PR
Newswire (U.S.)
NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2007
-- ACNielsen and Nielsen
Sports, both business units
of The Nielsen Company,
today released a study showing that
wine consumption among NASCAR fans is
up 22% from last year, far outpacing
the U.S. growth in wine. In 2006, retail
wine sales in the U.S. (total grocery,
drug, and selected liquor markets only)
reached a new record of $8.4 billion,
up 7% from 2005.
Nielsen FANLinks, a
service that tracks household consumption
among U.S. sports fans, indicates that
wine purchases have increased to $81.40
per year, an average dollar increase
of about $14.60 per household. Results
also indicate that this increase in
wine spending is slightly stronger among
avid fans, with their purchases increasing
by 26.4%. While imported wine sales
are growing among NASCAR fans, domestic
wine still represents a majority of
their sales, nearly 70%. With about
75 million NASCAR fans in the U.S.,
this could become the next big advertising
opportunity for the wine industry.
Average
NASCAR Fan -
Household Wine Purchases ($) |
|
Source:
Nielsen Homescan and FANLinks
|
"These
findings emphasize tremendous opportunities
for advertisers interested in sports
fan consumers. Wine brands that can
align their brand to these consumers
are positioned to reap the benefits
of fan loyalty for years to come,"
said Ann Marie Dumais, VP of Marketing,
Nielsen Ventures.
While NASCAR fans' growing penchant
for wine may sound surprising, team
owners and racecar drivers are not surprised
at all. NASCAR team owner, Richard Childress,
has ventured into the wine business,
as has driver, Jeff Gordon. In 2005,
Gordon announced a series of upscale
wines under a self- titled label, the
Jeff Gordon Collection.
Furthermore, in 2005, Texas Motor Speedway
pioneered an effort to accommodate the
increasing number of NASCAR fans who
prefer drinking wine. The racetrack
became the first sports venue in Texas
to allow fans to purchase wine in the
grandstand during races.
About Nielsen Sports(TM)
Nielsen Sports, a business unit of The
Nielsen Company, specializes in creating
best practices for the sports sponsorship
industry. Nielsen Sports, established
in collaboration with Nielsen Ventures,
is founded on a heritage and commitment
to providing information that is results-oriented
and objective for both buyers and sellers
of sports sponsorships. For more information
on Nielsen Sports, please visit www.nielsensports.com
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a business unit of The Nielsen
Company, is the world's leading marketing
information provider. Offering services
in more than 100 countries, the unit
provides measurement and analysis of
marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes
and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's
market research, proprietary products,
analytical tools and professional service
to understand competitive performance,
to uncover new opportunities and to
raise the profitability of their marketing
and sales campaigns.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information
and media company with leading market
positions and recognized brands in marketing
information (ACNielsen), media information
(Nielsen Media Research), business publications
(Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter,
Adweek), trade shows and the newspaper
sector (Scarborough Research). The privately
held company has more than 42,000 employees
and is active in more than 100 countries,
with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands,
and New York, USA.
For more information, please visit,
www.nielsen.com.
ACNielsen; Nielsen Sports
Karen Gyimesi
+1-646-654-8631
Jamillah
Wright
+1-646-654- 8357.
