SA research yields valuable export marketing pointers
Businesses wanting to increase the export marketing potential of their products can get valuable pointers to success from results of recent SA research.
It was found that the research, initially focused on perceptions about Australia by possible international purchasers of premium wines, has widespread application.
Flinders University has modelled marketing campaigns that strengthen and reinforce identified positive perceptions of Australia that can deliver significant returns to exporters of a great variety of products, especially where higher prices are being sought for premium quality.
SA has ground to make up
SA contributes 3.9% of the total value of Australia’s exports, and the State exported products worth $11.8bn last year – up $1.1bn, 9.7% on 2018. But according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Tasmania’s growth in the same 12 months was 33%, the NT’s 19%, Queensland’s 17%, NSW’s 15%, Victoria’s 13% and WA’s 11%.
In SA’s total export growth of 9.7%, businesses associated with wine (up $279m or 19%), wheat (up $261m, 25%), and vegetables and fruit (up $100m, 15%) would seem most likely to benefit from applying results of the Flinders University research.
The university’s Professor in Business Management Dr Roberta Crouch conducted the survey among consumers, importers and retailers in the US, UK, China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Korea.
She aimed to discover what thoughts they held about Australia and Australians that influenced belief the country could or couldn’t produce premium or fine wines, and if they considered it could, what prices they were willing to pay.
Where opinions varied
The lowest opinions of Australia’s premium wines were found in the US, UK and South Korea.
Elsewhere in Asia consumers surveyed had much more positive opinions about Australia and its wines – especially the Chinese and Vietnamese.
Dr Crouch says she’s convinced perceptions about Australia generally influence consumers’ faith in our ability to produce not only fine wines, but anything else.
Producers and marketers of Australian exports therefore need to understand clearly what influences international buyers and consumers positively or negatively, or doesn’t influence them at all.
According to Dr Crouch, unlike other developed western countries that have multidimensional images, Australia’s tends to be un-dimensional, which can strongly affect buyers both positively and negatively.
According to Dr Crouch, Interviewees in all seven countries surveyed about Australian people, food and wines have few and primitive images and assumptions they apply in all contexts to everything Australian they are interested in buying.
“Outsiders think primarily about Australia’s very distinctive landscape, unique and often dangerous native animals, barbeques, sheep, the beach, Sydney (the only city regularly mentioned) and hot weather.”
The survey shows that with generally positive perceptions there are also darker assumptions about racism, chauvinism and laziness – linked to Australians’ reputation for being laid-back.
Effects of these perceptions
Dr Crouch believes business operators should be aware that while these negative views have no significant influence on consumers’ or traders’ views about Australians’ ability to produce fine wines, they are potentially damaging for other types of products and services offered by Australia, and to our reputation generally.
Highly positive descriptors for Australians that marketers can profit from include brave, exciting, bold, honest, strong, authentic, sincere, loyal, reliable, healthy, trustworthy, and generally good-natured.
It should also be understood that while tags such as laid-back, party-loving and rugged do not threaten overall perceptions about our premium wines, they do nothing to enhance them.
“People in other countries likely to buy anything produced in Australia are well aware of our kangaroos, koalas, and outback characters and characteristics. However while this awareness is highly congruent and positive for marketing many Australian products and tourism, they do no favours for premium products of any kind.”
