Study of product repositioning for the Marsala Vergine DOC wine

Abstract

Italian production of wine is very diversified and Sicily is one of the major regions with regards to quality and quantity of wine. TheMarsala is the oldest fortified Sicilian wine, which is very valuable because of its organoleptic qualities and its production process. Marsala wine has been gaining for over a century in the Italian and foreign market, but, after a centuryof fame, it entered a long phase of decline because of inappropriate producers’ decisions and new competitors. The objective of this study is to investigate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and treats of Marsala Vergine DOC wine for repositioning the product in the market. The focus group and factor analysis werecarried out. Results highlighted the key-factors producers need to focus on,in order to reposition the wine in the market and meet preferences of a distinctive target consumer. Integrated strategies may be developed with stakeholders basing on results.