POURQUOI EST-IL DIFFICILE DE “SORTIR” DES CODES GRAPHIQUES DU VIN FRANÇAIS ?

Abstract

Why debunking French graphic codes for wine is not so easy? The purpose of this paper is to provide threads to think about inertia of the offer for French wines as far as the design of the labels are concerned. The in-depth interview technique was used with twenty professionals in the wine industry in early 2007. They were questioned on that specific issue. This paper gives several explanations for the heterogeneous results as regards the French brands which have adopted modern designs for their labels. Through several occurrences, it highlights the expected mistakes in commercial strategies which must be avoided, and brings into question some clichés in wine marketing (like: “Modern labels have to be exploited to target the young consumers”). Moreover, it shows why, conforming to basic conditions, getting off the traditional label codes can become an interesting strategy for a French wine operator.