Branding and the Cyprus wine industry

Abstract

A traditional industry confronting market change is examined here, for the wine industry is important to the economy of Cyprus. Cyprus had to reinvent itself as a wine producer after receiving a double blow: losing its main product, sherry, as a result of nomenclature protection by the European Union and the loss of its largest market after the fall of communism. The objective here is to examine the product (wine) and how it may be improved and upgraded for a more sophisticated market. Product quality and branding then immediately rise to the fore but to ensure that all the issues are being properly addressed, soundings were taken from local, Greek and international wine professionals as well as local consumers. There are 52 wineries in Cyprus but the industry is controlled by four main companies and tied mainly to a local grape variety, Mavro. The grapes are grown by people independent of the wineries and this has been a long-standing issue--affecting wine quality--as has the distance between where the grapes are grown and the wineries themselves. The methodology involved focus groups, depth interviews and an e-mail survey. Respondents were local consumers and wine experts who fell into three groups: local Cypriot, Greek and International. The findings reveal an industry that is still growing, but fragmented and dominated by the big four Cyprus wineries--KEO, ETKO, SODAP and LOEL, formulating the Cyprus Wine Producers' Association (ΣOK--Συ´νδ[varepsilon]σμο[varsigma] Oινοπαραγωγω´ν Kυπρου), that possess 75.5 per cent of the market. Way below is the market share of imported wines (16 per cent) and small local wineries (8.5 per cent) that fall under the umbrella of the Bacchus Association (Bacchus is equated with Dionysus, the god of wine in Greek mythology). There is also great secrecy and unwillingness on behalf of local wineries to work together, which serves to perpetuate existing weaknesses and work against attempts to develop branding associations. The inescapable conclusion is that necessary change will require the adoption of branding that in turn will require greater investment in the product and then its promotion and labelling

The family variable in the French and Italian wine sector

“…The wine sector Attention was devoted to the wine sector literature, considering different topics, such as the "food tourism phenomenon" and the positive impact on regional competitiveness and its drivers. In addition, an assessment was made of the trend in wine consumption in different countries, as a consequence of changing geography in the wine sector (Anderson and Wittwer, 2013;Gillespie, 2005;Rossi et al, 2012;Thrassou and Vrontis, 2006, 2010Thach and Olsen, 2005;Thach, 2013;Vrontis and Paliwoda, 2008;Vrontis and Papasolomou, 2007;Vrontis andThrassou, 2011, 2014;Vrontis et al, 2006Vrontis et al, , 2011b.…”

How Loyal are Italian Consumers to Wine Attributes?

“…As reported by Vrontis and Paliwoda (2008), several authors debated the meaning and the definition of the brand concept. Levitt (1986) stated that a successful seller must surround his or her product with a cluster of value satisfaction factors, proving to customers a total proposition and a reason to buy.…”

Sensory and chemical profiling of Cypriot wines made from indigenous grape varieties Xynisteri, Maratheftiko and Giannoudhi and acceptability to Australian consumers

“…The white grape Xynisteri is the most widely planted white variety in Cyprus and is utilised for table wine, the sweet wine Commandaria and traditional sweets. Maratheftiko is considered a red floral variety capable of producing high quality wines and the rare Giannoudhi has been gaining popularity recently with the local market (Vrontis and Paliwoda, 2008). To date there is limited research on sensory and chemical profiling of wines made from Cypriot grape varieties.…”