Kristy Keyte understands the importance of being at the forefront of culture.
Having spent the better part of the last decade and a half at Treasury Wine Estates and the last four as chief marketing officer at wine brand Penfolds, she is on a mission to evolve Penfolds from a heritage wine house into a global luxury brand.
“One that transcends category while remaining grounded in the confidence, craftsmanship and pioneering spirit that has defined Penfolds for more than 180 years,” explains Keyte. “That means building cultural relevance and emotional desire, not just through the quality of our wines, but through storytelling, innovation and immersive experiences that resonate with both existing collectors and a new generation of luxury consumers.”
The brand recently signed a multi-year partnership with Australian singer Troye Sivan. The collaboration kicked off at Paris Fashion Week where the wine brand showed up and kicked off a global campaign that is running in luxury retail, global travel and through the company’s DTC channels.
“Ultimately, my role is about future proofing the brand by honouring our heritage, pushing boundaries, and ensuring Penfolds continues to lead, not follow, as luxury consumption, culture and expectations evolve,” added Keyte.
Prior to joining Treasury Wine Estates, Keyte spent more than eight years at Diageo Australia working on innovation. Brand Innovators caught up with Keyte from her office in Melbourne to discuss how the brand is showing up in culture, marketing in a fragmented landscape and the growing tension between speed and effectiveness. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What is your mission and how does this show up in your creative?
At its simplest, it’s about future proofing Penfolds. Key to this is building cultural relevance and enduring desire while protecting the trust earned over generations. That shows up creatively in work that goes beyond traditional wine marketing, using immersive experiences, cultural collaborations and innovation to express our craftsmanship in modern, unexpected ways beyond category.
How is the brand showing up in culture?
Penfolds is showing up in culture by actively participating in it and creating moments that bring people together. We do this through meaningful creative partnerships, immersive experiences at the intersection of music, fashion, art and design, and products that invite deeper emotional connection. Our global creative partnership with Troye Sivan is a current example, rooted in a shared passion for culture and creating moments that matter. This collaboration comes to life through a limited‑edition Bin 389 design, where personal imagery and collectible formats transform a much-loved wine into an object of expression and connection. It’s about using design and product as cultural touchpoints, allowing Penfolds to engage contemporary audiences in ways that feel authentic and considered.
What is your approach to standing out in the category?
Our approach to standing out is to lead beyond category. We focus on building desire through culture, craftsmanship and experience. That means expressing Penfolds with the confidence of a luxury brand using design, storytelling, creative partnerships and immersive moments to create emotional connection and long‑term relevance. By balancing rigour with creativity, and heritage with modern expression, we differentiate by being unmistakably Penfolds…consistent, distinctive and able to show up credibly across culture, luxury and experience‑led environments.
How are you reaching audiences in a fragmented landscape?
We reach audiences in a fragmented landscape by being deliberate about where we show up and why. Rather than trying to be everywhere, we focus on fewer, more meaningful moments that build cultural relevance and emotional connection. We use data and insight to prioritise the moments that matter most, blending paid, owned and experiential channels and valuing the quality of engagement over sheer scale. When everything is anchored in a clear brand idea and expressed consistently through culture, design and experience, it creates cohesion and ensures Penfolds shows up with clarity and intent.
Can you talk about your background and how that shows up in this role?
My background spans more than two decades working with global drinks brands, with a large portion within Treasury Wine Estates. Since joining in 2012, I’ve held global roles across brand, innovation and strategy, with remits spanning the US, UK, Europe, Greater China and South East Asia. That depth and longevity has shaped how I think about building brands for the long term. Over the past five years, stepping fully into the world of Penfolds as Chief Marketing Officer has sharpened my focus on clarity of positioning, disciplined brand expression and the role of culture and experience in building desire. Earlier in my career, working across spirits and innovation gave me a strong foundation in brand fundamentals at scale, however it’s my time at Penfolds, growing with the business and the brand, that shows up most clearly in how I lead today. With consistency, conviction and a deep respect for the trust that comes with working on a brand like Penfolds.
What marketing issues are keeping you up at night this year?
What keeps me up at night is the growing tension between speed and effectiveness. Marketing has never moved faster…more platforms, more data, more pressure to respond in real time, yet the fundamentals of building strong brands haven’t changed. The challenge is resisting short‑termism while still delivering commercial impact. Staying focused on clear positioning, consistent execution and long‑term brand building, rather than being distracted by every new channel or tactic. For me, the real work is making deliberate choices, deciding what not to do, so that investment, creativity and attention are concentrated where they drive growth and brand strength over time.
Where do you see the most opportunities in the marketplace?
The biggest opportunities right now sit at the intersection of technology, creativity and experience. Advances in data and digital platforms give us far better tools to understand where we can genuinely add value, while new product design and innovation allow us to transform wine into objects of collectability and expression. We see strong opportunity in immersive events, cultural partnerships and experience‑led strategies that build desire rather than just awareness, as well as in direct‑to‑consumer models that deepen relationships over time. The brands that will win are those that use technology and data to make smarter, more disciplined choices and then bring those choices to life through distinctive products, experiences and collaborations that feel culturally relevant and emotionally resonant.
