Hallowines: Use Innovative Package Design to your Advantage This Season

Sep. 22, 2015

In general, wine suppliers spend very little money on media advertising compared to the millions spent in both the beer and spirits categories annually. This leaves many of the opportunities for wines to be discovered at the point of sale, where shelves are often cluttered with offerings and overwhelming to consumers.

That’s why Steve Lamoureux, Senior Vice President of Product Innovation for research firm Nielsen, set-out to find what a wine label must do to stand out, get purchased, and build a brand. Lamourex presented the findings of an exclusive study at the Wines & Vines Packaging conference held in Napa on August 19, 2015.

Here are five important takeaways from Nielsen’s findings that can help you select wines that will move on your shelves:

The Point of Purchase is Where the Magic Happens

According to Nielsen, 50% to 80% of consumer buying decisions are made at the retail shelf, confirming the fact that well-organized, easy to navigate wine sets are important in supporting consumer purchases.  

Consumers Buy Wines that Call for their Attention

The key wine packaging attributes that garnered consumer attention are the color of the label, bottle shape, hue contrast and the obscurity of the design.

Illustrations Inspire Purchases

Those who participated in the study were monitored in a number of ways including by their eye movements as they scanned over multiple bottles. The study revealed that consumers were attracted to wines with illustrations and icons on the labels vs. those that featured the name or accolades of the vintage.  

Black is the New Bold

Black designs convey a wine with a more distinct personality to study participants than designs with a lighter hue. For every category of wine tested, subcategories were established according to often unlisted "personalities" including approachable, bold, casual, traditional and trustworthy.

Label Design is Open to Interpretation

At the end of the day, each participant of the study interpreted the information a label provided in a different way. Some consumers will be attracted to a wine with a bold, unconventional image while others are more apt to purchase a wine they interpret to be high-end, traditional, or well-respected. Knowing the personalities of the consumers in your market is key in considering what wine labels will lead them to explore new vines this season and beyond. 

Contact your Wirtz Beverage Sales Consultant for more information about the depth of our wine portfolio and their unique labels.