According to a study conducted by Vinexpo, an international wine and spirits exhibition, consumers aged 20 to 25 have a perception of wine as a healthy, high quality alcohol product that is becoming a popular trend among their age group, yet the perceived expensive cost of wine and confusion about different wine styles can be barriers to consumption.
The study, conducted along with Brulé, Ville & Associés (BVA), aimed to provide an in-depth look at young people's expectations and perceptions of wine in the United States, France, Japan, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The study, titled "20-25 Year Olds and Wine," interviewed two groups of 10 people, both male and female, in five countries to determine what motivates young people to drink wine and what hinders them as well as to identify the potential growth of this segment.
One of the key findings of the BVA/Vinexpo study was that young people in all countries considered wine to be the healthiest alcohol beverage, yet many perceived wine as the drink of choice among older adults, aged 30 or 35 to 40. Yet, according to the study, this image makes wine more attractive as the study participants defined a wine drinker as "refined, educated and cultivated," according to the study.
"Drinking wine is a part of the new identity that young people create for themselves. Drinking wine is a 'marker' of adulthood," said Robert Beynat, general manager of Vinexpo, during a presentation about the study in New York City.
Consumption drivers among young people included the mature, responsible image of wine and the perception that wine drinkers are entering into an older world. In the US, young people commented that branding has made wine more fun and younger, the study said.
However, the perception that good wine is expensive and confusion about how to select a wine with so many brands and varieties available continues to be a hindrance to many young people drinking wine more frequently, the study found. The perception that there was an elitist wine culture also turned many young people off from wine.
"There's a lot of snobbery and pompousness around... An impression that it takes years of experience to learn," said one study participant from the US, according to the study. However, one American who participated in the study noted that wine's exclusive image was changing. "Wine is being marketed today and is appealing to other classes of the population," noted the American participant.
Young people want to be more educated about wine in order to enjoy it more, the study found. One study participant noted, "It requires an effort to like wine, which shows a desire to become a 'connoisseur' rather than 'just a drinker'."
The study also found that perceptions of wine are slightly different depending on a person's country of origin. In France and Belgium, study participants were very familiar with wine and said wine consumption was a part of their culture since childhood, while in the US and Japan, consumers said wine was reserved for special occasions. Also, young people in France and Belgium who were interviewed for the study recognize two complementary facets of wine—the "noble" or elite facet of the grand wine estates and aristocracy as well as the "rustic" facet of the winemaking craft and the small, family-owned vineyards, noted Beynat.
Young people in the US and Japan were more focused on the sophistication associated with drinking wine.
The study identified four key ways wine marketers can effectively reach this age group. Consumers in the 20-to-25-year old age group want wine to have a younger image, to be more accessible and to do away with the myths surrounding wine culture. This age group also desires more education and guidance about wine styles and how to choose a wine.
Many of the participants, across the various countries, mentioned enjoying "light, fruity and refreshing" wines as well as varietal wines, which tend to be easier to understand and make selecting and buying easier, noted Beynat. Consumers in the US, UK and Belgium expressed interest in "wine-based cocktails" as well.
In France, Belgium and the UK, the participants preferred more traditional packaging formats that suggest a link with the terroir, while study participants in the US and Japan were more open to something new, such as individual serving sizes and different bottle shapes and colors, Beynat said.
Wine branding is particularly attractive to the Americans and Japanese interviewed during the study. Participants said they would be interested in "packaging designed for young people" and "promotions with goodies and cool advertising." However, in the UK, participants voiced a concern with branding that obviously targeted young drinkers, saying they wanted wine marketers to "keep the serious, traditional side of wine."
In Japan, the idea of wine branding is appealing because it makes wines easier to understand, aids in making the names more familiar and creates a new trend among younger consumers, Beynat remarked.
Vinexpo conduced a similar study 10 years ago and results of the latest study found that among young people wine now is consumed more casually and not just in the formal setting of the dinner table or with a restaurant meal. Brands have made wine more accessible to young drinkers and young consumers believe that wine consumption is more controlled than other alcohol, Beynat pointed out.
Wine also is more trendy today than ever before as young people view wine as a "quality" product that they will drink "more frequently" and "In greater variety" in the future, the study found. Generational differences also have lessened, so young people and their parents view wine in more similar ways, which supports the authenticity of wine, the study concluded.
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