Wine brands or branded wines? The specificity of the French market in terms of the brand

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show that the branded wine concept refers to a very heterogeneous category as regards wine made in France, but this sort of wine can appeal to certain types of consumers. Design/methodology/approach - An initial qualitative study was carried out to explore consumer representation as regards branded wine. A second, quantitative, study enabled us, through a cluster analysis, to identify brand-sensitive consumer segments in the wine field. Findings - There is a divergence in consumer representation between novices and experts. The former considers A.O.C.s (Appellation d'Origine Controlee, a French official label of protected geographical indication) and regions as brands while the latter have a narrower vision of what a branded wine means. The "discoverers'', the youngest consumers (18-29 years old), who are interested in wine and have little knowledge of it are most liable to be influenced by wine brands. The novices and routine consumers are also brand sensitive but to a lesser degree. The experts, on the other hand, are not influenced by brands. Research limitations/implications - The influence of the brand derives from the declarative. A more indirect measure which mixes the brand with other wine attributes would be preferable. The use of a sample of convenience means results can only be generalized with caution. Practical implications - There indeed exists a place for branded wines on the French market but an association is needed with other attributes such as the origin and/or the grape variety. Originality/value - Little research has been devoted to the French consumer's acceptance of branded wines.