Elements Influencing Wine Purchasing: A New Zealand View

Consumers make numerous decisions about product purchases and these are influenced by internal and external factors. Manufacturer influence over some external elements can occur through packaging. In wine marketing, packaging and labels assume undeniable influence with packaging forming an integral part of any wine's promotion and consumption. This article reviews New Zealand's wine market against limited available consumer research. The retail environment, segmentation, motives and influences are also examined prior to an elaboration of wine packaging that focuses on labels. It is concluded that New Zealand's wine industry is currently attracted to lucrative export markets and may be limiting its efforts on the home front. The home market, capable of expansion, will require a concentrated consumer research effort aimed at identifying the impact of label perceptions on consumer purchases. Such research ultimately should assist both domestic and international marketing activities.