Can good marketing make even a lousy product a hit? Will good marketing for wine mean that we will all eventually be drinking swill?

We’ve been thinking about this ever since the research from Stanford & CalTech came out that shows that people enjoy wine more when they pay a higher price for it. Researches gave the same wine to participants, but told them that it was different wine at different prices. They claimed to enjoy a bottle at $90 much more than the same wine at $10.

Over at the OpenWine Consortium, there has been much discussion about wine marketing and whether or not good marketing will eventually have us all drinking terrible wine. I have a hard time believing that this is likely to be the outcome.

To quote my own reply to the topic:

I disagree that at some point we are paying BMW prices for a Yugo. Certainly consumers are swayed by marketing, but even marketing has its limits. Note “New Coke” or the “Arch Deluxe” or even the Yugo. None of these products lived up to their marketing. Consumers rebelled against New Coke, absolutely despised the Arch Deluxe, and didn’t think the Yugo was worth even its crazy cheap price due to its reliability and safety. Consumers may try a product based on marketing and price, but they are smart enough to walk away from what they do not like.

Maybe consumers happen to genuinely like the supermarket wines. And what is wrong with that, really? They feel that they are getting a good value for their money. Most people do not have time to study a drink. They have kids to care for, jobs to worry about, and bills to pay.

Cars are a good example. Many people are very into cars - how the engine was engineered, what tires are best, or whatever. The number of conversations I have with colleagues about tires just stuns me. Most people are not like this, though. They just want to get from A to B comfortably, safely, and cheaply. And if they can enjoy driving it, even better.

I think the same goes for wine. Most people want something they enjoy, and at a reasonable price. And they want it to be reliable, year after year. For them, scores from Spectator or Parker are a valuable tool to navigate through the seemingly endless possibilities when they go to their wine store. All these things, the 90-point scores, the marketing, the discounts, maybe attract an initial purchase; but if the consumer does not like what they try, they will try something else the next time.

I think it is more than this, though. Marketing is a tool that consumers rely on to help them find their way through the jungle of crap. Sure, they get steered into crap sometimes. Probably even frequently. Still, I suspect that they make a more efficient journey through the wine world than just picking bottles off the shelf at random.

I have faith in the consumer that they identify the best products to suit their own needs. Sometimes, when there are too many choices, consumers need a bit of guidance and advice. Tools like Consumer Reports, Angie’s list, or various web reviews help consumers with many products. Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, or even our own PalatePrint™ are useful resources too for many wine drinkers. Even the advertisements in magazines serve a purpose.

What do you think?  Does marketing have too much influence in the wine world?