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1 – 10 of 62Bligh Grant, Brian Dollery and Colin Hearfield
The purpose of this paper is to contrast the marketing strategies of the New England Australia wine‐producing region with those of the Languedoc‐Roussillon region in France. While…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contrast the marketing strategies of the New England Australia wine‐producing region with those of the Languedoc‐Roussillon region in France. While the two regions occupy similar market positions, they nonetheless reveal diametrically opposed marketing strategies. Against the background of this comparative discussion, the paper proposes methods to enhance the development of the New England Australia wine region so that it becomes a more complete example of successful rural restructuring.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a comparative, political economy approach to explore the marketing strategies of the New England Australia wine‐producing region, and the Languedoc‐Roussillon region in France. In particular, following the work of Garcea‐Parpet, the paper seeks to demonstrate that markets are most usefully viewed as social and political/legal constructs, as well as economic exchanges, and that focussing on the former elements is a fruitful way to proceed, both in terms of analysis and policy prescription for the industry.
Findings
Comparison with the Languedoc‐Roussillon region in France generates future potential opportunities for New England Australia. A number of issues are discussed with respect to the organisation of the industry and its representation, particularly focusing on leadership and the extent to which leadership was both a catalyst for change and a driver of continued success in the case of Languedoc‐Roussillon.
Originality/value
This paper represents the first exploration of the impact of regional status for the New England Australia wine region and the first comparative analysis of the region with Languedoc‐Roussillon.
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Mechthild Donner and Fatiha Fort
The purpose of this study is to investigate the place brand building process based on multi-stakeholder perceived value. It contributes to an understanding of how place brands are…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the place brand building process based on multi-stakeholder perceived value. It contributes to an understanding of how place brands are developed, providing diverse benefits, and proposes a conceptual framework for place brand building and value measurement scales.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on the place brand Sud de France. Qualitative data from stakeholder interviews is used to investigate the main place brand value dimensions. A survey of consumers from the Languedoc-Roussillon region is conducted to measure consumer place brand values. Quantitative data is analyzed using structural equation modelling.
Findings
Results indicate that place brand value is a multiple-perspective and multidimensional construct that includes new measurement scales related to dimensions such as quality of life, a common local identity and local development. Brand identity is not only constructed on place identity, but should also incorporate stakeholder values and provide value to consumers.
Practical implications
For place brand managers, this study provides a methodology that helps identify the main place image and stakeholders values to be integrated into place brand identity construction. The place brand value measurement scales can be used to ensure a permanent match between brand identity and consumption trends.
Originality/value
Literature dealing with place equity has focused mostly on country-of-origin or destination image effects from a non-local consumer or tourist perspective. The originality of this study lies in analyzing the perceived benefits of a regional brand by its local stakeholders, leading to a new brand building framework and value measurement scales.
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Jean‐Pierre Couderc and Andrea Marchini
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structural characteristics, the governance and the performance of two French and Italian groups of wine cooperatives, with two…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structural characteristics, the governance and the performance of two French and Italian groups of wine cooperatives, with two objectives in mind. On one hand, the study will analyse the presence of similarities between the characteristics of the two groups of companies which were founded in the same period within a similar legal framework; on the other, it will study the presence of links between the strategic policy of the companies and their structural, governance and performance characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses survey data obtained from interviews with 25 wine cooperatives. It covers the topics of their structure, organisation, strategies, management and performance in Italy (specifically in Umbria, a region in the centre of Italy), and in France (in Languedoc‐Roussillon, a region in southern France). Other indicators of performance, calculated from the balance sheets of the companies, were added to this analysis, and a careful analysis was drawn up to check the factors which condition the performance of the companies.
Findings
The main finding underlines some strong differentiating elements between those cooperatives selling the biggest part of their production as bulk wine and those selling it as packaged wine. But the first situation does not lead automatically to inferring a decline or an involution of these cooperatives. On the contrary, the mitigated performances that were found clearly question whether there is a strategic evolution towards more specialisation (intermediate phases of product transformation, leading to business‐to‐business differentiation strategies) which could be more profitable for their growers‐owners than further integration towards packaged wine sales.
Originality/value
The analysis deals with the problem of performance and governance of the transformation cooperative companies in the wine sector, which produce more than 50 percent of the entire wine production both in France and Italy.
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Calin Gurau and Franck Duquesnois
The paper's objective is to investigate the relation between direct and indirect marketing channels applied by French wine producers, and to identify the elements that can enhance…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper's objective is to investigate the relation between direct and indirect marketing channels applied by French wine producers, and to identify the elements that can enhance the success of direct distribution methods.
Design/methodology/approach
Secondary data collected though a questionnaire survey, and published in a study of Viniflhor was analysed in order to identify the distribution channels used by French wine producers. In the second part of the study, primary qualitative data obtained through face‐to‐face interviews with 17 wine producers was used to explore their direct marketing approach.
Findings
The findings indicated that French wine producers use a large variety of both direct and indirect marketing channels, although the importance of these distribution methods varies with the size of the producer (defined in terms of vineyard area and wine production). An integrated distribution strategy is applied by more than a half of the respondents. Although the strategic planning process is applied informally and intuitively, a series of innovative elements are combined in order to enhance the value of the product offer and to develop long‐term relationships with satisfied customers.
Research limitations/implications
The low response rate obtained in the application of data collection methods raises questions regarding the possibility to generalize the findings to the entire population of study.
Originality/value
The paper applies a three layer analysis to the situation of the French wine producers from various regions, creatively combining focused investigation with an integrative perspective.
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Franck Duquesnois, Cãlin Gurãu and Frédéric Le Roy
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the competitive strategies adopted by French wine producing firms in a crisis context.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the competitive strategies adopted by French wine producing firms in a crisis context.
Design/methodology/approach
First, two case studies have been developed through interviews with wine producers. They show that many strategies, corresponding to different levels of performance, are possible in a crisis industry. Second, an empirical study has been conducted applying a questionnaire survey addressed in June 2008 to wine producing firms from the Languedoc‐Roussillon region, south of France. Third, ordinal regression is operated in order to link financial performance and strategic choices of the investigated 160 respondent firms.
Findings
The findings indicated some interesting trends concerning wine producers' perception regarding the effect of the crisis and the strategies adopted by firms. The preferred strategic choice of the majority of investigated firms is the combination of “niche + differentiation” strategies. On the other hand, the strategic choice of firms is influenced by their experience; many less experienced firms prefer to adopt a differentiation strategy or a combination of the “niche + differentiation” strategies. Moreover, statistical analysis shows that no implementation of niche, differentiation or relational marketing lead toward decreasing turnover.
Research limitations/implications
This research is focused only on wine producing firms from Languedoc‐Roussillon region in France. A second limitation is the fact that firms' performance was not systematically measured. The performance is evaluated mainly indirectly, considering that the investigated firms have survived the crisis.
Originality/value
Very few studies have been conducted on this particular topic.
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There has been a revolution in the winemaking and marketing of the country wines of southern France in the Languedoc‐Roussillon — the Vins de Pays d'Oc. This revolution has been…
Abstract
There has been a revolution in the winemaking and marketing of the country wines of southern France in the Languedoc‐Roussillon — the Vins de Pays d'Oc. This revolution has been founded on premium varietal wines and exploited modern techniques of vinification and marketing, which have drawn heavily on the experiences of the so‐called ‘New World.’ These new wines have successfully penetrated export markets, particularly the UK. Such developments, however, have attracted controversy, being criticised for encouraging the production of homogeneous, geographically inert, formulaic wines from well established rather than local grape varieties. However, a number of ventures are now showing increased recognition of local varieties and geographies in their winemaking and it is expected that such developments will continue. Moreover it is argued that the introduction of modern techniques in vinification and marketing, far from having a detrimental effect, have been of great benefit to the region.
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Which is the main characteristic of the French Mediterranean Agriculture (FMA)? The recognition of the multifunctionality of agriculture, supported by the institutions of the…
Abstract
Which is the main characteristic of the French Mediterranean Agriculture (FMA)? The recognition of the multifunctionality of agriculture, supported by the institutions of the territorial development? Or the development of social dumping considered as a necessity by many institutions of the sector? To answer this question the analysis is based on three main sources of data: agricultural statistics, monographs and administrative reports. The results show that the structural diversity is still important in the FMA. A significant proportion of the farms have based their economic strategy on making the most of the multifunctionality of agriculture. Some have built real success stories. But this development path cannot guarantee the viability of a large range of holdings: the number of farm holdings in FMA has decreased by 27% since 2000 and 57% since 1988. Due to the specificities of the Mediterranean productions, the cost of labour is still considered as a major adjustment variable to secure farm income in the region. Many situations are reported where the situation of casual labour is concerning, in particular for migrant workers. However, the working conditions of temporary migrant workers remain invisible and the image of the multifunctional agriculture is put forward as a marketing asset by all types of actors. This image is misleading. It makes invisible, issues that are essential for the future. Thus, it generates knowledge gaps and leads to the depoliticization of debates on the development models of agriculture in masking the contradictions and the conflicts of interest that they generate.
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Mario Saba, Peter Bou Saba and Antoine Harfouche
The purpose of this paper is to focus on an information technology (IT) deployment project in the specific field of agricultural cooperatives. It also aims to underline the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on an information technology (IT) deployment project in the specific field of agricultural cooperatives. It also aims to underline the importance of the IT implementation phase, but also the pre-implementation phase.
Design/methodology/approach
A four-year canonical action research project was conducted within a network of more than 300 agricultural cooperatives. Research was carried out both during the IT implementation and after deployment. Key information was gathered through unstructured and unofficial interviews, observations, field notes, meetings, focus groups, and documentary analysis.
Findings
Despite user resistance behavior, the findings show that information systems (IS) implementation may lead to unexpected results that extend beyond the tool’s initial objectives. Indeed, four hidden facets of the tool were revealed: inductor, symbol, pretext, and reference.
Research limitations/implications
Although the research is limited to one single-case study, it puts the emphasis on in-depth research, vs cross-sectional data collection, to analyze the relationship between IT implementation initiatives and organizational intelligence. Furthermore, the authors argue that while IS literature has separately developed related theories (actor-network theory, competitive intelligence), the authors conceptualize a whole theoretic system interrelating the two above-stated theories.
Practical implications
The implication for IS practitioners is that, by focusing only on experiences that have occurred during IT implementation, one may disregard critical information, behaviors and knowledge from unforeseen effects that have occurred after implementation. In future IT projects, IS managers therefore need to capitalize on post-implementation knowledge, through sociology of translation and competitive intelligence, in order to anticipate potential diversions from the initial objectives. Finally, while most IT implementation methods tend naturally to manage resistance maximize users’ satisfaction and to reduce potential resistance, the authors support an alternative approach. It consists into enhancing resistance in order to anticipate and resolve latent resistance behaviors directly or indirectly related to the project.
Originality/value
Despite widespread literature on resistance, appropriation or acceptance during IT projects, there is little research that addresses the impact of IT projects on organizational intelligence, and the kind of behaviors that lead to its failure or success. In the case, the implemented IT tool revealed hidden structural and organizational roles, which were unanticipated by IT designers and managers.
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Jorge Mota, António Moreira, Rui Costa, Silvana Serrão, Vera Pais-Magalhães and Carlos Costa
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify the main firm-level performance indicators and group them in dimensions that support…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify the main firm-level performance indicators and group them in dimensions that support decision-making in the wine industry.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this goal, an SLR approach was conducted in the Scopus database from 2009 to 2019. From a set of 607 articles, only 25 studies related to firm-level performance indicators were considered and, following an inductive thematic analysis and an interpretative synthesis, separated into different specific foci that include social, economic and environmental dimensions.
Findings
There is a limited number of papers identifying indicators regarding the firm-level performance of wine firms, and even fewer studies including indicators on an integrated approach to measure the different dimensions of firm performance. This paper documents that economic and environmental indicators cover 78.2% of all SLR indicators analyzed. As this group of indicators is limited to a set of sub-dimensions, this paper found that several groups of indicators are misrepresented, such as product portfolio or certifications related to marketing activities and indicators covering purchasing and supply chain activities, which play a crucial role in the competitiveness of the wine industry.
Practical implications
For practitioners, it discloses the most pertinent indicators they need to improve to craft their business strategies. This framework is of added value for policymakers to customize their support programs for specific producers to develop their competitive strategies. It could be deployed in teaching programs as a tool to address the importance of aligning different types of indicators to achieve firm-level performance in the wine industry.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature identifying a framework of analysis that includes indicators of four dimensions, namely, economic, social, territorial and environmental. This framework aims to relate performance measures to corporate strategy as a management control tool. The framework intends to improve the fit between firms’ activities and their competitive context and to be flexibly adapted to various products/firms in the wine industry.
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Geoff Bamberry and Rumintha Wickramasekara
Over the past decade, the Queensland wine industry has experienced a greater percentage growth than the Australian national average. The aim of the research undertaken for this…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the past decade, the Queensland wine industry has experienced a greater percentage growth than the Australian national average. The aim of the research undertaken for this article is to identify specific national and international strategies that have allowed the industry to achieve this level of growth.
Design/methodology/approach
The study involved a quantitative survey of all Queensland wineries at the time (n=101), using a five‐point Likert‐scaled questionnaire with questions developed from the literature, together with a small‐scale qualitative survey involving in‐depth interviews of winery managers and industry leaders.
Findings
The findings indicated that key strategies in the domestic sector included a focus on cellar door sales combined with establishing links with the tourism industry, together with an incremental expansion of domestic markets. For the international sector, additional strategies included targeting familiar, psychically‐close and niche markets in the initial stages of exporting, as well as taking advantage of firm‐specific strengths and managerial competencies.
Originality/value
Not previously regarded as a major wine producing region of Australia, the Queensland wine industry has received limited attention in the literature, particularly the reasons for its rapid growth in recent years. The article helps to identify the strategies used by wineries in growing the industry.
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