Wine label design and personality preferences of millennials

Purpose To better understand the unique preferences of the newest segment of wine consumers, the purpose of this paper is to explore the design and brand personality of wine labels, and their appeal to the millennial market. Design/methodology/approach The study methodology comprised two components: an experimental design of wine label creations by millennial students of a university beverage management course; and a survey of over 400 millennial consumers to assess wine label design and brand personality preferences. Findings Wine labels created by millennials tend to be very non‐traditional in terms of the image selected, name of wine, color choice and overall label design. New wine consumers in the 19 to 22 year‐old category are much more likely to select wine based on package features, such as name and image, than based on product features, such as producer and country‐of‐origin. Spirited, up‐to‐date brand personalities appeal to this generation. Originality/value The millennial market is a large, important segment new to wine consumption. The experimental creation of wine label designs by millennials themselves provides a unique insight in terms of the new, and somewhat hedonistic, images that appeal specifically to this growing market.