First Name:
Sara
Last Name:
Leinbach
Major Department:
Communication and Advertising
Thesis Director:
Jennifer Gray
Date of Thesis:
May 2013
Despite the huge size and spending power of the Millennial Generation in the United States, little is known about their purchase and consumption habits when it comes to wine. Until recently, wine marketing efforts have focused on older generations, including Baby Boomers in particular. A more traditional and classic approach was used with these consumers, and it has proven to be successful. However, Millennials are the product of a technology-integrated environment, and they seek unique and fun products that fit with their lifestyles. Research has been conducted on Millennial wine label preferences and also on psychological factors involved in choosing wine, such as anxiety and confidence, but the two factors have never been looked at in relation to one another. This gap in the literature provides grounds for the following study, which focuses on the Millennial Generation’s wine consumer behavior. Behavioral and psychological factors, along with label preferences, are studied among a sample of 116 Millennials from a mid-sized Southern university through an online, semi-structured survey. Results indicate that Millennials lack confidence when choosing wine, but they are spending a good amount of time evaluating and studying their options. The wine label was found to be an important factor in wine purchasing decisions, and new Millennial responses to wine label characteristics were analyzed. Implications of these results for future research and marketing efforts are discussed.