Treasury Wine Estates and Social Soup launch always-on creator academy for wine brands

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) and Social Soup have launched what they describe as Australia's first always-on wine-creator community, House of Winefluence, marking a new approach to influencer marketing in the alcohol category.

The initiative, which opens in August, will see Social Soup build and manage an exclusive creator community for TWE over a 12-month period, generating monthly content across Squealing Pig, Pepperjack and 19 Crimes. 

The program will draw on a curated network of more than 200 creators and is expected to produce more than 1,000 pieces of content.

Moving from campaigns to continuous creator activity

Social Soup founder and CEO Sharyn Smith said the launch reflects a broader shift away from campaign-led influencer marketing towards long-term creator communities.

“House of Winefluence is a step-up in terms of our capability to deliver rolling influencer activity with clients. It’s a first in the Australian alcohol industry so we are beyond excited to see it launch.

“We’ve shifted our community of creators from campaigns to a true always-on academy, built once and activated every month. Instead of re-briefing and re-vetting creators every time, TWE now has a standing roster of more than 200 wine lovers who know the brands, trust the products and show up month after month.

“TWE has been the perfect partner to launch this with. We've been building this model for years and can’t wait to put it to the test to prove how it compounds investment over time. TWE gets long-term relationships with local creators, a rolling pipeline of content, and the efficiency of working with people who already know the brands,” she said.

The creator academy model is designed to provide ongoing content production and faster activation opportunities, rather than relying on one-off influencer campaigns.

Reaching the next generation of wine consumers

TWE Marketing Manager - Digital and Social Media Ari Wytwornik said the program is designed to make wine more accessible and relevant to younger audiences.

“Wine is one of the world’s most enduring social connectors that needs to continue to evolve with today's consumer. House of Winefluence is about breaking down barriers, celebrating the story behind every bottle and showing that wine can be enjoyed your way, for any occasion.

“As an industry, we need to make wine more approachable and relevant for the next generation of consumers. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Social Soup, leaders in the creator space, to bring this industry-first program to life for Australian consumers.”

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Building an influencer platform

TWE's in-house agency Splash developed the House of Winefluence brand identity, creating a dedicated platform for the creator community. The new program follows a series of influencer partnerships run across three waves last year, with the latest iteration shifting towards a continuous user-generated content model.

Smith said the always-on approach offers brands greater agility.

“When a brand goes quiet between campaigns, it loses momentum with audiences and creators. Always-on means TWE has a standing community of creators who can respond to a product launch, a seasonal moment, or a cultural trend without having to start from scratch. If something new happens in the business tomorrow, the community is already there and ready to activate.”