PurposeThis paper analyses the impact of digitalization in the marketing of geographic indication (GI) products. Specifically, the objective is to provide a systemic and comprehensive view of marketing issues and challenges arising from evolving digitalization in the agriculture sector.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed an explorative cognitive mapping technique on a sample of key informants among Italian companies and a consortium of registered food, spirits and wine products.FindingsThis study describes the key concepts dominant in the discourse of informants concerning digitalization and its influence on the GI market. Three clusters and two loops were also identified to explain the relationship among key concepts, which stress changes regarding the relationship with the consumer, product experience and innovation, and the integration between physical and virtual space.Research limitations/implicationsThis is the first attempt to apply cognitive maps to GIs. However, the study does have limitations: it was conducted on a small number of producers and was restricted to only Italy. Another limitation is that interviews were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.Practical implicationsThe results suggest important practical implications that stress the need for learning and increased digital competences for the efficient embedding of digital technologies in all business areas, increase product value and innovation, and the need for governance in support of digital transformation.Originality/valueThis work creates the new and valuable literature on food marketing and, specifically, on a changing market environment resulting from digitalization, by providing a holistic overview of digitalization in reference to the marketing of GIs.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the communication patterns adopted by special organisations, called Producers’ Consortia, to promote Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products. In particular, the paper analyses the key differences among the communication patterns in terms of the task assigned to communication, the communication tools employed to convey key messages to customers and the amount of the budget allocated to the mix of communication. Design/methodology/approach The authors analysed the communication activities conducted by all the Italian Consortia (112 in total) over a period of four years. A centred log-ratio transformation (clr) was applied to make the compositional data treatable in the Euclidean space. A clustering procedure was then followed to identify the different communication patterns adopted by the Consortia. The authors adopted an analytical framework where different communication patterns of Consortia are identified by the mostly used types (traditional advertising, public relations and digital communication) and the corresponding aimed consumer response (i.e. awareness, attitude and engagement). Findings This paper identifies four relevant and different communication patterns that co-exist in the Italian PDO market. Each pattern responds to a different logic and focusses on a specific task assigned to communication: to increase the awareness of the PDO label, to improve the attitude towards the PDO products and to enhance the engagement with the PDO’s values. Research limitations/implications PDO products are key assets of a growing relevance for the European agri-food industry and consumer education is at the very core of the PDO labelling system. By law, the Consortia are in charge of the crucial task of communicating to customers. This research suggests that the communication of PDO is a complex activity that requires a careful choice of the right communication mix. Different patterns are driven by specific logic and are suitable for Consortia with different characteristics. Future research could complete the results of this study using a qualitative analysis of the content of communication activities. Caution should be used when generalising these findings to markets that present relevant differences in consumer food culture. Practical implications This research identifies some possible communication mixes that managers of the Consortia can adopt to promote PDO products and some options that can guide the development of their communication activities over time. Originality/value This work adds value to the literature on food marketing, and more specifically on food communication, by analysing the yet underexplored issue of how PDO products can be promoted in the “post-modern” food consumption era.
Purpose This paper aims to understand how festival brand personality is built and managed in the social media environment by explaining the intended (by the organizers) festival brand personality and how this concept is communicated and perceived by social media users. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method research design was used. Initially, a qualitative analysis based on the free-listing psychological meaning approach was adopted. Then, a content analysis of 23,717 Facebook posts and tweets was performed through NVivo11. Finally, the resulting data were examined through a non-parametric statistical analysis. Findings The results show an “internal brand personality gap” (between the intended and communicated brand personality) and an “external brand personality gap” (between the communicated and perceived brand personality). The findings also highlight the existence of an “ultimate brand personality on social media,” which represents a collective and dynamic construct that is co-created by the organization and its customers through interaction and the key role of the customers’ experiences. Research limitations/implications The findings contribute to a theory of event brand personality and its management on social media by showing a case with multiple identities. Practical implications Implications for the organizers of festivals and non-sport events are discussed to reduce internal and external gaps and better understand the “fit/unfit problem” when dealing with brand personality on social media. Originality/value This paper contributes to a research area that is in its infancy because it is one of the first attempts to analyze festival brand personality and its relationship with social media.
The development and spread of protected denominations for typical products has been one of the most interesting phenomena recorded over the last ten years, in terms of both extent (there are more than 500 protected denominations in Europe, 20 per cent for Italian products) and the implications for the marketing of food products. The role played by these meta‐brands is rather a complex one, as a number of different factors come into play, such as the commodity itself, the size and type of the company using the brand, the end consumers who actually buy the product, and so on. These assumptions are confirmed by the existence of a number of studies focusing on particular commodities and/or countries. While furnishing a few general considerations, which are common to several contexts, this work aims mainly at analysing the role of protected denominations for typical products both as marketing instruments and as a springboard for competition for small local producers. In particular, the study will concentrate on the dairy industry and “made‐in‐Campania” buffalo's milk mozzarella cheese, an Italian product benefiting from the protected designation of origin (PDO) brand Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.
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