Her Wine, Her Way: Marketing towards Women Wine Consumers for Women Winemakers

The research explores how women consumers could be swayed by cues on wine marketing messages that subtly or explicitly reveal women's ownership. Across three experiments based on valid responses from over 1,000 U.S. women consumers, the research shows that women consumers’ perceptions and behavioral intentions towards wines are separately and jointly influenced by the disclosure of women's ownership in marketing messages, which progresses from a subtle hint in the form of a feminine cue on the wine label, to an explicit ‘woman-made wine’ statement, and to a bold cue showing the woman owner’s image with the statement. The research further reveals the mediating mechanism of self-congruity and felt empowerment in the proposed relationships, grounded upon self-congruity theory. The findings provide valuable insights into branding and marketing for women-owned businesses in traditionally male-dominated industries among women consumers.