18 November 2014
Internationally renowned wine maker, Wolf Blass, is investing in the future of wine marketing and industry innovation, announcing a 10-year program of research scholarships at the University of South Australia’s Ehrenberg Bass Institute for Marketing Science worth $350,000.
The first of five two-year scholarships will be available from 2015.
Awarded over the next 10 years to foster the development of expertise in wine marketing strategy and wine consumer behaviour in Australia, the scholarships will support students undertaking Masters level research and each scholarship will include a $30,000 annual stipend plus $5000 a year to support the students’ research investigation.
University of South Australia Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd says the generosity of the scholarship is a wonderful example of business philanthropy and confidence in the future of the South Australian wine industry.
“This important gift to the University reflects the generosity of Wolf Blass and is an example for the wider business community in South Australia,” Prof Lloyd says.
“Wolf has always been a trailblazer and innovator, a man with an enterprising spirit deep in his heart and this gift offers important opportunities for new generations of wine business professionals to continue to make South Australia the home of innovation in the industry.
“We are very grateful and proud to receive this gift from the Foundation, which represents a significant investment in the wine industry locally and internationally.”
With a 60-year career in the wine sector, Wolf Blass has made a huge impact on the industry, influencing both the styles of Australian wines and the way consumers appreciate and buy wine.
Blass says his goal and that of the Foundation trustees is that the scholarships help to foster entrepreneurship in the Australian wine sector.
“It is a new world, so much has shifted and innovation today cannot happen without the benefit of education and up to the minute research,” Blass says.
“New models of marketing and purchasing including, online sales and social media marketing, completely new markets in Asia and in particular China, new competitors in the marketplace, new techniques for wine production and distribution – the whole face of the industry is changing.
“I want to do all I can to ensure some of the top minds in the wine sector are being supported here in South Australia so that our wine industry continues to grow and thrive.
“These scholarships are designed specifically to nurture creative, enterprising people with some broader experience of the industry, to take a further step and do the research that will contribute to the continued success of South Australian and Australian wine.”
Applications for the scholarship commencing in 2015 are open now.
Candidates must meet the entry requirements for a Masters by Research degree at UniSA’s Business School and enrol full time. All applications must be Australian citizens or have permanent resident status.
The scholarships will be launched today at 4pm at UniSA’s Jeffrey Smart Building on Hindley Street.
More information about the Wolf Blass Foundation Scholarships for Masters by Research in wine marketing and innovation is available online and Professor of Wine Marketing at UniSA Larry Lockshin is available to talk to students considering applying for the research scholarship.
Media contact: Michèle Nardelli office: +61 8 8302 0966 mobile: 0418 823 673 email: Michele.nardelli@unisa.edu.au
