What looks like a problem can become a marketing coup

When nudie was subjected to a devastating arson attack which destroyed the factory and office, we were obviously set back. But I believe every dark cloud contains a marketing silver lining. I used the nudie fire as the basis for a concerted media campaign which positioned us as an underdog and effectively put nudie on the map.

These days, in moments of black humour, I joke that I wish every business I am involved with had a lucky break like an arson attack to propel it into the stratosphere.

I read today about the plight of Damien Tscharke, a vigneron who for the last five years has been making "Girl Talk" wines using albarino grapes - of Spanish origin. They have proven to be so popular that other wine makers have raced in and planted albarino grapes as well. And now it appears that the albarinos are not albarinos at all. They may in fact be a French varietal -savagnin blanc - which is not the same as sauvignon blanc. Apparently those tricky Spaniards exported the wrong root stock and all the Australian vignerons who planted albarinos have been duped.

As I read he story I imagined much figurative cursing and gnashing of teeth amongst the growers as the cry has goes out - "Ruination!! Oh woe is me! Its the wrong grape!"

Indeed Mr. Tscharke is quoted as saying, "It's the largest volume wine we make, we have several hectares under cultivation, and I'm facing significant financial losses potentially."

Initially I was tempted to dismiss it as a storm in a teacup. So, its the wrong variety of grape - who cares? It looks the same as it did yesterday before they knew, it tastes the same, it makes the same wine it has done for five years now. What's the big deal, it all seems like humorless nonsense to me.

And then it struck me that this is Mr. Tscharke's fire! What fun he can have with it on his "Girl Talk" labels - "Girls, have you heard? They're keeping schtum at head office, but there's a rumour we aren't who we think we are. The French sabotaged our Spanish sugar daddy's and we aren't albarino we're trashy savagnin blanc instead!"

There is an endless stream of marketing creativity and publicity which can be generated from this slip up. Far from being the undoing of the enterprise it could be the making of it.

All that is required is to look at it as an opportunity rather than a threat.