There are some contents that we listen to out of curiosity… and which end up making us think well beyond the announced subject.
This is exactly the experience I had while listening to episode #49 of the podcast Mark & Ting: clear & inspiring marketing, dedicated to a study on the visual codes of the wines of Bordeaux and the Barossa Valley. This episode is a precise, methodical, almost surgical demonstration of how packaging codes guide our perceptions, influence our choices… and gain or lose market share.
And there, I understood! Behind a simple label, there is always a strategy and behind a strategy, there is research.
The weight of traditions: when Bordeaux becomes a visual language
Imagine a wall of wine bottles on a shelf. Even before reading a single label, you can identify a Bordeaux wine.
Why?
Because - over the decades - the Grand Crus have imposed a set of signs that have become universal:
engravings of châteaux,
coats of arms and seals,
classic typographies,
centred layout,
white or slightly yellowed ivory backgrounds.
These codes have a very simple function:to reassure.
They tell the consumer:
“Here is a serious wine.
Here is a wine that is rooted in tradition.
Here is a wine whose story you already know.
It’s like entering an old library. Everything inspires trust. Everything is familiar.
Then Australia enters the scene… and changes the game.
And suddenly, in this perfectly codified theatre, actors from the Barossa Valley appear with a different approach: they respect the rules… but just enough to be recognised. And that’s where the storytelling begins.
Indeed, their labels speak less of monuments… and more of nature. Less heritage… and more of producers. Less tradition… and more of creativity. Some labels showcase the terroir. Others feature the winemaker, almost like a portrait. Still others transform the label into a contemporary painting.
We are no longer in the nobility of the château, giving way to the humanity of the gesture as well as the artistic emotion..
The result?
A gentle break.
An acceptable deviation.
A visible difference.
Four ways to visually exist in a saturated market.
The research presented in the initially mentioned podcast brilliantly synthesises these choices into four strategies:
The château wine
– absolute continuity.
– reassuring, institutional, traditional.
Nature or the place of production
– the natural origin highlighted.
– a more accessible, more modern image.
Nature & the producer
– the face behind the bottle.
– a more human, more embodied wine.
The producer & culture
– wine as a work of art.
– the expression of a personality more than of a terroir.
These strategies show that differentiation is not an impulsive act, but a choreography between market expectations and what the brand dares to propose..
What this study really reveals: the strength of good marketing research.
Listening to this analysis, I was struck by an obvious truth: no brand can decide on its visual codes by relying on chance or intuition.
This study is a model of its kind:
clear framing,
precise issues,
fine observations,
useful typologies,
actionable conclusions.
This is exactly what Julie Hermann reminds us of in an episode ofUnfiltered :
“A marketing study is only valuable if it is targeted.”
And this study on wine shows us something essential:
Even a very niche market can reveal powerful dynamics… if analysed correctly.
Why these words resonate with me so much.
What is explained in this podcast reflects exactly what I observe daily: many companies that want to innovate but do not know where to start.
It is important to note that historical brands hesitate to break codes because they fear losing their clientele. Similarly, new entrants seek to attract without destabilising.
All these observations ultimately rest on the same question: What does the consumer really perceive?
It is precisely this type of question that I help to clarify when I support brands.
Not with intuitions.
Not with vague trends.
With data, observations, analyses, studies constructed like the one presented in the podcast.
Indeed, a visual decision without understanding the market… It’s like throwing a bottle into the sea.
For brands that want to move forward methodically.
If you are looking to:
understand the real expectations of your consumers,
analyse the visual codes of your market,
know where to innovate without taking unnecessary risks,
reposition your brand accurately,
prepare a launch or a packaging redesign,
then a marketing study is not a luxury, it is a compass.
If you need support to analyse your market, I would be delighted to discuss this with you and help you explore your market with the same rigor as that presented in the podcast.
🎧 To extend the reflection
PodcastMark & Ting: clear & inspiring marketing– Episode #49
“Summary of a marketing research on the visual codes of Bordeaux wines and the Barossa Valley”