Neuromarketing Strategy : How to reposition wine for the 18 to 25-year-old segment
SONAR|HES-SO
- Bredou, Lisa
- Zumstein, Monica (Degree supervisor)
- Sierre : School of Management, 2025
60 pages
Bachelor of Science HES-SO (BSc) in Tourismus: School of Management, 2025
English
This bachelor thesis explores how neuromarketing strategies can help Swiss wine producers engage and attract consumers aged 18 to 25, a segment that is increasingly distant from traditional wine culture. Despite growing interest in alternative beverages such as cocktails, beer, or non-alcoholic options, this generation represents a strategic opportunity for rejuvenating the wine market.
The study focuses on Maison Gillard, a winery located in the canton of Valais, and its sparkling white wine “La Porte de Novembre ICE,” a product specifically designed to reach 25 to 30-year-old consumers. Although the bottle adopts a more modern aesthetic and is supported by some digital communication on platforms like Instagram, Maison Gillard still struggles to generate online engagement or traffic to its physical shop in Sion. In contrast, the same wine consistently attracts long queues at pop-up events such as the Comptoir du Valais or the Marathon des Terroirs, suggesting a strong potential that is not being activated in the brand’s everyday marketing. Maison Gillard benefits from a good reputation through word-of-mouth, with young consumers travelling from across Switzerland to purchase the bottle. However, these visitors remain few. This paradox raises an essential question: why does this specific product appeal so strongly to 18-25-year-olds, when most other wines fail to capture their attention? This research seeks to analyse what Maison Gillard is already doing well, and to enhance those practices through neuromarketing insights and data-driven recommendations to attract this segment.
Although the legal drinking age in Switzerland is 16, this thesis deliberately focuses only on consumers aged 18 to 25. This ethical choice reflects a commitment to avoiding the promotion of alcohol to minors while acknowledging the cultural and commercial importance of this segment. The objective of this research is not to encourage higher alcohol consumption but to explore how wine can be repositioned in a responsible, emotionally engaging, and culturally relevant way. It argues for a communication approach that respects both public health concerns and the desire of young adults to access products that reflect their identity and lifestyle. Furthermore, this demographic is particularly interesting for the wine industry to exploit. Indeed, according to the Federal Office for Agriculture, wine consumption in Switzerland is declining significantly, with an 8 percent drop recorded between 2023 and 2024. Engaging the 18 to 25-year-old demographic could bring tangible benefits to the local wine economy. Currently, younger consumers often perceive wine as elitist, overly complex, and tied to rigid consumption rituals that no longer reflect their lifestyle or values.
To answer the research question, how can neuromarketing techniques help Swiss wine brands engage 18 to 25-year-old consumers more effectively, this thesis combines a literature review with six expert interviews, a quantitative survey involving 154 participants, and an experiment that measured System 1 reactions to visual wine packaging. These methods allowed the researcher to evaluate emotional triggers, pricing perceptions, digital behaviours, and consumer behaviour as well as general knowledge about neuromarketing and the wine industry.
The discussion chapter was structured around five hypotheses, each exploring a key dimension of the consumer decision-making process. Findings confirm that this target segment’s approach to wine is guided less by technical information and more by emotional and unconscious cues. Design elements such as colour, label style, and storytelling enhance memorability. Price matters, but only when perceived as fair and transparent. Above all, young consumers seek wines that are accessible and aligned with their personal and social values, not products that feel distant, coded, or intimidating. Together, these hypotheses validate the relevance of neuromarketing as both an analytical and strategic tool for understanding and engaging 18 to 25-year-old wine consumers.
Based on these insights, the thesis proposes recommendations for Maison Gillard. These include investing in immersive, mobile-first digital content; simplifying access through beginner-friendly discovery formats; revitalising packaging and storytelling to create emotional impact; and developing sensory and educational experiences in-store to break down the elitist image of wine.
This thesis contributes to the field of applied neuromarketing by showing how emotional, sensory, and intuitive strategies can be used to connect traditional products with contemporary audiences. It also provides the Swiss wine industry with practical insights into the behaviours, expectations, and emotional logic of a generation that is too often misunderstood, but never irrelevant.
The study focuses on Maison Gillard, a winery located in the canton of Valais, and its sparkling white wine “La Porte de Novembre ICE,” a product specifically designed to reach 25 to 30-year-old consumers. Although the bottle adopts a more modern aesthetic and is supported by some digital communication on platforms like Instagram, Maison Gillard still struggles to generate online engagement or traffic to its physical shop in Sion. In contrast, the same wine consistently attracts long queues at pop-up events such as the Comptoir du Valais or the Marathon des Terroirs, suggesting a strong potential that is not being activated in the brand’s everyday marketing. Maison Gillard benefits from a good reputation through word-of-mouth, with young consumers travelling from across Switzerland to purchase the bottle. However, these visitors remain few. This paradox raises an essential question: why does this specific product appeal so strongly to 18-25-year-olds, when most other wines fail to capture their attention? This research seeks to analyse what Maison Gillard is already doing well, and to enhance those practices through neuromarketing insights and data-driven recommendations to attract this segment.
Although the legal drinking age in Switzerland is 16, this thesis deliberately focuses only on consumers aged 18 to 25. This ethical choice reflects a commitment to avoiding the promotion of alcohol to minors while acknowledging the cultural and commercial importance of this segment. The objective of this research is not to encourage higher alcohol consumption but to explore how wine can be repositioned in a responsible, emotionally engaging, and culturally relevant way. It argues for a communication approach that respects both public health concerns and the desire of young adults to access products that reflect their identity and lifestyle. Furthermore, this demographic is particularly interesting for the wine industry to exploit. Indeed, according to the Federal Office for Agriculture, wine consumption in Switzerland is declining significantly, with an 8 percent drop recorded between 2023 and 2024. Engaging the 18 to 25-year-old demographic could bring tangible benefits to the local wine economy. Currently, younger consumers often perceive wine as elitist, overly complex, and tied to rigid consumption rituals that no longer reflect their lifestyle or values.
To answer the research question, how can neuromarketing techniques help Swiss wine brands engage 18 to 25-year-old consumers more effectively, this thesis combines a literature review with six expert interviews, a quantitative survey involving 154 participants, and an experiment that measured System 1 reactions to visual wine packaging. These methods allowed the researcher to evaluate emotional triggers, pricing perceptions, digital behaviours, and consumer behaviour as well as general knowledge about neuromarketing and the wine industry.
The discussion chapter was structured around five hypotheses, each exploring a key dimension of the consumer decision-making process. Findings confirm that this target segment’s approach to wine is guided less by technical information and more by emotional and unconscious cues. Design elements such as colour, label style, and storytelling enhance memorability. Price matters, but only when perceived as fair and transparent. Above all, young consumers seek wines that are accessible and aligned with their personal and social values, not products that feel distant, coded, or intimidating. Together, these hypotheses validate the relevance of neuromarketing as both an analytical and strategic tool for understanding and engaging 18 to 25-year-old wine consumers.
Based on these insights, the thesis proposes recommendations for Maison Gillard. These include investing in immersive, mobile-first digital content; simplifying access through beginner-friendly discovery formats; revitalising packaging and storytelling to create emotional impact; and developing sensory and educational experiences in-store to break down the elitist image of wine.
This thesis contributes to the field of applied neuromarketing by showing how emotional, sensory, and intuitive strategies can be used to connect traditional products with contemporary audiences. It also provides the Swiss wine industry with practical insights into the behaviours, expectations, and emotional logic of a generation that is too often misunderstood, but never irrelevant.
- Language
-
- English
- Classification
- Economics
- Notes
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- Haute Ecole de Gestion Valais
- Tourisme - Tourismus
- hesso:hegvs
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/332946
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