Teamwork and selling NZ brand pay off for exporters
‘‘It’s exciting, we all like each other’s wines and we like each other.’’ Judy Finn, of Neudorf Vineyards
Judy Finn, of Neudorf Vineyards, might compete with vineyards such as Nautilus Estate and Craggy Range for New Zealand wine shoppers’ dollars.
But when it comes to spreading the word about this country’s wine overseas, she says there is strength in numbers.
Neudorf is part of Family of Twelve, a group of a dozen familyowned Kiwi wineries that works to educate key export markets on what is available in New Zealand.
‘‘There is a lot of travel involved when you are selling wine,’’ Finn said. ‘‘We thought there was too much time on the road and doubling up – why not share it?’’
She said members of the Family of Twelve, which has been operating since 2005, could go to an event in London, Paris, New York or Hong Kong and share all the wine from the group, not just their own.
‘‘It works very well. A big thing I felt was as New Zealanders we struggle, we’re not as brash as our competitors overseas and it’s easier for me to sell someone else’s wine than my own.’’
Each year the wineries get together to share their business and winemaking successes and failures so that they can learn from each other.
‘‘We operate on honesty and the ability to make a decision fast. It’s exciting, we all like each other’s wines and we like each other.’’
Kim Campbell, chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association, said exporters were discovering they could have greater leverage, with less effort required, if they banded together with companies they would traditionally compete with in New Zealand.
‘‘We are a small country, and if we want to make maximum impact overseas, we need to join forces.’’
Finn said it was important for businesses who were collaborating not to think solely in terms of what they would get out of the arrangement.
‘‘First you sell New Zealand, then you sell New Zealand wine and then you sell your own wine. You have to think ‘if it’s good for New Zealand, it’s good for me’.’’
The arrangement is also working for avocados. John Carroll, of Primor Produce, joined forces with Southern Produce in 2013 to form The New Zealand Avocado Company, which exports under the Avoco trademark.
Carroll said co-operation made the business more efficient and more credible to key customers because it could produce a larger volume and achieve economies of scale in areas such as regulatory costs, freight and insurance. There had been challenges integrating teams from different commercial backgrounds, but ‘‘four years in it’s frankly the best thing we ever did.’’
Stuff Business is the media partner of the Air New Zealand Cargo Exportnz Awards 2017.