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Cork industry gears up for €20m campaign
February 9, 2010
 Mathilde Hulot
The cork industry is preparing a €20m advertising campaign using cork's 'scientific background' to convince the public of its benefits.
From April 2010 to June 2011 the Portugese, via Apcor, the Portugese Cork Association, will run promotions via TV, radio, press, wine fairs and the web.
'We want to convince the public with the help of the scientific background', Jean-Marie Aracil, the French spokesman for the campaign said.
Apcor will also launch a recycling programme for cork stoppers through partnerships with restaurants, supermarkets, storage facilities and recycling plants.
Twelve million euros have been earmarked for the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the United States. Each country will run its own campaign, with the common message that cork is a traditional but innovative and sustainable industry.
The €12m devoted to cork stoppers is part of a global campaign of €20m, financed by the Portugese government.
The other €8m will be dedicated to promoting cork's usefulness to the construction and aeronautics industries.
Cork has dozens of applications, including flooring, design, footwear, in the automotive industry, the military and pharmaceuticals.
It is lightweight and naturally fire-retardant, making it attractive to aircraft manufacturers.
Reuters reports that French company DynAero, which has a factory in the Alentejo in central Portugal, hopes to develop two- and four-seat planes using cork as a substitute for other composite materials in aircraft wings.
As far as bottle closures are concerned, while alternative closures such as screwcap are growing, cork is losing market share.
The cork industry grossed €2.09bn in 2007/8, of which cork closures represented more than €1.7bn, or 80%.
In 2009 there were 3.1bn screwcaps sold worldwide, a total which is increasing by 500m a year.
The market share for cork closures has gone down from over 90% in the early 1990s to around 75% today. In 2009, 11.3bn units were sold, against 11.7bn in 2008, a decrease of 3.5%.
photo: Apcor
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 We did a survey on cork vs. screwcap (and others):
We know the "cork" vs "screw cap" question has been asked, but we wanted to go a step further and ask the question by "ageable" vs "drink now" wine... and the results are different. We also compare consumer vs trade responses. A few folks commented about the "bag in box" option, thinking it was a joke, but it was not. I was in a wine shop in France in 2001 and they were selling bulk wine from vats. I purchased a 5 liter "bag in box" Syrah for $12 and it was a tasty wine and incredible value. I always thought it would be a great way to purchase and drink wine. The bag shrinks as the wine is poured so oxidation occurs very slowly, keeping the wine fresh. Interesting results. Neil Monnens
I have a great deal of energy on the cork closure. I just opened a 1989 Montrose and a 2000 Potel Vosne Romanee. Both Corked to the hilt. Anything would be better than that experience, easy open screw caps, fake plastic corks or do we just pour out our wine under cork to save disappointment. I do have to say that with the Montorse I opened a 1986 BV Georges Latour. It was great for that old a cab. We thought it might be corked but all the funk blew off. Peter T. Geier
Thank you for bringing attention to the APCOR campaign to save not only the cork industry, but the Mediterranean cork forests. Since starting in 2008, Cork ReHarvest has led the cork recycling movement in the US and Canada, helping to collect and recycle some of the 13 billion natural corks that are produced each year. Equally important is our work to educate the public about the Mediterranean cork forests. These forests contain one of the world's highest levels of forest biodiversity including endemic plants and endangered species such as the Iberian Lynx, the Iberian Imperial Eagle, and the Barbary Deer. It is also vital source of income for thousands of family farmers, who for generations have worked these forests. It is our calling and our passion to protect the Mediterranean cork forests, not as a relic of the past, but as an integral part of our planet's biosphere. We are hopeful that our nonprofit organization will be able to work with APCOR to accomplish their goals in North America. Please visit our website: www.corkreharvest.org Patrick Spencer, Director, Cork ReHarvest
I think it is "pay back time" for the cork suppliers who gave the world a load of costly TCA. Chris Hackett
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