"Whether consumers are riding the rosé wave or enjoying varietals like chardonnay, merlot or cabernet sauvignon, one thing is for certain: Label design is a key purchase driver in an increasingly crowded wine market," according to Nielsen research. "With so many options at consumers’ fingertips, wine manufacturers and retailers need to understand the factors that influence wine purchase decisions."

"As of June 2017, more than 3,500 new wine products had hit shelves in the last year, representing 14% of all items in the category and 4.5% of category sales volume. But the influx isn’t just giving consumers an array of new brands to choose from; it’s forcing retailers to make tough choices about how to use their finite shelf space," Nielsen reports.

"Moreover, according to Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol Category Shopping Fundamentals study, only 29% of consumers know which brand they intend to buy before they enter a store. The remaining 71% of consumers are making their decisions as they peruse the options on the shelf. So what can wine manufacturers take to stand out and land in consumers’ baskets?"

This means wine shops have enormous opportunities to sway buyers with artistic displays, signage and even showcasing beautiful and unique bottle labels. The new AudienceSCAN study found 17% of Americans will shop at wine stores specifically this year.

"In a recent label analysis of 20 wine brands that utilized eye-​tracking technology, 57% more consumers saw the most visible bottle than the least-​visible bottle within the first few seconds of looking. Strong standout is a key requirement for effective design."

Shops can feature their most breath-​taking bottles in eye-​catching ad campaigns. The new AudienceSCAN research revealed 32% of Wine Shop Customers took action after seeing newspaper ads in the past month.

"So what makes a label “fun”? The real way forward, however, as with most other aspects of new product development, is through quantitative consumer feedback. It’s the only dependable way to understand how a package design will perform in market."

It's important that wine shops keep their store signage fun! The new AudienceSCAN survey showed 30% of Wine Shop Customers took action as a result of seeing in-​store signage.

"Dark Horse, a wine brand launched in 2015 by E. & J. Gallo Winery and a 2017 Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Award winner, credits its package design as a key factor in driving trial and in ultimately helping the brand to achieve $61 million in first-​year sales—an impressive figure for a new entrant in the highly-​fragmented wine category."

AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies, or with the SalesFuel API. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.