Benoît Lecat

Smartphones and wine consumers: a study of Gen-Y

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of m-commerce (mobile commerce) combined with social media for the wine industry in order to reach distinctive customer segments Differences about access to information and shopping habits on the Internet seem to exist according to the cohorts users belong to. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a study of 190 respondents, this paper describes the consumer behavior of the Y generation regarding several variables: level of Internet sophistication and orientation, brand loyalty, risk aversion, involvement, shopping behavior and perception of authenticity. Findings – Results of the study show that m-commerce and e-commerce applications using social media platforms may prove greatly efficient in the foreseeable future for wine growers. Different ways of selling and disseminating information about their products are observed. Research limitations/implications – The infancy of m-commerce implies a relative difficulty to gather data about m-consu...

Don’t believe the hype: a grounded exploratory six country wine purchasing study

ABSTRACT The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand the extent that consumers report purchasing wine on mobile devices and to empirically examine potential drivers of m-wine purchasing across six countries to guide theoretical research enquiry moving forward. Purposive sampling was employed. An online survey involving 2853 respondents from France, Germany, Greece, Canada, US and South Africa forms the basis for the current study. The results of the study indicate that though mobile phone usage, wine consumption and purchasing rates are high, mobile-wine purchasing prevalence is low within all six countries. While technology hype has us believe an online presence is essential for business revenue growth and performance; the current study indicates wineries should carefully consider consumer readiness towards mobile-wine purchasing. Limitations and recommendations for future research are identified.

Fraud and counterfeit wines in France: an overview and perspectives

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the specificities of wine forgery today and to show the perspectives offered to the different stakeholders in the wine industry. Design/methodology/approach Owing to the technical aspects of this paper, a literature review based on academic papers (history) and articles coming from the professional press, internet websites and public organizations was made. Findings It was found that frauds have always existed. Forgers are constantly in search of new ways of counterfeiting wines. Producers have had to adapt to the various forms of counterfeiting, mainly by resorting to modern technology. As the traceability of great wines is becoming crucial, a new type of relationships between producers anxious to offer genuine estate wines and consumers anxious to drink the bottles they ordered has developed. This new constraint became a marketing opportunity for producers. Research limitations/implications It was difficult to obtain official data (interviews or surveys) because of the sensitiveness of the topic. Practical implications This paper, which offers an inventory of the methods used by forgers to deceive customers, makes both producers and consumers aware of the extent of the problem. The counterfeiting phenomenon is dangerous for producers’ image and the technological changes are a tool allowing producers to protect their wine and reinforce their relationships with consumers. Originality/value This paper gives an overview of forgers’ ploys in France. It opens a discussion about perspectives for the different stakeholders while most of the research tends to focus on technical solutions and the analysis of specific affairs which received media coverage.

Perceived risk and the willingness to buy and pay for “corked” bottles of wine

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the purchase decision of consumers when faced with a perceived risk related to a “corked” wine for different levels of price. It provides an example of a study of consumer behavior in the context of risk aversion and when a risk-reduction strategy is proposed. The empirical analysis examines the perceive risk as is a major determinant of the willingness to buy (WTB) and to pay (WTP) for corked bottles of wine. Design/methodology/approach The experimental investigation on consumer risk perception of corked bottles of wine is based on a choice-based questionnaire distributed to 310 graduate students in Bordeaux and Dijon in France. The context is the decision to purchase or not a bottle of wine at different price levels. Assuming the monotonicity of the demand function, the choice-based questionnaire is used to determine the maximum WTB and WTP for each participant. Findings Results demonstrate that when participants are asked simultaneously to reveal their perceived risk and purchase decision, the behavior significantly affects the WTB and WTP. At the same time, demand for risk-reduction devices (screw-caps in this study) also declines strongly with price and perceived risk. Research limitations/implications Although the experiment was replicated in a different region and students with a different profile, it cannot be generalized to other countries or region with a different wine culture. Practical implications The results have interesting behavior implications in the debate for screw-caps rather than corks. They confirm that screw-caps are associated with low quality, low value wines. Understanding the factors that influence consumers, wine purchase decisions are therefore important to wine producers, restaurant owners and retailers. Originality/value This is the first study that analyzes, in the context of risk taking when buying wine, the WTB and WTP for a bottle of wine when participants are required to reveal simultaneously their perceived risk and purchase decision.

Positive Influence of M-Commerce on the Group Purchase of Wine for Y-Generation

The ability to identify and evaluate the opportunities to reach distinctive customer segments is a fundamental challenge faced by the wine industry operating in a global environment. Differences about access to information and shopping habits on the Internet seem to exist according to the cohorts users belong to. Following a confirmatory study of 190 respondents, this paper describes the consumer behavior of the Y generation regarding several variables: level of Internet sophistication and orientation, brand loyalty, risk aversion, involvement, shopping behavior and perception of authenticity. Results of a confirmatory study show that m-commerce and e-commerce applications using Social Networks Systems (SNS) platforms may in the foreseeable future, offer wine growers greater efficiency to expand their selling opportunities and reach a wider audience. Early adopters have the potential to be richly rewarded.

Having a Great Vacation and Blaming the Wines: an Attribution Theory Perspective on Consumer Attachments to Regional Brands

Tourists’ affective experiences are important in a variety of contexts as their influence goes beyond immediate, short-term outcomes, such as satisfaction and spending. These experiences impact the relationship between the consumer and objects associated with the experience including brands. Yet, research on the influence of consumer affective experiences on emotional attachments to brands in general, and the process by which affect influences attachments in particular, has been limited. This study uses attribution theory to explain consumer attachments to regional brands in a tourism and wine context. Survey results covering twelve touristic wine regions on three continents (N =2,445) suggest that (a) causal attributions mediate the affective experience – brand attachment relationship, (b) consumers’ attributions depend on brand name strength, and (c) place attachment and spatial distance affect brand attributions. Results also suggest that when consumers attribute the pleasantness and satisfaction of the tourism experience to the brand, attachment increases; however, if consumers attribute the experience to the region, attachments decrease. Implications relate to destination marketing and brand management.

How important is “spiritourism” in France? An exploratory study/Welche Bedeutung hat „Spiritourismus“ für Frankreich? Eine explorative Studie

Die Bezeichnung „Spiritourismus“ kann fur Besuche von Einrichtungen von Spirituosenproduzenten und fur Besichtigungen von spirituosenproduzierenden Regionen verwendet werden. Spiritourismus kann auserdem eine gewinnbringende Alternative fur Brennereien sein, die keinen Zugang zu traditionellen Vertriebswegen haben. Es erlaubt ihnen, die Konsumenten zu informieren und die Markenbindung ihrer Kunden zu verstarken. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, die Best-Practice-Methoden zu identifizieren, um anderen Spirituosen erzeugenden Gegenden in Frankreich und im Ausland zu helfen, mehr Besucher anzuziehen. Die Ergebnisse der Studie zeigen, dass die meisten Unternehmen ein hohes Produktionsniveau von 1,5 bis 20 Mio. Flaschen aufweisen. Gewohnlich verfugen sie uber eine breite Produktpalette. Viele Standorte bieten heute auch sensorische Erlebnisse wie zum Beispiel „Espace Menthe-Pastille de Giffard“ und „La Grande Chartreuse“ in den Alpen. Sie setzen auf das Konzept der Erlebniswirtschaft, wie es von Pine und Gilmore (1998) definiert wurde. Manche Produzenten schaffen auserdem Museen, wie „Espace Menthe-Pastille de Giffard“, das anhand alter Werbemittel die Entwicklung der Firma und ihrer Produkte illustriert. Die meisten Firmen bieten verschiedene Arten von Spirituosenproben, mit Ausnahme der gehobenen Cognac-Marke Martell, die mit exklusiven Verkostungen zu einem Preis von € 280 aufwartet. Gemas dieser Analyse scheint es ein groses Potenzial fur Spiritourismus in Frankreich zu geben, da die Zahl der Konsumenten, die die Produktionsstatten besichtigen mochten, steigt. Dies kann man mit einer Suche nach Authentizitat erklaren. Immer mehr Destillerien werden der breiten Offentlichkeit zuganglich gemacht. Sie stellen eine Vielfalt an Aktivitaten im Bereich der sensorischen Analyse, interaktiven Museen, speziellen Verkostungen und Aktivitaten fur Kinder bereit. Daruber hinaus konnen Synergien zwischen Spirituosenevents und -festivals (sofern sie bereits existieren), Besichtigungen von lokalen Sehenswurdigkeiten, Weingarten- und Destilleriefuhrungen geschaffen werden. Dieses breite Angebot an Veranstaltungen wird die erzieherischen und unterhaltsamen Aspekte des Spiritourismus verstarken. Es wird auserdem gewahrleisten, dass der Besuch zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis fur die Spirituosenbesucher wird.