The design of the wine label is one of the most important marketing decisions for wineries. Wine labels influence consumer behavior. While previous studies have focused on the front labels of red wines, a recent research study focuses on the effects of color on back labels and includes white wine varieties. The study, “A curious tale of wine labelling: how the colour of a wine label influences purchase intention,” by Joshi et al. in the Journal of Wine Research also delves into consumer involvement and curiosity as mediating roles in influencing purchasing intention.
The 491 study participants from the United States were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions, including wine type (red vs. white) and back label color (black and white vs. color). A valid and reliable scale adapted from previous studies measures involvement, curiosity, and purchase. The article includes an extensive literature review of existing research on labels and their influence on consumer behavior.
Here are the main takeaways from the study:
- The color of the back wine label significantly influences consumer involvement, with black and white labels showing higher involvement than color labels.
- The effect of label color on purchase intentions is mediated by curiosity, with black and white labels for red wine leading to a higher level of curiosity, which leads to purchase intentions.
- Applying construal-level theory to understand the reasons for these responses, black-and-white labels are associated with abstract thinking and high-level temporal distance, which tends to increase involvement and purchase intentions.
- Emotions, such as curiosity, are a mechanism that explains how wine types and the color of the back label influence consumer judgment and purchase intention.
This study provides valuable insights into the role of label color in wine marketing, suggesting that black and white labels, particularly for red wine, can enhance consumer involvement and purchase intentions by stimulating curiosity. This research highlights the importance of strategic label design in influencing consumer perceptions and behaviors.
Saket Joshi, Rory Mulcahy, Cleone Ladlow, Brad Eskridge, Vicki Andonopoulos and Gavin Northey document their research, including limitations and future research, in the article, “A curious tale of wine labelling: how the colour of a wine label influences purchase intention” published in the Journal of Wine Research on February 1, 2024.
The Journal of Wine Research, initiated by the Institute of Masters of Wine, is a multidisciplinary and international journal that disseminates recent research findings on viticulture, oenology, and the global wine industry. Its focus areas encompass various disciplines such as biochemistry, sociology, and marketing to encourage interdisciplinary scholarly and scientific research in these fields.
