Central Otago wine chosen for digital marketplace project
The Central Otago wine industry has been selected as one of three business groups to participate in the Digital Cluster Initiative pilot programme led by BNZ and Zeald.
Starting with the two-and-a-half-year pilot, the Digital Cluster Initiative is partnering with three business groups to build them into digitally-advanced “clusters” to show what’s possible when state-of-the-art ecommerce and digital collaboration tools are put at the heart of Kiwi business communities. The initiative draws upon the commercial expertise of BNZ and digital marketing and technical capability of Zeald.
Central Otago Winegrowers Association (COWA) says that the Digital Cluster Initiative will build a bespoke digital marketplace to sell Central Otago wines domestically and internationally. It aims to provide a new sales channel that can integrate with wineries’ existing sales infrastructure, while helping to open up untapped markets and unlock the potential of digital technology.
Jake Tipler - Central Otago Winegrowers General Manager
“After a rocky couple of years due to Covid, the Digital Cluster Initiative brings some much needed good news to our wine region,” says Central Otago Winegrowers General Manager, Jake Tipler.
“The marketplace has excellent potential to boost direct-to-consumer sales nationally and internationally, which can help grow brand recognition and profit margins and ensure the long viability of our wineries.”
COWA says its members have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity, with over 40 Central Otago wineries expressing interest in the pilot already.
Catherine Douglas, Sales and Marketing Manager for Carrick Winery says, “As a smaller, boutique wine brand, we are excited about the access to strong digital expertise and the opportunity to scale through collaboration. This initiative will allow us to achieve what we may not have been able to achieve on our own.”
The next stage of the project will see Zeald working with Central Otago Winegrowers to produce a marketing and branding plan for the marketplace, while onboarding each of the wineries and loading up their products. The Marketplace is scheduled to launch in September.