Status Inconsistency and Product Valuation in the California Wine Market

Abstract

This study develops a theoretical model on the role of multidimensional status and status inconsistency in market evaluation processes. A product or an organization may acquire multiple status indicators in association with a multitude of market institutions. We argue that when status indicators are consistently positive, each exerts a greater positive effect on the valuation of a product or an organization; conversely, inconsistency among multiple indicators undermines the status claim. We test this theoretical proposition by examining patterns of product valuation in the California premium wine market. Our findings show that when an individual wine's tasting score rated by critics and another more general status indicator—classified appellation affiliation, extra designation on the label, or a winery's organizational status—are consistently positive, each makes a greater contribution to wine price. In contrast, when status indicators are inconsistent, the value of the positive status indicator is reduced. Our study explicates the scope conditions under which market status may yield different outcomes and sheds light on the interplay among status indicators in market valuation.