Ian Hoare wrote:
> Salut/Hi Dana Myers,
>
> le/on Sat, 25 Oct 2003 20:54:25 -0700, tu disais/you said:-
>
>
>>Consumers that give a sh*t understand the difference
>>between "champagne" from California and Champagne.
>
>
> That's probab ly true, yes.
>
>
>>Other consumers don't matter (they don't care... they just don't
>>know the difference and don't care anyway).
>
>
> I'm sorry, Dana, I find that a little arrogant towards the millions of
> people who buy "champagne" in those countries which allow their local
> sparklers to be called that, and all similar attempts to pass off local
> products using prestigious names from elsewhere.
Well, what's happened here is that a specific name has become generic.
It is, actually, a success problem. The examples that we most often
cite are of brand-names that have become generic (like Kleenex and Coke).
You say "pass off local products using prestigious names from elsewhere".
From this, I infer that you find the practice to be rooted in an attempt
to deceive. I believe the practice is easily as much about attempting
to communicate with consumers in terms they know. If the vast majority
of your consumers have learned to say "champagne" when they're talking
sparkling wine, regardless of how that sparkling wine is labelled, then
there's a legitimate desire to want to label the product in a way that
speaks directly to your consumers.
Further, not all parts of the label carry equal weight with consumers.
Even people that don't know the difference between Champagne from Champagne
and sparkling wine from Modesto *do* seem to quickly figure out the
difference between Kristal and Korbel.
(Very few consumers I've met actually think that Canadian bacon comes
from Canada, too)
I don't intend to dismiss the issue or insult consumers who don't
know the difference, but what's the point of educating them? Most
American consumers already think wine is too complicated and wine
enthusiasts are too snooty; attempting to correct those very consumers
on their improper use of the term will simply alienate them further.
This won't sell more sparkling wine from anywhere.
Here's something that still makes me wince:
http://www.roundtablepizza.com/RTP/Press/napa_pizza.asp
Dana