Wines of South Africa has just introduced its dynamic new global brand identity “There’s Sunshine Inside”

More than a slogan, this new positioning seeks to capture the essence of South African wine – radiant, resilient, and deeply rooted in cultural authenticity.

The campaign emphasizes the distinctive qualities that define South Africa as a wine-producing nation. Under the generous African sun and across an extraordinary mosaic of terroirs, producers are crafting wines that balance vivid fruit expression with remarkable freshness and structure. Beyond stylistic excellence, the brand encapsulates an industry renowned for its innovation, sustainability initiatives, and commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

The new visual identity is bold and contemporary, featuring an updated logo and vibrant design elements that echo the energy and optimism of the country’s wines. These will be integrated across international markets beginning in 2026, supported by trade activations, digital engagement, and consumer-facing campaigns.

By unveiling “There’s Sunshine Inside” at CapeWine, the country’s flagship trade showcase, WoSA underscores its ambition to reinforce South Africa’s reputation as a distinctive, world-class wine origin. As WoSA’s new brand video illustrates, each glass of South African wine carries not only the brightness of its climate but also the spirit of its people: generous, dynamic, and forward-looking.

Uncorking Profit: How Reimagining Wine Education Can Boost the Industry

At Wine Paris 2025, Areni Global unveiled its whitepaper Rethinking Wine Education, the result of an 18-month research initiative led by CEO Pauline Vicard. The project addressed a pressing concern in the wine industry: the persistent gap between current educational offerings and the evolving needs of the global wine trade.

Findings: A Misalignment of Passion and Proficiency

The research encompassed roundtables, workshops, and interviews with key stakeholders across the USA, Netherlands, and China, including recruiters and educators. The consensus was clear—while the industry attracts passionate and creative individuals, many lack essential business competencies.

Notably, institutions like the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) reported a 15% rise in Diploma candidates in 2024, demonstrating strong demand for wine-specific education. However, trade leaders consistently highlighted critical deficiencies in broader professional skills—particularly in sales, finance, and strategic planning.

The Ten Core Skill Gaps Identified by Areni Global

  1. Financial literacy and commercial awareness
  2. Project and operations management
  3. Sales strategy and execution
  4. Market and consumer insights
  5. Digital content creation
  6. Data literacy and analysis
  7. Professional resilience and adaptability
  8. Negotiation and conflict resolution
  9. Strategic foresight and entrepreneurial initiative
  10. Communication: editing and writing

This deficit extends beyond technical knowledge. Respondents cited challenges with communication styles, noting that some professionals are unwilling to promote wines they dislike or speak condescendingly to customers.

Conclusion: Towards a Holistic Wine Education Model

The whitepaper argues for a recalibration of wine education—integrating commercial and interpersonal competencies alongside traditional wine studies. Such a shift is essential to develop well-rounded professionals capable of sustaining and scaling profitable wine businesses in a competitive global market.

Source: Areni Global

Unlocking the Digital Future: Liz Palmer’s Insights at the 8th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism

Liz Palmer Presents at the 8th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism: Strategies for Crafting and Preserving a Strong Digital Brand for the Wine Tourism Industry

The 8th UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism, held in Yerevan, Armenia, from September 11 to 13, 2024, hosted by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, stands as a landmark event in the wine tourism industry. The conference theme, “Heritage in Every Bottle: Crafting Authentic Wine Tourism Experiences,” highlights the essential balance between modernizing wine tourism and preserving cultural heritage.

The conference provided an unparalleled platform for experts in the burgeoning field of wine tourism to collaborate on finding tangible solutions to make tourism a driver for a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for communities. Attendees included renowned producers, tourism professionals, government officials, and representatives from international organizations.

I was thrilled to be asked to be a keynote speaker on Digital Branding in Wine Tourism. My presentation, titled “Strategies for Crafting and Preserving a Strong Digital Brand for the Wine Tourism Industry,” covered several key topics:

  1. What is Digital Branding?
  2. Evolution of Digital Branding
  3. Key Trends (2020-2024)
  4. How Digital Branding Drives Success in Wine Tourism
  5. Current Trends in Digital Branding for Wine Tourism
  6. 10 Key Elements for Structuring an Effective Digital Brand Strategy

I’m also delighted to share my presentation from the 8th UN Tourism Global Conference on Wine Tourism in Armenia, 2024

Here it is on Slideshare + available to download: https://tinyurl.com/4peyfrye

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – Guanajuato, Mexico – Key Highlights

I was trilled to participate in the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Guanajuato, Mexico, just two months ago!

Some key points:
The wines were blind-tasted by wine trade, including buyers, journalists, wine merchants, and oenologists, who were selected by the CMB, representing 45 nationalities.
We tasted over 7,500 red and white wines from 42 countries.

🥇🥈 Full results can be found here: concoursmondial.com

Judging for the Canadian Marketing Awards 2023 “Engagement Discipline”

I’m very proud and thrilled to have been selected by the Canadian Marketing Association this year to participate as a judge for the “CMA Awards 2023 “in the Engagement Discipline!

I’ve finished evaluating and assessing campaigns from across the Country, and found some creative, bold, and outstanding examples of “Engagement!”

What is Engagement?

Engagement is about the dialogue between brands and people – B2B, B2C, partners, or employees. To manage long-term relationships (quarterly or annually) or lifetime value-driven (as opposed to one-off tactics), the dialogue can use personalization, experiential techniques, content driven, or target a community.

Social media is used to spark continued exposure (earned media, impressions, and interactions) with:

  • current news items
  • public interest topics
  • influencer marketing
  • product promotions or organizational updates

I wish everyone Good Luck !

Liz Palmer