Wine: Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Design

Abstract

Considers the role of design as a marketing tool for the wine industry. The meaning of design and its relationship to marketing is defined then explored from a number of perspectives to demonstrate its relevance to modern wine making techniques. Examines the possibilities for a design led approach to wine making using case material from an English Winery. Concludes that design offers real opportunities in wine making as a means for developing effective marketing strategies.

Imagery and Consumption of Wine: A Southern United States Case Study

“…Barber, Almanza, and Donovan (2006), and Barber and Almanza (2006) found that many consumers feel intimidated by aspects of wine packaging, such as the information placed on labels. Barber and Almanza (2006) also refer to previous studies (Jennings & Wood, 1994;Chaney, 2000;Bloch, Brunel, & Arnold, 2003) that identified the importance of the packaging of wine bottles as a key component in the promotion and consumption of wines. These issues, while not directly linked to product imagery may, however, have direct implications for ways in which consumers view the wine product.…”

Auditing the identity of regional wine brands: the case of Swiss Merlot Ticino

“…Some considered the recognizability of individual products to be positive, while others believed that the individualism predominant in the Merlot Ticino production system is negative because it can create obstacles to the recognition of the Merlot Ticino brand. Similar considerations held for the shape of labels, which-in the vast majority of cases (70 percent of respondents to the content analysis)-were different from the traditional dimensions of European red wines (Jennings and Wood, 1994). …”

“…Such "reassuring" packaging elements for wines are those designed in a traditional manner, following the approaches of the European wine tradition. For instance, the bordelaise bottle for red wines and the cork seals suggest tradition (Jennings and Wood, 1994;Murray and Lockshin, 1997). Meanwhile, innovative and experimental designs may appear threatening to consumers, or they may induce curiosity or a sense of adventure (Cox and Cox, 1988), so they tend to be appreciated by consumers who seek novel experiences (Veryzer and Hutchinson, 1998).…”

“…On one side are the shapes of Merlot Ticino bottles (bordelaise for 89 percent of survey respondents), cork seals (used by all producers), logo designs, and typefaces that are highly reassuring. The bordelaise bottle and the cork seals are linked to a tradition of wine (Jennings and Wood, 1994;Murray and Lockshin, 1997) and project the traditionalism of Merlot Ticino. According to the guidelines developed by Henderson and Cote (1998), wineries' logos are harmonious and proportioned, rather than natural or elaborate.…”

“…The codebook is developed in regard to three objects: wine, wineries, and destination ( fig. 1), and the content analysis examines communication materials such as brochures, labels, back labels (Charters and Lockshin, 2000), websites (Stevens and Burns, 2005), advertising, press releases (Chaney, 2000), logos, and packaging (Jennings and Wood, 1994). The audit of formal communications is intended to reveal the projected identity of the brand, which is the input that external targets actually receive and interpret to form an image of the regional wine brand.…”