Researcher tells industry “we’re not normal”
If you’ve had wine in the last seven days and if you bought wine over $15 in the last three months – If you have more than 18 bottles in your house at any given moment and if you’ve tried a bottle of New Zealand wine in the last year, YOU’RE NOT A NORMAL WINE CONSUMER.
Not to worry though. Leslie Joseph, vice president consumer research and consumer affairs for Constellation Wines U.S. and lead researcher for Project Genome™* has a game plan for wine industry professionals who (by this definition) just “aren’t normal” but who want to sell more wine this decade — “Pay attention to the fundamentals and focus on blocking and tackling.” If that sounds more like the game plan for the Bears and Colts this Super Bowl season, Joseph can explain. “When it comes to selling more wine, the best strategy is to enjoy the “sexy” segments (which according to Project Genome include the “Enthusiast”, the “Image Seeker” and the “Savvy Shopper”), and focus on “blocking and tackling” in Project Genome’s “Traditionalists”, “Satisfied Sippers”, and “Overwhelmed” populations,” said Joseph.
According to Project Genome research, if consumers in the “Traditionalist” profile (those who tend to buy national and well known brands) were to buy just 12 more bottles of wine a year, the wine industry would get a $630 million boost, or a 4% increase in retail dollars. And, if the “Overwhelmed” consumer (the consumer who needs a little help selecting wines) was to buy just six more bottles of wine a year, the industry would make $245 million more, or increase retail dollars by 2%. In short, explained Joseph, “Traditionalists” want well known brands, “Satisfied Sippers” want to find their brands easily, and “Overwhelmed” consumers just need lots of help making a selection.
Other Project Genome facts to consider from the “blocking and tackling” segments:
• “Traditionalists” make up 16% of consumers and represent 13% of profits
• “Satisfied Sippers” represent 14% of consumers and 7% of profits, and
• “Overwhelmed” consumers make up 23% of consumers and 11% of profits
Joseph, who pioneered Project Genome for Constellation Wines U.S. in 2005, shared these findings and more with industry leaders at the 11th annual Unified Symposium in Sacramento, California on January 25. The annual event is the largest wine and grape show in the nation. Joseph was part of a panel discussion called 10 Things You Need to Know to Sell More Wine This Decade. Other industry experts on the panel were Rich Boone of Solomon Wine Company (California), John Gillespie of the Wine Market Council (California), and Robert Koch of the Wine Institute (California).
*About Project Genome
Project Genome debuted in 2005 as one of the largest consumer research projects ever conducted by the wine industry. The online study of more than 3,500 premium wine consumers indicated then that there was no typical wine consumer; rather, consumers tend to fall into six unique segments, each with its own set of attributes, motivations, preferences and shopping behaviors. Project Genome results provide fresh insights on premium wine consumer’s drinking and buying habits and on psychological and lifestyle factors. To learn more, visit www.constellationwinesus.com
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