Information needs assessment for the development of global strategic marketing plans for small to medium size Australian wineries

Marketing researchers have related several types of business foci to overall company performance. In separate research, companies having a market orientation, or a strategic orientation, or a learning orientation, or a buyerseller relationship orientation have had better business performance. Our main investigation was designed to develop a conceptual and then an empirical model to measure the relationship between export/business performance in small and medium size wineries (SME) and the four key marketing dimensions (market orientation, strategic orientation, learning orientation and buyer-seller relationship). The empirical analysis will allow programs to be developed to aid these SME wineries in improving their overall performance.
An eight-page questionnaire was designed and sent by mail to 522 small and medium size (SME) Australian wineries to the attention of the marketing executive. A response by 81 wineries was included in our final analysis.
The findings support the ideas about the positive effect of the four marketing dimensions on the export/business performance in the SME wineries. We also provide a detailed description of the types of distribution agreements and choice factors in setting up a distribution network overseas. The majority of wineries do not have formal contracts.