#BrandManagerMonth: for the love of wine brands

Melissa Diedericks

What does brand management mean to you?

Melissa Diedericks: To me, brand management is about building and sustaining consumer-relevance for branded goods or services - essentially the application of marketing techniques to maintain growth in sales of a specific product, product line or brand.

Tell us about a day in your work life.

Diedericks: I can happily say that no two days are ever the same. Together with Earthbound Wines I look after a portfolio of wine brands for Distell, each of which is quite different. Different and specific focuses are needed to drive each brand.

My days are very interactive, which I really enjoy. Generally, a day would be made up of various agency meetings and discussions with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring all plans and projects are on track and deliverables confirmed. My days can be long, but seeing a successful outcome in positioning a brand and reaping the rewards in sales growth, brings me huge job satisfaction and a real sense of accomplishment.

What’s on your wish list for brand objectives for 2016?

Diedericks: Remaining consumer relevant, top of mind and standing out from the crowd in a proliferated wine category will always be at the top of the list of focus areas for me.

Is your brand using content as part of your marketing strategy?

Diedericks: Yes, definitely. I believe that content is extremely important and helps you to differentiate yourself from other brands. We place a large emphasis on digital and PR content – the opportunities for content building are endless. However, I do believe that brands shouldn’t put content out there just for the sake of it. It needs to be relevant to their target audience.

What do you see currently as the main challenges and/or opportunities for your brand sector?

Diedericks: The key challenge in our industry at the moment from a marketing perspective is the proliferation of the category. There are so many wine brands to choose from, which makes it hard to compete for share of mind, share of throat and share of space (on retail shelves). But this does make our jobs more interesting and challenging!

What do you love most about your brand?

Diedericks: Earthbound, as certified organic and Fairtrade, is indeed a special brand that promotes equality and sustainability in the farming sector. Today, more and more, consumers are demanding Fairtrade and organic accreditation when making purchasing decisions. Earthbound wines have received a number of top national and international awards and ongoing recognition and respect within the industry. With affordable, premium quality wine that ticks all the boxes and can be consumed with confidence, what’s not to like about this brand!

What do you love most about the South African consumer?

Diedericks: I absolutely love the diversity of the South African consumer. They are savvy, adventurous, demanding of quality and loyal to brands that show respect for everyone involved - from creation to consumption.

What are your own personal favourite brands?

Diedericks: Apart from the brands that I work on (which I absolutely love), my favourite brand is Le Creuset. Their products are amazing, but what really grabs me is their attention to detail and level of customer service. They always keep things relevant for me as the consumer from a product and content perspective, which is great.

What brand marketing campaign have you noticed and been impressed by recently or ever?

Diedericks: I really enjoyed the Takealot and Kalahari merger campaign – I thought it was clever and funny – and it definitely grabbed my attention.

What inspires you, personally?

Diedericks: Positive people with great stories wanting to make a positive difference in our world – that is definitely what inspires me the most.