Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the presence of deceptive advertising practices in wine retailers’ e-mails and, if identified, to analyze the extent and content of these deceptive advertisements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study follows an observational research design to examine the accuracy of two claims that were made in 258 marketing e-mails from two major wine retailers in New Jersey, USA: (1) that all wines have 90+ scores; and (2) that these wines are offered at a deeply discounted price.

Findings

The study found that only 3.9% of cases accurately supported both major claims made: the wines having 90+ scores and being offered at a discounted price. Both claims were inaccurate in 64.7% of cases. Nearly half (49.3%) of the advertised wines had concealed critic’s scores below 90 points. Recipients were told they could save 37.2% by purchasing from the advertising retailer, but they could have actually saved 12.7% more by buying the wines elsewhere.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s limitations include the small sample size. Variations between different wine retailers and their advertising practices require further investigation.

Practical implications

Advertised discounts and scores may be inaccurate or incomplete, causing consumer confusion and disappointment, erosion of wine advertisements’ as well as wine retailers’ and wine experts’ credibility.

Social implications

Deceptive advertising can erode consumer trust and lead to unfair practices. Consumers may make purchasing decisions based on misleading information. Deceptive practices create an uneven playing field, giving businesses that engage in them an unfair advantage, hindering market transparency and ethical businesses. Policymakers should develop regulations to protect consumers and ensure fair competition.

Originality/value

An investigation of deceptive advertising practices in the wine industry has not been done before. This exploratory study contributes to consumer awareness and highlights the importance of truthful and transparent marketing practices.

中文翻译：

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葡萄酒零售商“欺骗性”广告的程度：警告供应商

目的

本研究的目的是评估葡萄酒零售商电子邮件中是否存在欺骗性广告行为，如果发现，则分析这些欺骗性广告的程度和内容。

设计/方法论/途径

该研究采用观察性研究设计，旨在检验美国新泽西州两家主要葡萄酒零售商在 258 封营销电子邮件中提出的两项主张的准确性：(1) 所有葡萄酒的评分都在 90 以上； (2) 这些葡萄酒以大幅折扣的价格出售。

发现

研究发现，只有 3.9% 的案例准确支持了这两个主要主张：葡萄酒得分超过 90 分并且以折扣价出售。在 64.7% 的案例中，这两种说法都不准确。近一半（49.3%）的广告葡萄酒将评论家的分数隐瞒在90分以下。接受者被告知，从广告零售商处购买葡萄酒可以节省 37.2%，但实际上，如果在其他地方购买葡萄酒，他们可以节省 12.7%。

研究局限性/影响

该研究的局限性包括样本量较小。不同葡萄酒零售商及其广告做法之间的差异需要进一步调查。

实际影响

广告中的折扣和分数可能不准确或不完整，导致消费者困惑和失望，损害葡萄酒广告以及葡萄酒零售商和葡萄酒专家的信誉。

社会影响

欺骗性广告会削弱消费者的信任并导致不公平的行为。消费者可能会根据误导性信息做出购买决定。欺骗性行为造成了不公平的竞争环境，使参与其中的企业获得不公平的优势，阻碍了市场透明度和道德企业。政策制定者应制定法规来保护消费者并确保公平竞争。

原创性/价值

此前尚未对葡萄酒行业的欺骗性广告行为进行过调查。这项探索性研究有助于提高消费者意识，并强调真实和透明的营销实践的重要性。