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  • Home
  • About
    • Team
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Wine Research

What is Your Wine Label Communicating to Consumers?

April 29, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D./CEO

Part 1

I’m constantly amazed at the vastness of my local wine store; it does a great job organizing thousands of bottles by region and varietal within region—all with enticing endcaps and displays. But unless I’ve arrived with a specific bottle in mind, I still have to decide which one (confession: it’s often bottles, plural) makes it into my cart. After I narrow down my desired region, varietal, and price point, what else is there to draw me toward a particular bottle?

Truth told, it’s the labeling.

I’m no sommelier (though I’m married to one in training) but I have been around the wine industry and purchased and consumed more than my share of bottles over the years. Still, labels—cosmetic presentations of contents and quantifiable characteristics—consistently break ties for me in the wine aisle. And I’m not the only one.

I’ve researched the alcohol beverage category on and off for over twenty years and have worked with winery teams on countless objectives, from sensory evaluation with product development teams to brand perception for marketing teams. Having talked to consumers at every stage of their wine-purchasing decision, perceptions, and consumption behavior, it is crystal clear that labeling is an increasingly critical component to the consumer experience.

Curious then, with the importance of labeling to a consumer’s purchase decision and the immense competition on retail shelves, why aren’t wine producers more inclined to leverage consumer research during their labeling efforts? I suppose one could argue that wine labels are largely artistic, and thereby their appeal is simply too subjective to be quantified in such a way so as to drive corporate investment decisions. But I would argue that with the ever-more creative labels appearing on store shelves, it is more important than ever that your label effectively communicates what YOU want your brand to represent, thereby solidifying your place on your target consumers’ tables and minds.

I ran across a quote recently that reads: “It’s always the ones who know the least about you who judge you the most” (author unknown). I’m inclined to agree. When it comes to wine, it’s your label that opens the door to the first nonverbal communication with prospective buyers. Your label is your brand’s face and the most visible means through which you market to your target audience. Label styling, artwork, and overall tone are likely to define consumer perception of your brand over time. I’ve worked with producers whose labels were effective 20 years ago, but now find themselves losing share to competitors largely because that 20-year old label is now perceived as stodgy or “wine my parents drink” (read: “not for me”).

If you’re a legacy brand with declining sales, you need to understand whether your labels are effectively communicating your intentions over time. Your brand identity may not have changed over the years (or has it?), but consumer perceptions may have, and label design trends almost certainly have. This is reflected in how different retail wine shelves look today versus a couple decades ago. But fear not! Updates to your label do not necessarily need to be total overhauls or significant departures from your current look. Sometimes a gentle refresh is just what the doctor ordered. Conversely, if your brand is a line extension or relative newcomer, it is more important than ever to start off on the right foot.

Either way, can you really afford NOT to conduct labeling research?

Stay tuned for my next blog, where I’ll talk about a few practical methods for labeling research. Till then, don’t hesitate to ping me to learn more about how we can help you in your wine labeling efforts.

Merrill Research—Experience You Can Count On.

Filed Under: David Schneer, Research Tagged With: blog, wine, Wine Industry, Wine Labels, Wine Research

What Makes a Wine Club Successful? It’s all About the Experience

February 26, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D./CEO

You might be tempted to say that people join wine clubs because they love great wine. Well, that’s only half right. Yes, members who remain part of a wine club year after year love wine, but they also love a special experience. Can you customize your wine club experience to appeal to the individual tastes of your members? Merrill Research has spent countless hours finding out what wine lovers want and don’t want from their wine club and we’ve put that into a high level infographic. From communication preferences and offerings/benefits to shipments and nurture tracks there are a number of points to think about and take action on. If you need deeper insight into improving the experience of your wine club members, contact Merrill Research. We’d love to help you make your wine club the best it can be.

Merrill Research—Experience You Can Count On.

Filed Under: David Schneer, Wine Clubs Tagged With: blog, wine, wine clubs, Wine Industry, Wine Research

What are consumers looking for in a wine club?

January 27, 2019 by Rich Stimbra

By David M. Schneer, Ph.D./CEO

Wine is a multi-billion-dollar industry. To stay competitive, wineries have introduced wine clubs to their marketing repertoire. Wine clubs inspire loyalty in customers and are a creative way to deepen the winery/customer relationship both monetarily and emotionally. If you own a winery, there is a good chance that you have a wine club.

Today I’m sharing a few results from our wine club survey. Specifically, a quick profile of wine club members. According to our research, the vast majority of members have personally visited the winery. They’re largely driven by access to hard-to-come-by wines, and personal winery experience or recommendations from others. It’s likely that your club is not the only club to which a member belongs, and a good portion are willing to bolt from one club in order to join another.

We’ve addressed this and other questions from our wine club survey, such as:

  • Why do consumers join wine clubs in the first place?
  • What suggestions do wine club members have regarding how to improve your wine club?
  • What is the number 1 reason why members quit a wine club?
  • Are there segments of consumers who are more likely to join a wine club? Who are they?
  • How important are non-local members, and how can you make your club a better experience for them?
  • How do shipping costs effect the wine club purchasing dynamic?

If you have asked yourself these questions and want to learn how to differentiate your wine club from your competitors, reach out to me at Merrill Research to learn more about our wine club study, and how you can benefit from talking to your own club members. In the meantime, take a look at our Wine Club Members at a Glance infographic to start you on your journey of creating the best wine club for your members.

Just Ask Amy is Amy Walters, Vice President of the food and beverage practice at Merrill Research. Amy has more than two decades of experience working in wine and spirits, foods, and technology. The foundation for Amy’s deep passion for consumer research was based on a wide variety of research projects she conducted in support of the largest, most recognizable wine and spirits, foods, and other consumer category companies in the world. If you have any questions for Amy, you can send her an email at awalters at jonathand149.sg-host.com.

You have a great wine club. Let Merrill Research help you make it even better.

Merrill Research, Experience You Can Count On

Filed Under: David Schneer, Grapes & Grain, Research, Wine Clubs Tagged With: blog, wine, wine clubs, Wine Industry, Wine Research

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