Natalia Velikova

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...

The development of an objective wine knowledge scale: the item response theory approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of objective knowledge operationalisation with specific focus on varying levels of scale items’ difficulty. The ultimate goal of the study was to develop a scale to measure objective wine knowledge, which would address the domain of wine knowledge and differentiate varying levels of consumer wine knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – The process of items’ development was guided by recommendations suggested by DeVellis (2003) in his influential work on theory and application of scale development. Examination of items’ performance was conducted through a series of field tests with consumer samples (N = 756) in a US wine region. Item response theory (IRT) approach was applied for items’ testing. The developed items were analysed using the two-parameter logistic model in Mplus Version 5. Findings – The study offers a 44-item test suitable for assessing wine knowledge across a broad spectrum of expertise. For example, if the goal is to assess wine ...

Evaluating tastes and aromas of wine: a peek inside the “black box”

Purpose – Wine tasting is an integral method for engaging consumers. Producers go to great lengths to educate consumers on evaluating quality based on taste and aroma. Understanding the sensory and perceptual processes of wine tasting may offer insight into how consumers at different levels of wine expertise use their senses to evaluate wine. Design/methodology/approach – This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to examine processing in the frontal lobe of the brain during wine tasting and aroma evaluation. Sixty subjects evaluated the tastes and aromas of wine samples with various levels of sweetness, whereas 16 defined areas of their frontal lobes were measured with functional near infrared measurement. Findings – The subjects’ orbitofrontal cortices were activated during both olfaction (smelling) and tasting. Further, larger areas of the frontal lobes showed significant activation during the olfaction task than during the tasting task. The level of the subjects’ wine knowledge did not pred...

Information Sources Used by Millennial Restaurant Wine Consumers

An on-line survey was used to identify information sources used by U.S. Millennials for restaurant wine purchases based on experience, involvement, and subjective and objective wine knowledge. The most to least used information sources include wine list, server, self, and friends, respectively. Standard multiple regression determined that level of experience influenced the use of personal information sources. More experience and higher levels of subjective knowledge and objective knowledge all pointed to the use of self as an information source. No significant differences were found among generational segments.

Exploration of factors influencing body image satisfaction and purchase intent

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors impact body image satisfaction of Generation Y college age and young professional females born between the years of 1980 and 1993, age 20-33 years in the State of Texas. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey created in Qualtrics was e-mailed to recruit research participants. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed in IBM SPSS Statistics 21. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability, computing variable mean, and linear multiple regression were performed. The variables explored were divided and grouped into major factors. Findings – Millennial females are influenced by their own personal preferences, morals and beliefs, and certain occasions, seasons, climate, and the weather. These factors significantly influence body image satisfaction. The model developed in this study provides researchers with a new perspective on body image satisfaction and purchase intent. This study extends the theory of reasoned action by identifying spe...

Seriously pink: a cross-cultural examination of the perceived image of rosé wine

Purpose – This paper aims to examine consumer preferences and perceptions of rose wine with an ultimate purpose of constructing a perceived image of rose in the cross-cultural context. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in four markets, comprising the USA, New Zealand, France and the UK. The data were collected via a structured questionnaire through a combination of survey administration modes (pen-and-paper and online). Descriptive statistics, chi-square, factor analysis and ANOVA were used for analysis. Findings – One of the key findings revolves around the construction of the perceived image of rose and how this image varies in different markets. Effectively, this study presents an overview of the perceived reputation of rose in four different market structures, shaped by different cultural and image management issues. Practical implications – The most crucial implication of this research is the cultural variation in consumer attitudes toward rose wine and its impact on marketing str...

A discrete choice experiment of the impact of consumers’ environmental values, ethical concerns, and health consciousness on food choices: A cross-cultural analysis

Over the last few decades, consumers’ concerns for healthier lifestyles and the environment have become the driving forces for forming food-buying intentions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of product attributes regarding nutrition and health benefits of products, the environmental impact of production and social responsibility of producers on consumers’ food and wine choices.,The empirical analysis is based on an online survey conducted in the USA, the UK and Germany, and incorporates a discrete choice experiment with visual shelf simulations.,Price and nutrition information are much more influential on consumers’ food choices than information about social responsibility of producers or the ecological impact of production. Product attributes emphasizing the ecological impact of production and social responsibility of food producers are specifically valued by consumers with high levels of environmental consciousness and by those concerned about goods production. Consumers who are health conscious regarding their lifestyle and diets derive high utility values from the nutritional information of the product.,The study contributes to an understanding of how to promote healthier food and wine choices and social and environmental responsibility of food and wine producers in various markets.,The study offers a comparison of product attributes concerning ecological, social, nutrition and health benefits of the product; as well the investigation of congruent interrelationships between the consumers’ values and related product attributes in three culturally distinct consumer groups.

Status or fun? A cross-cultural examination of young consumers’ responses to images of champagne and sparkling wine

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test Luna and Gupta’s (2001) investigative framework on the interaction of cultural values and consumer behaviour by conducting a cross-cultural comparison of young wine consumers’ interpretation of images of champagne and sparkling wine. The research examined consumer responses to the images through the prism of the relationship between symbolism, ritual and myth, as well as other related values. Design/methodology/approach – In a series of focus groups with consumers from four anglophone countries (the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the UK), six images of champagne and sparkling wine were used as stimuli to encourage affective and cognitive perspectives on the topic. Findings – Overall, the UK market showed distinct differences from the other markets, due very much to its cultural context. The UK consumers valued traditional advertising; focused mainly on the product itself; and did not associate champagne with fun. Respondents from the New World focused on the...

Marketing effectiveness of hotel Twitter accounts: the case of Saudi Arabia.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between consumers’ attitudes toward hotel Twitter accounts and attitudes toward hotel brands, booking intentions and electronic word-of-mouth. The study focuses on Saudi Arabia owing to the widespread use of Twitter in that market.,Modifying a previously developed theoretical model on marketing effectiveness of social media, this study empirically tests consumers’ attitudes toward hotel Twitter accounts. Data have been collected via a structured online survey. A confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model fit have been used to test the model.,When consumers have positive attitudes toward hotel tweets, they have positive attitudes toward the hotel’s Twitter account, which, in turn, improves their attitudes toward the hotel’s brand and results in intent to book and spread electronic word of mouth.,The study contributes to the body of knowledge about social media marketing effectiveness in the hospitality industry.,本研究旨在于探索酒店消费者对于酒店Twitter营销的态度以及酒店Twitter营销对打造酒店品牌、消费者预订酒店行为、和电子口碑营销的影响。由于Twitter在沙特阿拉伯地区的广泛流行，本研究将沙特阿拉伯为案例进行调研。,本研究在前人建立的社交媒体营销有效性模型的基础上，进行改进创新，并且实地调研了消费者对于酒店Twitter营销账户的态度。本研究采用网上问卷采样的方式，样本经过验证性因子分析法和结构方程模型的分析，来进行模型的测试。,本研究表明，当消费者对于酒店Tweets持有积极态度的时候，他们对于酒店Twitter账户也同样保持积极态度，同时这种积极态度也会增进他们对于酒店品牌的认知，消费者更加愿意预订酒店房间，以及为酒店电子口碑营销。,本研究结果对于酒店行业中社交媒体的营销有效性的探索有着积极贡献。

Reaching the U.S. Hispanic Wine Market: Highlighting the Opportunities

ABSTRACT With over 50 million Hispanics living in the United States commanding 1.2 trillion dollars in purchasing power, Hispanic wine consumers may comprise a lucrative market for the saturated wine industry. Yet the wine industry has largely ignored consumers who do not fit the profile of its traditional demographic base. This study aims to fill a gap in the existing body of knowledge on Hispanic consumers of wine. Building on acculturation theory, the current study investigates predominant attitudes, opinions, and interests of the Hispanic consumer relating to wine consumption. The results of three focus groups indicate that the core cultural values of family, food, and social interaction are critical factors in developing an interest in wine among Hispanic wine consumers. Levels of acculturation also play a significant role in wine consumption among Hispanic consumers. Special attention should be addressed to younger, more acculturated consumers, as they are not only the primary consumers of wine but also advocates for wine for their parents and other groups of consumers.