PurposeThis paper aims to offer an in‐depth analysis of Generation Y's choices concerning the consumption of wine and other alcoholic drinks by examining the consumption situations in a traditional wine‐producing country.Design/methodology/approachThe 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.FindingsGeneration 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 implicationsThe research identifies some advantages of wine over other types of alcoholic beverages and some weaknesses in the strategies of wine companies. Consequently, six marketing topics emerge in order to develop a constructive relationship with Generation Y in Italy.Originality/valueThis paper applies discrete choice models to consumption situations in order to analyse the variety of contexts, components and products compared with Generation Y's preferences. It analyses the role of consumption situations in driving behaviour choices towards alcoholic beverages.

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 business's strategic orientation with its digital-marketing strategy and its social media tactics. It also includes specific evaluation criteria to measure the impact on the business's strategic objectives. Research limitations/implications – The applied research approach should be extended to other business typologies and wine-producing countries to allow the generalisation of results. In addition, the monitoring period should be extended to confirm the reliability of results. Originality/value – The applied methodology can be adopted more broadly, and it underlines managerial implications that can be extended to the rest of the Italian wine industry, as well as to the parts of the wine sector that are dominated by the presence of SMEs.

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 aim of this study 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. 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 meals and strongly prefer to know that ingredients are nationally sourced. Strong regional differences in price premiums exist for enhanced food safety standards. Originality/value-This research adds relevant insights in the analysis of consumers' reaction to food fraud, providing practical guidelines on the most appropriate practices that producers should adopt and on the information to reduce food risk perception among consumers. This would prove beneficial for the food processing industry and the European Union. The survey is based on a representative sample of European consumers making this the largest cross country study of this kind.

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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 interconnected concept of risk. The risk is perceived to a greater extent when it has to do with the functional nature of the product linked to its sensory component, rather than with its social or health connotations. Originality/value – This study assesses the role of intrinsic and extrinsic cues and of the perceived behavioural control, assumed as closely interconnected with the concept of risk, in explaining wine consumption intention and behaviour. Perceived behavioural control was omitted by previous studies applying the reasoned action approach to explain wine consumption behaviour.