Characteristics of strong territorial brands: The case of champagne

While most brands belong to individual enterprises, some brands are collective and based in a single territory. This paper, based on qualitative research, examines the characteristics of these territorial brands using the case study of the wines of Champagne in France. Employing a series of primary data sets and past studies the paper first explores the nature of the territorial brand (including its overarching nature and emergent development), then develops an analysis of the preconditions for strong territorial brands. The proposition is that these include a specific type of brand manager, a definite willingness to co-operate, a common mythology and local engagement. The paper considers goods that are inseparable from their origin whereas prior literature focuses only on services of this type. This paper also provides insights for marketers of territorial products in terms of how to ensure their success both in local and global markets as well as how to leverage the origin appropriately.