Using the aforementioned data, it is easy to conclude that the Chateau de Margaux brand is performing very well, yet there is always a question if a company can be doing even better than they already are. In 1997, the Mentzelopoulos family and Margaux brand had to ask themselves this question- should they extend into the mass market or maintain their exclusivity? In order to draw a conclusion one must investigate alternative ways of expanding, marketing and distributing their brand- which is exactly what we will consider when examining the Château de Margaux business model.
New Idea for an Old Brand:
As a way to freshen up the traditional brand and to gain more exposure, the granddaughter of the Margaux family wanted to begin mass marketing a new wine brand. The idea would be to use different grapes in order to be more accessible to the younger generation. The target price range would be €20-€25 per bottle (Dessain, 2011).
There are a large number of young wine drinkers who cannot afford the high prices of the current Gran Vin brand and are therefore not being attracted to the Château de Margaux vineyards. If these consumers were introduced to an affordable brand of wine from the Margaux estate, then they may be more likely to recognize and trust the brand. That way, when they are looking for a more expensive wine, they will first go to their label of Grand Vin from the Château de Margaux collection.
Some of the issues with this suggestion are: maintaining the exclusivity of the original brand, ensuring that consumers still feel motivated to pay the higher price point, and they will also now need a distributor, marketing team, and an ability to focus on more than one brand of wine. In this particular case, the Margaux business has a close-tie who is very familiar with the distributorship and marketing of wine, and therefore this is a solution to one of