Vincor: Project Twist Report

Feb 13, 2014 Karen Stanley, Olivia Pratile, Alexandra Carlow, Caitlin Tizzard, Lorena Reyes

Table of Contents
Company History Case Background Key Issues and Decisions Market Characteristics Competitive Landscape Analyses SWOT Analysis PEST Analysis Porter’s Five Forces Challenges Case Synopsis Alternative Recommendations Final Recommendation Epilogue

Company History
Vincor’s history can be traced back to 1874 with the establishment of the Niagara Falls Wine Company, founded by Thomas Bright and Francis Shirriff. Over the years, a number of Ontariobased wineries were established, eventually amalgamating into three large companies. In 1993, these companies; Cartier, Inniskillin and T. J. Bright, merged together to form Vincor. As of 2004, Vincor was the world’s eighth largest producer and distributor of wine and wine-related products.

Case Background
Vincor: Project Twist details the decisions that Vincor’s marketing team had to make in order to create a new alcoholic beverage to bring to the market. This task was challenging due the fact that “what’s trendy today may not be trendy two years from now,” as stated by Vincor’s marketing manager Kelly Kretz.

Key Issues and Decisions
The key issue in this case was coming up with a concept for a new alcoholic beverage product. Decisions to be made in regard to the product included: product characteristics, positioning, target market, branding, packaging and distribution strategy, pricing, and promotional strategy. Vincor was already a well-established player in the wine industry, holding 16% of the refreshment market in 2004 with their VEX and Growers Cider brands. Creating a successful new cooler could help Vincor gain an even larger share of the $230 million refreshment industry; however, reaching success in such a highly competitive market was a significant hurdle to