Australian wine producer Jacob’s Creek has highlighted its association with tennis as a major factor in a 24% growth in sales by volume over the past twelve months and a 6% growth in market share in its home market.
The brand is associated with the Australian Open Championships and Wimbledon and in 2012 added Andre Agassi to the sponsorship mix.  He brought strong branding opportunities over recent weeks with a featured Q&A session at Wimbledon carried through the Daily Telegraph and other online networks.
Last month a group of twelve Australian Sports turned their back on alcohol sponsorship in return for ring fenced revenues from a new tax on certain alcoholic drinks.  Tennis was not among the twelve.
Jacobs Creek has played on a premium strategy and saw tennis as a good way of pushing that positioning to a wine drinking audience.  Wine producers have not been active in sport to date in Ireland but have been well represented in partnerships and broadcast sponsorship of cricket and tennis in Britain.  The numbers suggest the strategy is working for them.
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