Wine Country Ontario
Advertising / B2C / Brand guidelines / Brand implementation / Brand strategy & positioning / Competitive audits / Content creation / Customer research & analysis / Digital marketing / Graphic design / Ideation / Key messaging / Logo & brand design / Marketing / Naming / Video / Website design / Website development
In the Canadian market, Ontario wine has recently suffered from a disconnect between the past and the present. In the 1970s, Ontario wines were typically sweet, sparkling concoctions; many older consumers refer to these as the “Baby Duck” years. Today, they are winning international awards and critical attention, but, when we were selected to rebrand “Wines of Ontario” (the Wine Council of Ontario’s consumer-facing brand) the category’s reputation was stuck in the past.
We worked with the Wine Council of Ontario’s marketing team to discover what’s unique about Ontario wines—and to communicate that uniqueness to the consumer by creating a brand strategy, identity and platform.
After reviewing existing brand and customer research, we conducted additional stakeholder research. Analyzing all of the results led us to a solid conclusion: because the wines taste better in “wine country,” “Wines of Ontario” would benefit from being renamed “Wine Country Ontario”—a change that has led to a lasting shift in perceptions, and a concept that became the springboard for the new brand.
