Using family heritage to market wines A case study of three "New World" wineries in Victoria, Australia

Purpose - The aim of this exploratory study is to investigate the benefits of "New World" wineries using family heritage as a legitimate marketing technique. "Old World" regions have been leveraging off the often long association the wineries family has in wine making to assist in generating wine sales. This marketing initiative is now being applied to "New World" wineries with increasing success. Design/methodology/approach - This exploratory study investigated three wineries including their web sites, print media and consumer responses. The case studies had to include wineries that were family owned and actively promoted and marketed their winery as having a strong family heritage link in Victoria, Australia. Findings - The results of this investigation suggest that family heritage is a legitimate marketing technique for "New World" wineries to assist in wine sales. If a family link can be established, there is no reason why "New World" wineries cannot promote family heritage, even if the winery is relatively new or a family has not worked in the industry for an extended period of time. Originality/value - This paper attempts to acknowledge that family heritage is important in creating a "story" for the winery to assist in wine sales generation. By examining "New World" wineries regarding family heritage usage, this paper suggests that it is a legitimate marketing technique that other authors have never explored.