New research from Brock University says signatures on wine bottles is shown to have an influence on Ontario consumers and has a huge impact on sales.

Researchers conducted a series of seven studies that examined how adding a personal signature to in-store signage and product labels affects how consumers view the product and the level of sales.

Research also looked at the connections between identities, affiliations, casual relationships and associations between the consumer and products, specifically for Ontarians purchasing wine from inside the province.

“What we found is that sales increased by 500 percent when the winemaker’s signature was present on the label,” says Antonia Mantonakis, co-author of the report and Professor of Marketing and Consumer Psychology.

“We think that something about the identity of the consumer being local, being from Ontario, was activated, was made relevant. There was kind of a personal connection that was made evident, made salient there. And so that was the reason we think led to the increase in purchase only for the Ontario consumers.”

These bottles with signatures were also found to be of higher quality than those without a signature.

WATCH MORE: Alcohol heading to Ontario convenience stores by 2026