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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to define and describe how consumers may constitute an integral part of small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) value co-creation process in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, and to provide practicable implementation recommendations to firms in the Piedmont region that are important and prominent in this sector. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology rests on a multiple case study design, applied to three F&B Piedmont SMEs that produce beer, water and starters: Baladin, Lurisia and Galfré. Findings Results show an increasing awareness by firms of the important role played by customers in value co-creation, though limited to specific roles in the case of SMEs. Research limitations/implications The research is limited by its exploratory nature, though the findings and conclusions drawn provide a solid foundation for further development and testing on the subject. Practical implications The case studies’ results allow the reader to understand the importance of the increasing awareness of the role played by customers in value co-creation, especially on the WWB, where costs are minimizing. Originality/value The research’s value stems from fact that there are few existing studies on the ways to engage customers in value co-creation. Moreover, these studies, contrary to the present research, are largely theoretical and either have no direct applicability or are limited to a single case.

PurposeThe authors’ aim is to investigate if entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has a role in interpreting an external crisis, such as COVID-19, as an opportunity for investing in digital transformation.Design/methodology/approachThe authors undertook multiple case study research on the digital transformation of seven “Made in Italy” SMEs and proposed a conceptual framework that sees an external stimulus (e.g. the pandemic) as a driver of the digitalisation, filtered by the entrepreneurial orientation of SMEs.FindingsThe authors’ results show how EO deals with the changing environment and helps address the market opportunities related to digitalisation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the existing literature on EO and digital transformation of SMEs, creating a new model for forthcoming studies on this topic. In addition, interesting insights are offered on the role of EO to promote the introduction of digital transformation in SMEs operating in the “Made in Italy” sectors.Practical implicationsThis study shows the role of EO as a reactive characteristic during a crisis. Thus, the authors’ suggestion to SMEs is to develop their EO as a part of the strategic orientation. In addition, this work encourages policymakers to invest in the promotion of specific interventions aimed at supporting entrepreneurs in enhancing their capacity to effectively manage digital transformation.Originality/valueIdentifying the most important triggers of digitalisation in times of crisis remains an underexplored area of research. Thus, this study adds value to both digital transformation and entrepreneurial orientation topics.

In marketing studies, many researches have already investigated consumers' responses towards mobile augmented reality (MAR) and the enhancement of user experience. Notwithstanding, little is known on how MAR creates value for consumers and companies, boosting the internationalization process. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the perceived usefulness and value creation of MAR, evaluating both suppliers'/retailers' and consumers' sides in the "Made in Italy" Food and Beverage context. To reach this aim, data were gathered using 5 semi-structured interviews with suppliers/retailers and an online survey administered to 361 consumers. Following a mixed-approach, data were triangulated to enhance generalisation of data. Findings indicate a particular usefulness of MAR for product traceability and communication of nutritional information for consumers. In addition, MAR may help identify falsification for the "Made in" products, especially in international markets such as China and the US. Despite these interesting insights, MAR usage and application are still limited for "Made in Italy" products. Thus, this paper provides new and fresh insights in marketing theory related to new technologies adoption, highlighting interesting implications for marketers working in international contexts.