Liz Thach

Wowing the millennials: creating brand equity in the wine industry

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to examine the attitudes of millennial wine consumers and determine if positive affect in tasting room situations leads to higher levels of brand equity for the winery.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was developed to evaluate winery tasting room experiences based on standardized brand measurement scales. In total 80 millennials visited tasting rooms and then completed the survey to evaluate their experience.Findings – The results of this research empirically support the anecdotal evidence that, through positive emotions associated with the tasting room experiences, wineries can cultivate relationships with millennial customers that may lead to long‐term, profitable relationships through continued patronage and brand loyalty.Originality/value – Practical application of this study suggests that carefully orchestrating a tasting room experience to create a positive experience for the millennial customer appears to be a critical component of post‐purchase attitudes...

Wine 2.0: The next phase of wine marketing? Exploring US winery adoption of wine 2.0 components

The advent of Wine 2.0—which incorporates components such as social networking, blogs, vlogs, and interactive e-commerce—has the potential to change the way wine consumers interact with wineries, wine retailers, and fellow wine consumers. This research study of 208 US wineries investigates to what extent wineries are adopting Wine 2.0 components as part of their marketing strategy, and how well they respond to online customer requests. Utilizing both content analyses of websites and frequency and types of responses to customer emails, this study illustrates that there is much opportunity for US wineries to advance in this new arena of wine Internet marketing. The study is useful for wine marketing/PR executives and wine business researchers, and includes a list of suggestions to incorporate Wine 2.0 components into traditional marketing strategy.

Generation Y and sparkling wines: A cross-cultural perspective

Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the engagement of Generation Y consumers with champagne and sparkling wine across five Anglophone countries.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was adopted using focus groups with young consumers, including images and wine tasting as projective stimuli.Findings – There were significant trans‐cultural similarities between consumption behaviour (sparkling wine is a womens drink, and a separate category from still wine, and that they will “grow into” drinking it) but also noticeable differences (responses to images and colours varied substantially, as did attitudes to price and the particular status of champagne).Research limitations/implications – Research into the behaviour of Generation Y as a cohort needs to take account of cultural as much as generational context. However, as a qualitative study the findings need further quantitative validation.Practical implications – Marketers cannot view Generation Y as a single group; ev...

Leading in limbo land: the role of a leader during merger and acquisition transition

As the number of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) continues to increase on a global basis, more leaders are called upon to develop their M&A transition skills. But what is the role of a leader when it has just been announced that their organization has been acquired or merged? How do leaders keep themselves and others motivated and focused on work goals, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth? This article introduces an M&A leadership model, describing six skill categories leaders should develop to support themselves, their employees, and their organizations through successful M&A transition.

Wine tourists’ use of sources of information when visiting a USA wine region

This study investigates the sources of information people (n = 334) use when deciding to embark on a wine tourism excursion by visiting a USA wine region environment. The study’s overall aim was to establish whether there are differences between first-time and repeat and between in-state- and out-of-state-based visitors in terms of sources of information they use to plan their visit to a wine region and how situational and sociodemographic variables relate to these. Specific differences exist in the information sources used by first-time and repeat wine tourists. Repeat visitors use informal sources such as exposure to a regional winery’s label, attending a tasting elsewhere and previous visits to the region significantly more than first-time visitors, who are more inclined to use formal sources such as brochures/pamphlets and the visitor information bureau. Word of mouth is used more than any other source by both in-state- and out-of-state-based visitors. Across the board, wine tourists did not differ much in their use of these sources by gender or age generation, with the exception of female millennials, in which case word of mouth and brochures/pamphlets were used significantly more.

Time for wine? Identifying differences in wine-drinking occasions for male and female wine consumers

This study examines the two important wine marketing variables of occasion and gender. The methodology includes in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 California wine consumers (15 men and 15 women) and an online quantitative survey with a representative sample of 305 California wine consumers (155 men and 150 women). Results confirm that of the 22 occasions analyzed, there are 16 in which California men and women drink wine at similar frequency. Common gender motivations include drinking wine to enhance food, because they like the taste, and for relaxation. Differences in motivation indicate that men are more interested in discussing the technical aspects of wine and exhibiting knowledge, whereas women want to relax and socialize with friends over wine. The results both support and provide new findings for the research literature, and point to future research opportunities. In addition, implications for wine marketing are provided.

A model and exploratory study for promoting professional sales in winery visitor centers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a model for promoting professional sales in winery visitor centers, as well as the results of an exploratory study to test the model.Design/methodology/approach – A survey methodology was used to evaluate the sales behavior of winery personnel in three popular wine tourist regions of California, USA. In total, 284 mystery shopper evaluations were completed and analyzed. In addition, a professional sales model for winery visitor centers was developed based on secondary sources drawn from the literature.Findings – Results indicate that some of the winery visitor centers have adopted professional sales techniques and trained their staff to perform these tasks, but there is still ample opportunity to improve. Sales presentations could become more interactive in many cases, and relationship and trust building actions could be emphasized more.Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to three wine regions in California, and only provides descript...

Designing effective wine clubs: an analysis of the components of the winery wine club.

Abstract This qualitative research study, utilising document analysis, identifies the various components of winery wine clubs available to prospective wine club members. This includes a frequency report of the wine club practices in use today as described by wine club brochures and supporting materials, as well as a verification of the wine club components described in industry literature. In addition, a check-list of 30 wine club components is presented. The study is useful for the wine club manager, the wine club member/customer, or organisations and individuals interested in winery marketing to advance the understanding of the span of choices in the marketplace.

Variety seeking by wine consumers in the southern states of the US

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate variety-seeking behavior among US wine consumers to determine if there are differences in their personal characteristics, values and relationship with wine. Design/methodology/approach – The research design uses a quantitative research study using data from an online survey of 401 US wine consumers. The Schwartz Value Inventory and the VARSEEK scale are used as measurement instruments. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, ANOVA and discriminate analysis. Findings – The results illustrate strong differences between high variety-seeking consumers compared to moderate variety-seeking and variety avoiders. High variety seekers are younger, hold values favoring stimulation and tolerance of risk, pay more for wine, purchase wine in more locations, prefer more varietals and consider themselves more wine knowledgeable and involved than the other two segments. Practical implications – The results provide implications for wine market...

Successful Social Media and Ecommerce Strategies in the Wine Industry

Social media and ecommerce has an enormous impact in todays wine industry, particularly among the Internet-savvy millennial generation. This book analyzes new communication platforms used in digital wine marketing, allowing students and researchers to understand how both producers and consumers deal with these modern communication and selling platforms. Providing in-depth examples from around the world, the contributing authors explore how wineries use Facebook and other social media platforms to interact with consumers, crowdsourcing techniques to build a new wine business, cross-cultural analysis, and other tactics that give insight into the world of digital wine marketing.