The world’s best selling German wine brand, Black Tower is reinforcing its international status with the most dynamic pack design change in its history in tandem with the launch of its new single varietal Special Release premium edition, which joins its award-winning Classic range.
One of the great, global brand icons, Black Tower’s dramatic new design is the culmination of the brand’s most extensive consumer research campaign ever, conducted in the UK, the US and China during a two year period.
Every aspect of the brand and its packaging was examined through qualitative and quantitative research groups staged across three continents. Current attitudes and perceptions of Black Tower amongst the brand’s loyalists and new drinkers, men and women aged 25-35+ years were explored in successive rounds of research. Black Tower’s drinkability emerged as a very strong, overall trigger – for Black Tower drinkers and also for those who claimed the greatest interest in wine.
Different designs and brand triggers were then created and consumers’ responses to Black Tower re-examined against the competitor landscape. The challenge was to redesign the brand so that it retained the iconic bottle shape, dramatised its dark mystery but encompassed the design ethos of today to reawaken an iconic brand.
The result was extraordinary: a totally, unanimous decision by every group across all three continents. Their design choice for Black Tower’s Classic range creates a new concept label, a new brand logo, smooth glass and long screw cap to reflect the brand’s quality and personality, as well as to provide a highly desirable and engaging modern look and feel.
A truly unique, new 50/50 black / clear glass design was chosen for the iconic Black Tower Rivaner, an exemplary marriage of bottle and brand working together to create a pack that reveals the wine itself and makes Black Tower stand out from the crowd with incomparable on shelf added impact at the point of sale. “I love its half and half, it would be nice to take to somebody’s house because it looks different,“ was a typical verbatim response from target consumers. Current and non-drinkers of Black Tower were motivated to buy it and thought the wine quality was higher than in the previous all black bottle. They also thought the wine would taste fresh, clean and crisp. Female and male non-buyers of Black Tower Rivaner showed a 55% increase in desire/intent to purchase for the new 50/50 design.
Non Black Tower female drinkers described the new logo and pack design as attractive, distinctive, glamorous, individual, sexy, fashionable and inviting. Current Black Tower drinkers felt confident about the new pack and said that it will enable them to promote the brand to their friends, proving that the new design retains existing drinkers and makes them become advocates of Black Tower to others. This emphasises Black Tower’s status as a cult brand.
Clear glass was chosen for Black Tower’s Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Dornfelder Pinot Noir wines. The new clear pack was seen as a step change in itself. The change to a non dimpled bottle and a screw top across the range was regarded as more contemporary and the new design felt younger and more modern and gave non-drinkers “a new image of Black Tower.”
NEW SPECIAL RELEASE
PREMIUM EDITION FORGES BLACK TOWER AS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL BRAND
Coinciding with the new pack design launch is the introduction of Black Tower’s new higher quality level ‘Special Release.’ This line extension from the Black Tower Classic range is set to further enhance the brand’s overall image and sophistication and includes a single varietal Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with other varietals planned. Consumers were very enthusiastic about the new Special Release which they perceived as: “classy and more expensive looking,” and said that it “makes Black Tower even more impressive.”
Produced by Reh Kendermann GmbH, one of Germany’s most innovative wineries and the leading exporter of German wines worldwide, Nik Schritz, Managing Director, said: “The word unique is often over-used and inaccurate, but Black Tower’s new pack design is exceptional. It combines the iconic black bottle with the ultimate, stand out dramatic bottle design. Black Tower is now a multi-dimensional brand with its Classic range and new Special Release premium edition. This truly iconic, distinctive and popular wine brand is set to capture new consumers internationally and achieve even greater sales success.”
Black Tower premium edition ‘Special Release’ 75cl has a suggested retail selling price of GBP7.99.
Despite the recession, Black Tower’s track record of success has continued in the UK. Nielsen research MAT 26/12/09 versus 27/12/08 shows that Black Tower has further strengthened its No. 1 position by growing its value of sales by +4%. Black Tower is now more than four times bigger than its nearest German wine competitor.
Total UK off trade Black Tower Rosé sales show that Black Tower Rosé has risen to the 10th biggest selling rosé, and has grown by a massive 28% in volume and value during the calendar year versus the total off trade rosé market, which has fallen back from its previous high levels to growth of only 11%.
Black Tower Pinot Grigio has also performed well, and is now the UK off trade’s No. 1 best selling non-Italian Pinot Grigio.
UK Trade enquiries:
Reh Kendermann (UK) Ltd
Tel: 01295 261144
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