Wine marketing: A framework for consumer-centred planning

The 3000-year-old wine industry of Cyprus has reached a critical turning point and requires a substantial strategic reorientation. This article researches current practices, beliefs and attitudes of both wine producers and wine consumers in Cyprus to identify the factors that affect the industry. The research is primary data based, and makes extensive use of qualitative and quantitative methods. It includes in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups of local and Greek wine experts, an e-mail questionnaire survey of international experts, in-depth semi-structured consumer interviews and focus groups, and a consumer survey with 600 interviewees. The findings relate both to functional and production management aspects, as well as business and marketing ones. Regarding the former, cultivation varieties, production methods and know-how-related factors were found to be the most critical ones. In relation to marketing, focused targeting, differentiation, perception management-based branding and country-of-origin image development are presented as the clear strategic path. The findings are linked with an extensive literature review in order to reach prescriptive conclusions with immediate management implications. The article finally develops a preliminary framework for consumer-centred planning, specific to the wine industry of Cyprus, but-subject to testing-potentially adaptable to many other countries as well.