Editorial

Citation

Orth, U.R. (2011), "Editorial", International Journal of Wine Business Research, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijwbr.2011.04323caa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Wine Business Research, Volume 23, Issue 3

Following this year’s special issue on Generation Y and wine consumption (congratulations and many thanks to Simone Müller and Steve Charters who put together, as Guest Editors, such a valuable package) the current issue continues with six “regular” papers.

First is a historical study on the influential role of French winemakers, growers, firms, communications, and know-how on the development of the Australian wine industry. Amie Sexton provides a thorough review of how both French individuals and culture have contributed to shape the contemporary Australian wine industry. Their multifaceted conclusion how “French expertise” still serves as a benchmark for managers and consumers in Australia helps in putting prevailing opinions and attitudes in perspective.

Who are the “heavy spenders”, and what characteristics set “heavy users” apart from “light users” of wine? These questions possess considerable practical importance and are tackled in Thomas A. Brunner’s and Michael Siegrist’s research on lifestyle determinants. Based on an innovative method and a relatively large sample size obtained in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the findings assist marketers in better describing target markets and in developing more effective communications to attract customers.

Extending the long history of research on extrinsic cues Scott Sherman and Tracy Tuten take another look at how labels and brand names influence consumer behavior. Their experiment specifically investigates label design and brand name suggestiveness to show that – despite the current hype of using novel names and unusual labels – traditional designs and conventional names still resonate favorably with potential buyers.

An Italian-French research alliance formed by Jean-Pierre Couderc and Andrea Marchini authors the fourth paper, a study of wine cooperatives in Umbria and Languedoc-Roussillion. Linking structural and governance characteristics with business performance indicators for 25 firms in both regions, the work illustrates similarities and differences among cooperatives, and, more importantly, highlights characteristics of better and worse performance. Further notable are the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods, and the elaborate discussion of how cooperatives in general can add value for their members using the findings of this research.

The fifth paper, by Mignon Reyneke, Pierre. R. Berthon, Leyland F. Pitt, and Michael Parent, is of rare bread: a conceptual piece intended to put research on wine consumer behavior on a new foundation. Unlike the multitude of (well-designed and valuable) empirical studies published in this and other journals Reyneke et al. detail a novel framework, the aesthetics-ephemerality concept on wines as luxury brands, especially from a gift-giving perspective. Applying this conceptual framework should not only facilitate the marketing of wines but additionally outlines promising avenues for future research.

What experience customers when they visit wineries? And how can managers use corresponding insights to improve the quality of their services? Jack Carlsen introduces service mapping to more fully capture visitor experiences starting with their initial approach throughout departure. In line with contemporary thought (“experience” economy) the insights generated by a group of trained observers encompass the full spectrum of experiences ranging from physical evidence obtained through five senses to inferences about management practices. While the research presented can be considered exploratory in nature, the approach’s great potential for assisting managers in improving their service becomes very clear.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all authors for sending their quality work to IJWBR. The editorial team continues to receive large numbers of submissions and I view this as an indicator that the journal is on a good trajectory in terms of both positioning and reputation. Of course, it is also the reviewers who contribute greatly towards this success by providing insightful and constructive feedback, and by making possible manuscript turnaround times of 50 days (on average) from submission to first decision. I look forward to continue working with all of you in the future.

Ulrich R. Orth