A curious tale of wine labelling: how the colour of a wine label influences purchase intention

Abstract

Labels on food and beverage products are important information sources that can profoundly influence consumer evaluations. This is particularly so for wines, where the text, design, and colour of labelling appearing on both the front and back of the bottle will shape consumer reactions and guide purchase intent. Importantly, the colour of a wine’s back label–that which appears on the rear of the bottle–offers a range of opportunities for wine marketers to generate heightened levels of involvement and curiosity in wine. Despite this, prior research has yet to fully examine how the colour of a back label shapes consumer attitudes and purchase behaviours. Guided by construal level theory and employing an experimental design, the current research set out to test how colour (vs. black and white) labelling influenced consumer decision-making and whether the colour of the focal wine influenced the effects. The results demonstrate black and white labelling increases consumer purchase intentions by increasing the consumer’s level of involvement and curiosity. However, the effect only occurred when the labels were paired with a red wine. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, as well as directions for future research.