Purpose Increasingly, gendered wine consumer research is moving beyond the male/female binary to consider the relevance of multiple intersecting consumer identities. Taking a discursive approach to the construction of identity, this study aims to add to work on gendered wine consumption by analysing an interview with a young female Kenyan wine consumer in which gender intersects with other identities. The authors also intend to add to the limited work on wine consumption that focuses on non-Western populations. Design/methodology/approach Considering research interviews to be the topic of research, rather than a resource for researching, this paper takes a discursive approach to the analysis of the interview-talk. More specifically, the authors use positioning theory to analyse the way in which identities are discursively constructed and positioned relative to each other and wider social discourses of gender and wine consumption. Findings Findings indicate that wine consumers’ gendered identities go beyond a priori binary demographics based on biological sex to reveal a kaleidoscope of intersecting and paradoxical identities. Practical implications Marketers stand to benefit from moving beyond gender stereotypes by adopting research approaches that reveal how gender is shaped in real-life contexts. This can lead to more targeted, relevant messaging and stronger connections with diverse consumer segments. Originality/value The study highlights the importance of the intersection of gender with other identities. Furthermore, it gives an insight into wine consumer identity outside Western populations. It also advocates an interdisciplinary approach to analysis, combining discourse analysis with wine consumer research, so as to provide fresh insights.
Clifton et al. (Tue,) studied this question.