How Do
You Rate as a Wine Drinker?
Whilst we
all think of ourselves as individuals when it comes to wine, the big
wine companies do not think of us in that way. They like to
classify us into neat compartments so that they can target us as
simple consumer segments.
Take the
latest research from US wine giant Constellation Brands. This
research surveyed approximately 3,500 consumers to understand
premium wine consumers and to find out what influenced their wine
buying decisions. The results segmented wine consumers into just
six categories – not all of them flattering to the consumer.
According to the study,
conducted by Copernicus Marketing Consulting and Research, Inc.,
premium wine consumers surveyed fell into six segments:
 |
-
Enthusiast,
-
Image Seeker,
-
Savvy Shopper,
-
Traditionalist,
-
Satisfied Sipper,
and
-
Overwhelmed.
|
Enthusiasts
are consumers who are passionate about the entire wine experience
from researching what they buy to sharing their discoveries with
friends and family.
Image Seekers
feel sophisticated on one hand and adventurous and trendy on the
other hand – they are just as likely to choose wine with
sophisticated labels as wine with fun, image-driven labels.
Savvy Shoppers
seek great wines at a great value; they enjoy drinking and shopping
for wine and believe that good wines need not cost a lot of money.
Traditionalists
want to feel that their wine is made by a well-known winery that’s
been around for a long time.
Satisfied Sippers
look for a sensible choice they can feel comfortable serving to
friends and family .
Overwhelmed
consumers, who make up the largest group, 23 percent, find shopping
for wine complex and worry about making a mistake. Good shelf
descriptions and retail and wait staff recommendations play a key
role in their purchase decisions.
The “Image
Seeker” segment was further explained in the research.
Image seekers apparently:
- buy
wines they feel make a statement about themselves, and are willing
to pay a premium.
- look
for brands that are expensive and traditional looking to make a
statement, but
- also
seek out brands that lack typical wine pomposity and include
stories they relate to.
“These findings give us a
dramatic, new level of understanding into consumers’ wine
preferences and needs – and represent bold new opportunities for the
U.S. wine industry to be more relevant to our consumers,” said
José Fernandez, president and CEO of Constellation Wines U.S.
“Just as the Human Genome Project was about understanding the DNA of
the human body, we named our research study Project GenomeSM
because we wanted to elevate our understanding of premium wine
consumers.”
The Human Genome Project?
Last time I looked, the Human Genome Project took 13 years of
research to unravel the 25,000 genes human DNA. This study asked
100 questions about their recent wine-buying habits, lifestyle and
hobbies. Questions were wide-ranging on everything from gardening
and entertaining to TV habits and travel. Detailed research maybe,
but hardly comparable to the Human Genome Project.
To participate in the study,
consumers must have purchased one or more 750 ml bottles of wine
with a price of US$5 or more per 750ml bottle or US$9 or more for a
1.5 litre bottle, or a premium 3L box, within 30 days of the survey.
Data was collected on retail purchase occasions representing more
than 7,400 bottles of wine, and on-premise drinking occasions
representing more than 3,400 bottles or glasses of wine.
Results of the study point
to new opportunities for companies to market wine to you. For
example, understanding that nearly one in four premium wine
consumers is “overwhelmed” may inspire new approaches to everything
from “how-to” in-store displays to novice-friendly restaurant wine
lists.
"Everybody wines with this
sort of research," said Fernandez. "Our retail and on-premise
partners will now have even better insights into their customers and
that can only lead to increased sales and more satisfied consumers."
So what category do you fit
into? Remember, there are only six possible categories!! |
