TASMANIAN MERINO

OVERVIEW

THE CLIENT

With its cool climate conditions, pristine natural environment and small human footprint, Tasmania is arguably the most sought-after address on earth for luxury wool.

From the catwalks of Milan to the streets of Tokyo, the global demand for Tasmania Merino is being driven by a new generation of high-end consumers who value exceptional products and transparency across the supply chain. For them, traceability is the new luxury – and they are willing to pay a premium for it.

At the same time, industry dialogue has focused on expanding the volume of production as a means to growth for the agricultural sector. Roberts Wool had the inkling that there was another way forward and came to Gen.a for help.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Gen.a was briefed to assess how Tasmania Merino could derive greater value by finding ways to move up the value chain. The answer lay in shifting from a largely commodity growing mindset to a market-led strategy that responds to global consumer trends, capitalises on market opportunities and targets higher value consumers to derive a premium price for produce at the farm gate.

Gen.a worked with Roberts Wool to re-position, brand and market Tasmanian Merino to discerning retailers and customers around the world. The final outcome was the development of a new brand identity, narrative and stakeholder engagement piece for Tasmanian Merino, which was launched to the industry in March 2016.

MY ROLE

In my role as Communications Director at Gen.a, my involvement in the project included:

• Stakeholder engagement, research and interviews

• Input into the Tasmania Merino brand and partnership strategy

• Brand narrative / storyline development for Tasmanian Merino

• Writing of sales support materials

• Liaison with the design team and Australian Wool Innovation

• Account service / project management