Lara Agnoli

Generation Y's perception of wine and consumption situations in a traditional wine‐producing region

Purpose – This paper aims to offer an in‐depth analysis of Generation Ys choices concerning the consumption of wine and other alcoholic drinks by examining the consumption situations in a traditional wine‐producing country.Design/methodology/approach – The study applied the multinomial logit model involving a sample of Generation Y alcohol consumers in a city in Northern Italy. Choice sets were constructed using the Bayesian efficient design, and each choice set included four consumption situations: at bars or pubs, at discos, at home and at restaurants or pizzerias.Findings – Generation Y is aware of the different functions of alcoholic beverages in different consumption situations. Further, the type of company they keep influences their choice of beverage. Wine is the preferred drink in situations or occasions of conviviality or hospitality. However, this result only partly follows the traditional model of wine consumption. Segmentation elements are highlighted by considering gender and age.Practical i...

Social media strategies and corporate brand visibility in the wine industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the web-marketing behavioural models adopted in the wine industry using as case studies several leading Italian wineries. It aims to propose a new methodology to evaluate the impact of web marketing strategies on online brand visibility and image. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on literature review and case study approach. The study uses six leading Italian wineries as case studies, selected by taking into account six strategic profiles: business size, business management, corporate brand reputation, competitive strategy, marketing orientation and marketing budget. Findings – The proposed structured methodology highlights new key elements that could be implemented in a marketing plan. The research results propose a conceptual three-dimension approach that integrates a businesss strategic orientation with its digital-marketing strategy and its social media tactics. It also includes specific evaluation criteria to measure the ...

Food fraud and consumers’ choices in the wake of the horsemeat scandal

Purpose – In 2012, the European food industry was hit by a food fraud: horsemeat was found in pre-prepared foods, without any declaration on the package. This is commonly referred to as the “horsemeat scandal”. The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers’ preferences across Europe for a selected ready meal, ready to heat (RTH) fresh lasagne, to consider whether the effects of potential food frauds on consumers’ choices can be mitigated by introducing enhanced standards of RTH products. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to 4,598 consumers of RTH lasagne in six European countries (Republic of Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Norway), applying discrete choice experiments to estimate consumers’ willingness to pay for enhanced food safety standards and highlight differences between countries. Findings – Many similarities across countries emerged, as well as some differences. Consumers in Europe are highly concerned with the authenticity of the meat in ready mea...

Chinese import demand for wine: evidence from econometric estimations

By estimating the demand for imported wine in China, this study investigates Chinese consumer choices in terms of wines and countries of origin, as well as the competition among suppliers. The Restricted Source Differentiated Almost Ideal Demand System (RSDAIDS) model is applied. Three goods (still bottled, bulk and sparkling wines) imported from the main exporting countries (France, Italy, Australia and Chile) and from the rest of the world are analysed. The model also includes socio-economic variables and seasonality. The results show that price sensitivities are different: inelasticity for sparkling wines, elasticity for bulk wines and different degrees of responsiveness for still bottled wines. France plays the role of market leader, and competitive interdependence emerges among its followers. The estimation of import expenditure is characterised by the widening of the wine portfolio. The minor followers generate high competitive dynamism. Relationships of substitutability or complementarity between wines and sources emerge. Finally, research perspectives of wine marketing are suggested.

Determinants of consumer behaviour in novice markets: the case of wine

Purpose – This study aims to understand the behaviour of novice consumers and provide businesses with guidelines regarding how to approach the different typologies of novice consumers from new inexperienced markets and from new generations. Design/methodology/approach – The reasoned action approach is applied to wine consumer, and two parallel surveys using a questionnaire have been conducted with a sample of the Missouri population – representing new consumers – and a sample of the young Italian population – representing young consumers located in traditional consuming countries. Two research hypotheses are tested. Findings – The hypothesis testing reveals two effects. The age effect creates similarities in the decision-making process structure, and attitude and subjective norm have the same weight in influencing behavioural intention. The novice effect creates differences in the structure; however, similarities exist at a more basic level than that of attitude and subjective norm, in salient beliefs and...

Behind intention and behaviour: factors influencing wine consumption in a novice market

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of the decision-making process of consumers from novice markets facing the choice of a complex product like wine, explaining the determinants of their consumption intention and behaviour. It also aims to understand the link between product attributes and consumption intention and behaviour, analysing the role played by intrinsic and extrinsic cues. Design/methodology/approach – This study applies the theory of planned behaviour considering that individuals do not always have complete control of wine consumption behaviour, especially when they come from a novice market. A questionnaire survey, preceded by an exploratory phase, was conducted in St Louis, Missouri, a novice market for wine. Findings – This study identifies a novice consumer whose choice of a complex product is driven by experiential attitude towards the product more than the conditioning of referents, and even more than the perceived behavioural control and the interconnecte...

Preferenze dei consumatori per i vini a denominazione di origine: un’analisi qualitativa nella realtà del Veneto

The intangible factors are becoming more and more relevant in the consumer purchasing processes for premium and top wines. This study try to understand how emotions interact with preferences in the consumer choice process for two Italian denomination of origin wines: Amarone of Valpolicella DOC and Soave DOC. It tests a first-trial tasting method to quantify the weight of intrinsic factors considering consumer preferences. The data were gathered through four focus groups involving 50 people and they were elaborated by the nonlinear principal components analysis, the cluster analysis and the Independent-Samples T Test. Brand reputation proves to be a major intrinsic factor which influences the choice of the consumers in buying Amarone and Soave wines. The greater the knowledge of the consumer the less they are influenced by the brand reputation and viceversa. At the same time consumers are conscious of being influenced by brand marketing.

Exploring the Role of Wine in Destination Marketing: The Case of Verona (An Extended Abstract)

The aim of this research is to understand the role of wine as a perceived component of the image of an urban tourism destination and measure the weight of wine in shaping the destination image. Although many studies have shown that the typical wine and food offer is a pivotal component of the tourist experience also for an urban destination (see, e.g. Lu et al. 2015, for the case of a historic district), its actual weight in tourists’ choice and satisfaction is still unknown.

Determinants of winegrowers’ profitability: evidence from an Eastern Europe wine region

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main determinants of winegrowers’ profitability in Eastern Europe with the ultimate purpose to improve the wine industry competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach The research is focussed on the Moldova region (Romania), a little studied wine-growing area that presents potential for the future development of the wine industry. A hierarchical approach is applied to consider the simultaneous effects of climate aspects, vineyard features, winegrowers’ characteristics and management practices on vineyards’ profitability. The model is based on data from 274 vineyards managed by 64 winegrowers, where 32 different grape varieties are cultivated in different districts. Different scenarios are simulated and alternative policies are analysed. Findings Climate aspects and human factors, particularly the educational level and type of agriculture practiced, emerge as main determinants. Farmers’ climate change perceptions also have a primary role. The grape variety affects profitability differences across vineyards at a lower extent. Research limitations/implications The study suggests an approach easily replicable to other viticultural contexts. Practical implications Results are useful for policymakers in order to forecast the impact of policies devoted to improving the wine industry competitiveness in Eastern Europe. Originality/value The study presents a micro-scale analysis in which the effects of climate aspects, vineyard features, winegrowers’ characteristics and management practices are simultaneously estimated. It also produces new knowledge in a little studied wine region.

Terroir in a Bottle: Segmenting Consumer Choices in Generation Y

This study aims to understand the terroir effect in influencing consumer’s choice and measure the utility given by the terroir attributes conveyed on a wine label, verifying the heterogeneity of consumer’s evaluation process. It analyzes young consumers belonging to Generation Y, from Italy, applying a Discrete Choice Experiment. An online survey was carried out by a sample of 982 respondents. Latent Class Choice Models were applied and seven latent classes were identified. Findings reveal that while terroir remains important for most of the young consumers, how it is construed and the cues which denote it vary substantially. Managerial implications emerge in terms of search for luxury and fashion cues, traditional representations of terroir and reassurance attributes, and of different price sensitivity.