NEUROWINE: How extrinsic cues influence wine quality perception

The modern wine market is characterized by its intricate complexity and intense competition. Companies must employ targeted marketing strategies to convey their value proposition effectively and distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace. The success of these companies depends on their ability to satisfy the needs and desires of their customers, an outcome that can only be achieved through a deep understanding of the decision-making process and the myriad of factors that shape consumer choices. In this customer-centric framework, quality emerges as a critical factor for achieving business success. Traditionally, the quality of wine is closely associated with the intrinsic organoleptic characteristics of the product. However, opportunities for consumers to taste the product before purchase are increasingly rare, and evaluating quality based solely on intrinsic cues proves challenging for non-expert buyers. Consequently, in the absence of prior product knowledge and tasting experiences, consumers turn to external factors, or extrinsic cues, to make their decisions. For instance, the presentation of the product, encompassing elements like information and label design, stands out as crucial extrinsic cues that serve as the initial point of contact between consumers and the product. These elements communicate the values and image of the winery, exerting a significant influence on consumer expectations and impressions. In addition, wine services such as wine tours and cellar visits play a fundamental role in strengthening the presentation aspect of wine products. These services offer a unique opportunity for consumers to interact directly with the winery environment. By immersing visitors in the sensory experience of vineyards, cellars and tasting rooms, wine tours enhance the narrative of the quality associated with the product. They serve as a tangible extension of the winery’s presentation, providing face-to-face encounters that strengthen and enrich consumers’ perception of the quality of the wine. Surprisingly, despite their importance, these extrinsic cues have remained largely unexplored. The few examples in the literature on this topic have mainly used conventional research methods, including focus groups, interviews, surveys or questionnaires. It’s important to note, however, that these traditional marketing research techniques have their limitations. They rely primarily on consumers’ rational responses, but decision-making and evaluation processes are often influenced by subconscious and emotional factors that individuals may not readily recognize or effectively articulate in words. To overcome these limitations, the thesis seeks to identify external factors that shape consumers’ experiences and their perceptions of wine quality. It aims to enhance wine tourism products, encompassing from the macro-scale of wine region to the micro-scale of product presentation. By analyzing consumer opinions and preferences, it aims to uncover the critical factors influencing their contentment or discontentment with wine products and services. This study employs a combination of conventional marketing methods and innovative techniques designed to monitor the biophysical responses guiding consumer evaluations. To achieve this objective, the thesis utilizes both quantitative and qualitative approaches, including Sentiment Analysis (SA) and Text Mining (TM), as well as Consumer Neuroscience (CN) techniques, specifically eye-tracking (ET) and electroencephalography (EEG). The overarching aim of this research is to offer guidance and recommendations beneficial to researchers, businesses, marketing professionals, and designers involved in the creation and promotion of wine tourism products. The research methodology employed a structured approach, as follows. Literature Review: a literature review was conducted to establish the concept of quality, the quality of wine and the methodologies for assessing this quality. Furthermore, by highlighting the gaps in the literature on wine marketing, potential problems in this field and the solutions proposed by the thesis were identified (Chapter 1). Service quality: two researches identified which factors characterize the quality and failure of wine tours and visits to wineries by analyzing user reviews shared online on the TripAdvisor platform. Sentiment Analysis (SA), Text Mining (TM) and Natural Language Processing methods were used to extract the information and emotional aspects that characterized experience assessment. The outcomes not only transcend the limitations often associated with traditional questionnaires but also furnish invaluable insights for designing successful wine tours and cellar visits. These insights are poised to assist operators, companies, and policymakers in enhancing the tourism offerings and winescape (Chapter 2, Research Articles 1 and 2). Product quality: Two experiments explored which visual cues of product presentation influence consumer perception during the assessment process. These experiments primarily focused on the design of product labelling and the familiarity of the brand. Neuroscientific techniques, especially eye-tracking (ET) and electroencephalography (EEG), were employed to capture unconscious and biophysical reactions, shedding light on mechanisms of visual attention and their correlation with preferences expressed during evaluation. The findings attempt to meet theoretical and practical needs by investigating consumer behaviour and preferences through innovative and multi-method approaches, in particular by combining EEG and Sentiment Analysis (Chapter 3, Research Articles 3 and 4). In conclusion, the research findings provide a significant contribution to the field of wine marketing research, both in theory and in practice. First, the study attempts to address gaps in the literature by examining how extrinsic cues influence perceptions of wine quality, presenting innovative methods for fellow researchers. Additionally, it offers practical guidance to wineries, marketers and designers in the development of wine products and services, ultimately improving the overall winescape (Chapter 4).