Adoption of social media in the Australian and New Zealand wine industries

Abstract

Purpose - This paper examines the adoption of social media technologies across the Australasian wine industries, how wineries are using social media, and the issues that limit adoption. Design/methodology/approach - Data for this exploratory study was obtained from a survey of wineries across Australia and New Zealand. Findings - The level of social media adoption by wineries is the same across both nations (65%), with Facebook and Twitter being the most adopted platforms. Wineries are predominantly utilising social media to communicate and provide event information to existing customers, as well as to advertise and gain new customers. Originality/value - This study adds to current knowledge regarding the use of social media in the wine industry, including a comparison of the use across Australasian wineries to wineries in other nations. It also identifies the main barriers affecting the use of social media by wineries; time constraints, effectiveness, and lack of knowledge.