Stephen Charters, Nathalie Spielmann and Barry J. Babin
The aim of this paper is to consider place as a value proposition, in the context of Resource-Advantage Theory, by analysing the concept of terroir, including its antecedents and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to consider place as a value proposition, in the context of Resource-Advantage Theory, by analysing the concept of terroir, including its antecedents and consequences.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conceptually analyse the role of place in marketing by contrasting terroir to three other approaches: “in the style of […]”; “made in […]” and Protected Designations of Origin. They explore the impact of terroir on a range of products, offering a series of terroir value propositions.
Findings
Versus other place links, terroir offers a more specific Resource-Advantage, operating at environmental, philosophical and commercial levels. It offers a unique form of value to both consumers (e.g. identity, authenticity, cultural rootedness) and producers (e.g. irreproducibility, potential legal protection).
Research limitations/implications
Propositions address the antecedents and consequences of the terroir designation, the impact of consumer engagement, perceived authenticity and the added value offered to other regional goods. Additionally, how terroir may form a barrier to market entry, the relationship it has with the territorial brand, whether it offers greater product longevity and how it can be used as leverage for other related place-based brands and tourism are examined.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to address terroir as a marketing concept and to situate it within other forms of place marketing. It provides a definition, outlines the ways in which terroir creates value and provides a research agenda for future engagement with the concept.
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Stephen Charters and Martin O'Neill
The provision of service at the cellar door is now beginning to attract some attention, which is critical given that wine tourism is a very lucrative industry with the ability to…
Abstract
The provision of service at the cellar door is now beginning to attract some attention, which is critical given that wine tourism is a very lucrative industry with the ability to generate substantial wealth and growth. This paper develops the application of the SERVQUAL research approach, already used in Margaret River, and applies it to the Barossa Valley. It outlines the results of a survey in the latter region, and draws some comparative conclusions with the Western Australian data. It produces some conclusions about those features deemed important by visitors in their overall satisfaction ratings of the cellar door experience including the impact of that experience on subsequent purchase behaviour, and it also highlights some of the differences between wine tourists in the two states.
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Nathalie Spielmann and Stephen Charters
This article aims to empirically test the terroir concept and tackles the issues of origin, typicity and legality. Whilst this has previously been examined at a theoretical level…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to empirically test the terroir concept and tackles the issues of origin, typicity and legality. Whilst this has previously been examined at a theoretical level, the research uses a study of producer and consumer perceptions to examine the multidimensional nature of terroir and its relationship with authenticity.
Design/methodology/approach
A preliminary list of terroir items was aggregated from the literature and placed in an online questionnaire that was distributed to an industry sample and then to a consumer panel in France. Quality perceptions, anticipated satisfaction and purchase intent of terroir products were also included. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were conducted, as were linear regressions between uncovered dimensions and the dependent variables.
Findings
The results show that the terroir concept comprises three dimensions that relate to authenticity: product, internalised and institutional authenticity. All three dimensions are positively correlated. Each of these dimensions can be related to satisfaction, quality perceptions and purchase intent, although the intensity and valence will depend on the relationship of the respondent to wine.
Originality/value
Prior to this research, there were no empirical results to support the multidimensional nature of terroir. As well, the distinct relationship between terroir and types of authenticity is defined.
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This research investigates wine drinkers' engagement with sparkling wine, including why they drink it, how they evaluate it, and certain country‐based preferences they have for…
Abstract
This research investigates wine drinkers' engagement with sparkling wine, including why they drink it, how they evaluate it, and certain country‐based preferences they have for it. It used qualitative processes with both professional and non‐professional informants, and was designed to explore in depth what drinkers feel about the product and their appraisal of its quality. The study confirms some existing assumptions about sparkling wine (for instance, its role as a symbol of celebration and country of origin issues) but also offers new suggestions about its function. Specifically, the study suggests that consumption of sparkling wine has more symbolic than experiential significance — and specifically that the role of memory and recollection may be important for some consumers. It also highlights the problems many drinkers have evaluating sparkling wine due to factors inherent in the style of wine (such as delicacy and mousse), as well as extraneous issues such as a paucity of benchmarks. The findings are useful to the marketer of sparkling wine as they offer insights into the motivation of those who drink it.
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Anne‐Louise Morton, Cheryl Rivers, Stephen Charters and Wendy Spinks
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the engagement of Australian consumers when buying and drinking Champagne.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the engagement of Australian consumers when buying and drinking Champagne.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper identified seven variables a priori that were expected to influence consumers' decisions and then used exploratory interviews to investigate how Champagne consumers were influenced by these. The authors interviewed Champagne marketers, sellers, educators, connoisseurs and aspirational consumers. The interview protocol allowed respondents to identify other variables.
Findings
The paper identified two new variables that, inter alia, influence Australian consumers in their Champagne selection. These were the kudos that comes from the people they serve or give it to and their sentimentality about previous experiences of Champagne consumption. The two new variables are the focus of this paper.
Research limitations/implications
The exploratory nature of this research means larger studies are needed to confirm the preliminary findings, particularly in other, non Anglo‐Saxon cultures.
Practical implications
Champagne houses could place greater emphasis on kudos and sentimentality in their marketing campaigns; additionally cultural issues could affect how the two factors operate in different markets.
Originality/value
Kudos and sentimentality have not been previously emphasised in the wine consumer behaviour literature.
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Stephen Charters, David Menival, Benoit Senaux and Svetlana Serdukov
The aim of this study is to consider how key actors in a territorial brand view the creation of value, and how it is balanced between the territorial and individual brands – using…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to consider how key actors in a territorial brand view the creation of value, and how it is balanced between the territorial and individual brands – using champagne as a means of exploring this.
Design/methodology/approach
The project was exploratory and a qualitative process involving interviews with key actors in the region was adopted.
Findings
Members of the champagne industry adopt a range of views about the nature of value, focusing on image, reputation and perceived quality, but varying between an individualist approach (which considers that value creation lies with the proprietary brands) and a more collectivist perspective, which considers it is predominantly the result of the territorial brand.
Research limitations/implications
Research into the organisation of territorial brands is just beginning; while merely exploratory this research suggests that issues around value merit further consideration.
Practical implications
Actors within a territorial brand need to clearly negotiate how they view value in order to maintain coherence and a common message. They may also need to pay more attention to issues around brand co-creation.
Originality/value
No research in this precise field has previously been carried out and this study highlights variations in the perceptions of key actors within a territorial brand.
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Simone Pettigrew and Stephen Charters
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the benefits of tasting as a projective technique (PT) in explicating consumers' thoughts and feelings towards food and beverage…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the benefits of tasting as a projective technique (PT) in explicating consumers' thoughts and feelings towards food and beverage products.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, ten focus groups were conducted with 35 consumers, 14 wine producers, and 13 mediators. The mediator category included those involved in marketing, wholesaling, retailing, and judging wine. Participants in each focus group were given the same four wines to taste. Initially they were invited to discuss their views on wine quality. The participants were then presented with the wines and asked to discuss their responses to them, particularly their perceptions of the quality of the wines.
Findings
The primary findings related to: the changes in apparent certainty levels amongst professionals and high‐involvement informants; exposure of real and contradictory preferences; role of cognitive, affective, and sensory responses to wine; and interpretation of the language of tasting.
Research limitations/implications
Tasting as a PT has the potential to generate additional and insightful data that can increase our appreciation of the complexities involved in consumption experiences. In particular, it can reveal the uncertainty that can affect consumers' product evaluations and explicate the multiple evaluation pathways that can be used by consumers of food and beverage products.
Originality/value
The paper is of value in showing that the ability of PTs to yield both stated and actual preferences provides insight into the salient external factors that impact on consumption decisions and gives an indication of where marketers could most effectively focus their product development and promotional attention.
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Steve Charters, Natalia Velikova, Caroline Ritchie, Joanna Fountain, Liz Thach, Tim H. Dodd, Nicola Fish, Frikkie Herbst and Nic Terblanche
The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the engagement of Generation Y consumers with champagne and sparkling wine across five Anglophone countries.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the engagement of Generation Y consumers with champagne and sparkling wine across five Anglophone countries.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was adopted using focus groups with young consumers, including images and wine tasting as projective stimuli.
Findings
There were significant trans‐cultural similarities between consumption behaviour (sparkling wine is a women's drink, and a separate category from still wine, and that they will “grow into” drinking it) but also noticeable differences (responses to images and colours varied substantially, as did attitudes to price and the particular status of champagne).
Research limitations/implications
Research into the behaviour of Generation Y as a cohort needs to take account of cultural as much as generational context. However, as a qualitative study the findings need further quantitative validation.
Practical implications
Marketers cannot view Generation Y as a single group; even within countries marketing strategies may need to be refined depending on where a product is being sold.
Originality/value
No trans‐cultural study on Generation Y has been carried out to date, nor has their engagement with sparkling wine been specifically explored.