Wine and craft beer in Baja California: an approach to innovation through label design

Abstract

This paper offers an initial approach to innovation analysis through label design in two products emblematic of Baja California: wine and craft beer. The study was prompted by the boom that both industries have experienced in recent years in the region, and focuses on the innovation diffusion link of Hansen and Birkinshaw's (2007) model. In the model, this link is directly associated with product commercialisation processes and strategies, which in the 2006 Oslo Manual corresponds to marketing innovation. To that end, an instrument was developed, validated by experts in graphic design, and used to analyse various features to estimate the degree of innovation in labels. These features include the types of materials used, presentation of information, visual design, and persuasiveness through purchase intention. The instrument served as a basis to evaluate a series of regional wine and craft beer labels, using focus groups for data collection. The relevance of this study lies in generating knowledge on stimulating and managing creative and innovation processes within the wine and craft beer industry in Baja California, through product branding with a focus on label design, and determining whether innovation in labelling contributes to influencing brand perception and purchase intention among customers.