intelligence website.