Rhône Valley charms China consumers

Inter-Rhône is “rolling out the red carpet” with colourful mass media campaigns in a bid to win over China’s younger generation of drinkers.

Eye-catching Jade appeals to China’s fashion and lap dog-obsessed generations

Speaking to the drinks business at the Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Fair, Loic Hemard, Inter-Rhône’s Asia brand ambassador based in Shanghai explained China, Japan and Hong Kong and South Korea are its main markets in Asia but China is a big area of focus for Inter-Rhône this year. Current export figures are in the region of six to seven million bottles per year.

“Even though our main markets are the UK and the US, we find China is a very dynamic area for us and very responsive to our wines and marketing,” he said. “The colour red is very lucky in Chinese culture which is our brand’s colour and always has been and we create extremely visually appealing marketing materials ”

Marketing to China’s media and tech savvy younger consumers as well as offering a Rhône Valley wine school has been two strategies adopted by Inter-Rhône since it was established in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2010 – at the height of China’s obsession with Bordeaux.

“We’re targeting the younger drinkers because we want to show them that Rhône Valley wines are easy to drink, accessible and offer extremely good value for money. You can pick up a nice bottle for under 100RMB which makes it a lot easier for younger drinkers to be introduced to wine.

“Our wine course has taken off across China in 13 second-tier cities. It’s basic with two levels but teaches the essentials and demystifies wine for an audience who do not have the easy access to wine culture that consumers do in Europe.”

Inter-Rhône also executes grand mass-media campaigns such as art-related marketing, fashion shows and theatre evenings with its eye-catching adverts – this year featuring a young woman called “Jade” in a red dress and a small dog to appeal to China’s fashion-and-lapdog obsessed culture.

“Every year we do something new and now we are everywhere! China as a region is bursting with happiness and positive energy and we match that with wines that offer diversity, approachability and value.”