5-11-2018
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Spain’s legendary sherry and brandy maker Osborne Group has opened an online flagship store on Alibaba's Tmall platform, bringing Osborne sherry, Carlos I brandy and Montecillo Rioja wine and many more to Chinese customers. Established in 1772, the Osborne Group is one of the oldest family run businesses in the world. They own a range of wine and spirit brands as well as premium Iberian ham. In 2014, China’s Fosun International acquired a 20% stake in the group. Osborne Group’s corporate logo features the world famous silhouette of the black bull, the Toro, which has also become the national emblem of Spain. The images were first erected to promote Osborne’s Jerez brandy brand Veterano, despite that the EU passed a law in 1994 to prohibit roadside advertising of alcoholic drinks, public response resulted in the signs being retained. The Spanish Court eventually ruled that these signs are a part of the landscape and have "aesthetic or cultural significance". The group launched a Tmall store specifically for its Cino Jotas 5J Iberian ham last year and decided to open a separate Tmall flagship store for its wine and spirit brands bringing more Spanish culture to the platform. “A very recognizable brand and icon in Western markets, Osborne and its wines and spirits brands face the challenge of reaching the Chinese consumer to share our history and values,” said Jose Ignacio Iñiguez Saenz, Osborne country manager for Greater China. “Tmall represents the best possible platform to accomplish this aim, providing the market place in which our brands can communicate directly with consumers the passion we feel for our products,” he added. With 246 years of history, the Osborne Group’s most recognized brands are premium sherries under the Osborne name, Premium Spanish brandy brand Carlos I, Rioja wine under Montecillo brand and the prestigious Iberico ham Cino Jotas 5J. The Group has also acquired two of the main cachaza brands in Brazil, where cachaza is the main spirit accounting for nearly 90% of the fast growing spirits consumption.
(the writer can be contacted at: DavidMa@thewinechronicle.com)
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