Yellow Tail wine fraud ‘limited to indie retailers’, says group MD
The managing director of Casella Family Brands, which owns Australia's Yellow Tail wine brand, tells db in an exclusive interview that the wine fraud committed against it does not extend to UK supermarkets, and has largely been uncovered within independent stores. The post Yellow Tail wine fraud ‘limited to indie retailers’, says group MD appeared first on The Drinks Business.
The managing director of Casella Family Brands, which owns Australia's Yellow Tail wine brand, tells db in an exclusive interview that the wine fraud committed against it does not extend to UK supermarkets, and has largely been uncovered within independent stores. Sarah Neish reports.
Yesterday the drinks business reported that wine fraud in the UK is becoming increasingly sophisticated due to criminal gangs using identical digital specs as real wine producers to replicate and print fake brand labels. These crime rings are spending as much as £500,000 on meticulously copying label and bottle design, before filling the vessels with fraudulent wine and selling them to retailers around the UK, often "out of the back of a van", says fraud expert Maureen Downey.
Among the numerous brands affected is Australia's popular Yellow Tail, which acknowledged that the wine fraud committed against it has been ongoing with 100,000 cases of counterfeit Yellow Tail unearthed in Moldova in 2019. Additionally, a number of UK retailers have also had their alcohol licenses revoked after being found to have sold fake Yellow Tail wines.
db speaks to Simon Lawson, managing director of Yellow Tail's parent company Casella Family Brands (Europe), to find out the latest developments.
Yesterday the drinks business reported that wine fraud in the UK is becoming increasingly sophisticated due to criminal gangs using identical digital specs as real wine producers to replicate and print fake brand labels. These crime rings are spending as much as £500,000 on meticulously copying label and bottle design, before filling the vessels with fraudulent wine and selling them to retailers around the UK, often "out of the back of a van", says fraud expert Maureen Downey.
Among the numerous brands affected is Australia's popular Yellow Tail, which acknowledged that the wine fraud committed against it has been ongoing with 100,000 cases of counterfeit Yellow Tail unearthed in Moldova in 2019. Additionally, a number of UK retailers have also had their alcohol licenses revoked after being found to have sold fake Yellow Tail wines.
db speaks to Simon Lawson, managing director of Yellow Tail's parent company Casella Family Brands (Europe), to find out the latest developments.
A UK problem
According to Lawson, the wine fraud committed against Yellow Tail appears to be contained within the UK. "As far as we are aware it has only been the UK, and specifically through a small number of independent retailers, where wine has been purchased through illegitimate supply chains," he says. "We would always encourage independent retailers to buy from reputable wholesalers whereby authentic Yellow Tail can be guaranteed." Frankie Harding, head of communications for Casella, added that "our supply chain is extremely robust, with all major supermarkets, wholesalers and off-licences purchasing directly from us. This ensures there is no risk of counterfeit Yellow Tail wines being sold through these retailers." Lawson attributes the reason for Yellow Tail being consistently targeted by counterfeiters over the last six years to "the brand’s immense success and popularity". "It’s one of the top-selling wine brands globally, with particularly strong growth in the UK market," he claims, which makes it "an attractive target."Successful prosecution
While Lawson says he cannot divulge whether or not Casella Family Brands is currently in the midst of a legal investigation relating to the wine fraud —"we're unable to comment on ongoing legal matters"— he stresses that the company is "committed to protecting our brand and ensuing the authenticity of our products for our consumers." Furthermore, Lawson says he is "delighted that the UK's Trading Standards have successfully prosecuted several retailers who have been selling counterfeit wine." He maintains that the recent redesign of Yellow Tail's wine label (the first brand refresh in 25 years) was not primarily designed to make it harder for counterfeiters to replicate, but was instead carried out to "ensure that Yellow Tail stays modern, fresh and appealing" in an increasingly competitive category."While the new design may incidentally make counterfeiting more challenging, the main focus was on enhancing the brand's market presence," he says. He would not be drawn on the cost of redesigning and reprinting the new wine labels, and rolling them out across different global markets, but adds that "the positive response we have received from our research and from retailers has reinforced our belief that this was the right decision for the brand."
Positive marketing
With the brand making headlines for suffering at the hands of fraudsters, Lawson reveals that Yellow Tail plans to launch "a brand new 360 degree marketing campaign next month", which he says will "reflect the positive, optimistic outlook the brand is known for". The campaign, which will feature across TV, digital and social media, as well as via in-store activations, will celebrate "the simple moments in life that bring joy and happiness" through "relatable storytelling and a fresh take on the brand’s message to 'make the most of the everyday'." “We want to reassure consumers that counterfeit Yellow Tail wine is minimal and confined to a very small number of independent convenience stores in the UK market,” Harding tells db.
