Top failed drinks brands: part two
17th February, 2015
by
Neal Baker
Sebeka
More a victim of its timing than anything else, this South African wine brand met a rough fate when its owners E&J Gallo – who developed it in partnership with Swartland Winery – seemingly saw little market potential for SA wine in the US.
Having spent $10 million on marketing activity to get its sales up to a not inconsiderable 300,000 cases after its 2007 launch, E&J couldn’t predict the imminent boom in Swartland wines when they decided to give the fledgling brand the axe soon after.
This is a shame seeing as it was well-received with its distinctly South African style and unique branding. Possibly its demise was the outcome of marketers being too cautious rather than suffering from their usual overoptimism? When in doubt, blame the marketers…