Wool Marketing Masterclass: Growing Global Demand for WA Wool
What happens to your wool after it leaves the farm gate? Discover how AWI and The Woolmark Company are building global demand for Australian wool through major brand partnerships, consumer campaigns and sustainability initiatives. From Venus Williams wearing Merino on the world stage to campaigns challenging synthetic fibres, learn how international marketing efforts are helping create stronger demand—and what WA woolgrowers can do to support these marketing efforts.
Want to understand more about what Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and The Woolmark Company—the global marketing arm of AWI— are actually doing to promote your wool around the world? And is there anything woolgrowers can do to help strengthen demand for Australian wool?
In a recent episode of the AWI Extension WA Deep Dive series, Laura Armstrong, Head of Demand Creation at The Woolmark Company, shared how global marketing campaigns, brand partnerships, and sustainability initiatives are growing demand for Australian wool in key international markets. She also highlighted the important role woolgrowers play in supporting the industry's marketing efforts. You can watch or listen to the full 30-minute episode here. This interview also featured on AWI’s The Yarn podcast.
Once your wool leaves the farm gate, its value is driven by the decisions being made in global fashion houses, retail brands and online marketplaces. Through Woolmark, AWI works directly with these markets to ensure Australian wool remains front of mind for brands and consumers. You might be asking: why do you rarely see Woolmark campaigns in Australia? That's because Australian woolgrowers aren't actually the target market for their own product. Instead, AWI strategically invests its marketing budget in major wool-consuming markets such as China, Europe and the United States. The goal is simple: build global demand for Australian wool and ultimately improve returns for Australian woolgrowers.
Wool is More Than Just Winter Clothing
One of Woolmark's key priorities is changing the perception that wool is only suitable for winter jumpers and suits. By highlighting wool's "dynamic breathability," Woolmark is actively positioning it as the optimal fibre for stop-go sports and year-round wear.
Recent collaborations have powerfully demonstrated this. Woolmark worked with American designer Raul Lopez to create a custom Merino wool collection for tennis champion Venus Williams, who opened and closed one of her US Open tournaments wearing wool on the court. In the high-performance sector, Woolmark also partnered with Prada to create a technically advanced, weather-resistant kit for the elite Luna Rossa sailing team. These partnerships prove to the world that Merino wool can blend beautiful aesthetics with elite technical performance.
Using Consumer Data to Drive Demand
Understanding what consumers want is critical to building demand for Australian wool. In China, Woolmark partners with Tmall—the country's largest online shopping platform—to host an annual "Wool Week".
Last year alone, this campaign aggregated 5,000 brands and generated over 300 million page views in a single week. Beyond the massive visibility, this provided real-time market intelligence. Through this data, Woolmark identified 56% growth in performance wool wear—the fastest-growing category on the platform. This data gives brands the confidence they need to invest heavily in lighter-weight, athletic wool products.
Fighting Back Against Synthetic Fibres
Many consumers are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their clothing, yet Woolmark's research revealed a shocking truth: many shoppers were completely unaware that synthetic clothing is made from fossil fuels and plastics.
To sound the alarm on greenwashing, AWI via Woolmark launched the global Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel and Wear Wool, Not Waste campaigns.
By running these via bold billboard campaigns in high-traffic locations including Times Square in New York and Oxford Circus in London, Woolmark successfully shocked consumers into reconsidering their fibre choices, shifting preference back toward natural, biodegradable materials.
Sustainability is a "Ticket to Play"
Sustainability is no longer a marketing buzzword or a moral obligation—it is a matter of strict compliance and risk management. As Laura notes, it is now a "ticket to play" in the global market.
To help brands and growers navigate this, AWI has introduced the Woolmark+ program, which acts as a roadmap to nature-positive farming for the wool industry. By aligning the industry under a single framework, brands won't be confused by mixed messages and can confidently view their investment in wool as an investment in healthy, thriving ecosystems.
What does this all mean for WA woolgrowers?
While much of Woolmark's work happens overseas, it ultimately aims to create stronger demand and better returns for Australian woolgrowers. Laura highlighted three key opportunities for growers on the ground to help support wool marketing efforts:
- Tell your story: Woolgrowers are the ultimate influencers for the wool industry. When brands interact directly with growers, they are consistently blown away by your passion, deep knowledge and land stewardship. Simply sharing your authentic story is incredibly powerful
- Stay united as an industry: The global wool industry is relatively small, making it vital to present a united front rather than fracturing over subjective debates. A unified narrative gives global brands the confidence they require to invest in your fibre
- Prepare for future market expectations: Because sustainability and environmental compliance are becoming mandatory for international brands, taking proactive steps to adopt and document nature-positive farming practices will ensure your clip remains highly sought after into the future
With growing consumer interest in wool and brands actively knocking on Woolmark's door to collaborate, the future for Australian wool is looking incredibly bright.
"We are very bullish about wool demand…. Wool is one of the most desirable fabrics in the world right now... We've grown the Woolmark certification partner base by 50% in the past two years, and we have the big players coming to us left, right and centre" - Laura Armstrong, Head of Demand Creation, The Woolmark Company
For more information, check out the following:
- Deep Dive Series, Episode 5: Wool Marketing Masterclass - AWI Extension WA
- Building Demand Beyond the Farm Gate - AWI
- Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel campaign - The Woolmark Company
- Wear Wool, Not Waste campaign - The Woolmark Company
- Woolmark+ Australian Wool Insetting Program - AWI
Georgia Pugh, AWI Extension WA
