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Industries have to rethink their value creation processes in a sustainable perspective. In order to satisfy their stakeholders and pursue the well-being of society in the long term, manufacturers must operate under corporate social responsibility (CSR). Embodying the identity of multiple stakeholders, consumers are the key to ensuring the success of sustainability efforts. This chapter analyses the relevance of CSR from the perspective of consumer perception, which has been neglected thus far in literature. The chapter also embraces the idea that CSR and sustainable consumption are two sides of the same coin that need to be integrated in order to create sustainable industrial value. After the theoretical background, this work presents and discusses the results of an empirical research focused on an emblematic industry and brand. The findings support the idea that although a company is trying to seize Industry 4.0. opportunities for sustainability, its efforts can be partly hampered by consumers' lack of perception or their misperception.

In this individual-differences study, we aimed to investigate the antecedents of green purchase choices by considering a wide array of situation-specific predictors, with a special focus on the role of values (green values and religiosity). In a sample of Italian respondents (N = 2340), we measured sociodemographic features (age, sex, income, education, family size), green values, religious beliefs and commitment, attitudes toward green products, information seeking on green issues, importance and uncertainty attached to green purchasing, skepticism toward green advertising, and various facets of external environmental locus of control. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the main predictors of green purchase choices were green values, green information seeking, importance of green products, and attitudes towards green products, while religious commitment played only a minor role. A multi-layer path-analysis model depicted an articulated pattern of relationships between predictors and highlighted both the direct and the indirect effects of green values. Overall, predictors explained approximately half of the variance. Theoretically, these results offer a comprehensive and value-oriented view of green purchase choices, which can foster further investigations on pro-environmental behaviors. On the applied side, the findings suggest that nurturing green values and appealing to value-consistent behaviors can be helpful to stimulate pro-environmental purchase decisions.

Promoting sustainability through innovative culture and models is nowadays a top task for universities. Their commitment oriented by the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) conveys the message that sustainability is not a "luxury" but an essential vehicle through which to pursue and guarantee everyone's rights, inclusion and future.Solving complex problems calls for collaboration among communities; aware of that, Italian universities set up the RUS - Italian University Network for Sustainable Development - which acts as a model to encourage collaboration between universities and cities, to spread social innovation at local level and to provide cultural awareness at national level. The University of Trieste (UniTs) joined the network in 2017. Consistent with its strategy for sustainability, UniTs has implemented measures on the macro-context (to raise public awareness and to support research) as well as on micro-context (to orientate behaviors and habits of its community). In particular, it focused on virtuous projects such as waste management, based both on the constant reduction of waste production and on the optimization of the use of materials and products (i.e. paper, glass, reagents), along with the setting of separate waste collection to reduce disposal and favor recycling. The paper will refer on the present framework and the implementation of new integrated projects, aimed at consolidating a community attentive and aware of sustainability.

The paper investigates Italian consumers’ behavior towards characteristics of extra virgin olive oil, in particular organic production methods and geographical origin. On the basis of the existing literature, the concepts of sustainability of food systems, diets, and the olive oil supply chain are analyzed. A choice experiment (CE), using a face-to-face questionnaire with over 1000 participants, was conducted to quantify the willingness to pay (WTP) for these two attributes. Findings show positive preference for origin attributes, while the organic attribute is not highly valued. The article also offers some perspectives on future research to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the Italian olive oil supply chain.

Consumers in most parts of the world now have global access to products beyond those offered in their countries and cultures. This new space for comparison defined by globalization can result in very different purchasing behaviors, including those influenced by the 'country of origin'. This book investigates this effect, one of the most controversial fields of consumer literature, from a company perspective. In particular, it demonstrates the strategic relevance of the country of origin in creating and making use of the value in foreign markets. It also addresses the challenges connected with utilizing the value of the country of origin by considering different entry modes and international marketing channels. Further, it considers the role of international importers and international retailers’ assortment strategies in terms of value creation in foreign markets. Combining theory and practice, the book features diverse company perspectives and interviews with importers and retailers.

L’Italia è uno tra i paesi in Europa e nel mondo dove l’impresa familiare è maggiormente presente nei diversi settori produttivi, con una stima che si avvicina a circa l’85% delle imprese italiane: si tratta di imprese spesso molto antiche, che crescono più di altre tipologie di impresa, hanno una redditività più elevata, e sono fortemente orientate all’espansione nei mercati internazionali (Aidaf, 2019). Molte di queste imprese operano nei settori del Made in Italy, dove i valori dell’autenticità, unicità, qualità, artigianalità, fiducia ed etica, sono spesso associati alla dimensione di impresa familiare (Carcano, 2013) e possono costituire elementi di forte differenziazione. Ciò avviene soprattutto nei settori dell’alimentare, dell’abbigliamento e dell’arredamento, dove è fondamentale investire sulla creazione del valore del brand e sulla sua percezione positiva non solo in Italia ma soprattutto all’estero (Alon et al., 2016). Per analizzare i diversi approcci alla comunicazione dei valori familiari in un contesto internazionale, abbiamo dunque individuato i valori tipicamente associabili alle imprese familiari evidenziati dalla letteratura, che ci hanno consentito di sviluppare uno schema di analisi della comunicazione estera. Successivamente, è stata condotta un’analisi esplorativa sui siti web di un campione di novanta imprese italiane appartenenti ai settori del made in Italy sopra menzionati.

The success of companies in foreign markets depends not only on how they enter and manage international distribution channels but also on their ability to influence the choices of retailers that include products from domestic and foreign companies in their assortments. The role of retailers, in fact, is fundamental because they constitute the link with final consumers and can decide whether to place products in their portfolios. An empirical analysis was carried out in the US market. The main aim of the analysis reported in this chapter was to investigate the influences of the COO on retailers’ choices to determine the product portfolios in their stores. In addition, a comparison was made among three countries of origin: made in Italy, made in China, and made in USA. The relationship between attention to the COO and the store experience was also investigated. Finally, this study focused on the impacts of the COO in connection with the Italian-sounding phenomena to understand how US retailers deal with the alternative between a real COO and a COO based on the foreign-sounding brand.

Direct investments are an entry mode that increases business risk but allows a high level of control of the international marketing channel. Control means to be able to exploit and defend one’s own competitive advantages and to operate personally in the production and commercial activities. This chapter is aimed at investigating the ways in which greenfield direct investments can facilitate manufacturers’ value creation process for the market through the COO and value appropriation process. In the COO perspective, a representative office can oversee the foreign market by controlling implementation of the company’s branding strategy, suggesting possible adaptations, and maintaining close relationships with distribution partners. This chapter analyses what, from companies’ perspective, the role of the concept of manufactured-in has in the associations drawn between the country and the specific brand.

This chapter provides a brief overview of the objectives of the book and discusses the main findings. In particular, the chapter takes up each theoretical research question that inspired the research process and offers the reader an attempt to answer based on the main results obtained. Giving space to the voice of companies and their stories has once again made it possible to see how difficult it is to translate principles easily shared on a theoretical level into strategies and actions implemented on a daily basis.

This chapter is aimed at providing an initial theoretical framework on the theme of the country of origin (COO) from the company’s perspective. This chapter also describes the objectives of the volume and the methodology of the research. After a brief introduction on the complexity of the COO effect on consumer purchasing behavior in international markets, the chapter clarifies the particular analytical perspective of the volume and illustrates its aims. The chapter then explains the research questions that guided and inspired this theoretical and empirical investigation and summarizes the methodology used in this study.

Studies on the COO management of channel relationships in exports are especially scarce. In this context, companies, typically small and medium enterprises (SMEs), must enhance the value and symbolic content of the product offerings linked to the COO, using distribution channels involving one or more independent commercial intermediaries such as importers. The aim of this chapter is to contribute to the COO literature by identifying the variables in the relationships between companies and importers that favor and limit appropriation of the value generated by the COO. Giving voice to some companies and importers operating in a representative context (the United States wine market), this chapter serves the purpose of enriching the theoretical background of the COO in three ways: first, by investigating the COO value creation from the company’s perspective; second, by understanding whether and to what extent importers assume a key or marginal role in the management and communication of the COO that favors or hinders the value appropriation process; and third, by identifying key factors in value appropriation and destruction through the COO in relationships between SMEs and importers.

This chapter focuses on the relationship between the online channel and the COO. Indeed, the online channel is rapidly assuming a growing role in the international distribution, but studies on the relationships between the online channel and the COO not yet seem to have a consolidated framework. In the context of marketing channels, it is relevant to explore what role the online channel can play in creating value for the market through the COO. The online channel allows conveying the COO and has become crucial to presence and competitiveness in international markets. Moreover, the COO can serve as an important research reference for online customers who recognize the value of certain products. Against this background, this chapter explores the current and potential roles of the online channel in the valorization of the COO from the perspective of omnichannels, taking into account specific experiences in international markets. In particular, based on abundant data collected through a digital method approach, this study primarily considers the US food and beverage sector, including olive oil and wine products.

The role the COO can play in the international entry strategy depends heavily on how the distribution channel is structured, especially in relation to the choice of entry mode. The entry method must be chosen with great care as a long channel can lead to the paradox of selling a product abroad at a much higher price than in the domestic market while encountering many difficulties in enhancing the product’s brand and the COO to justify the premium price. In fact, indirect and long marketing channels with many intermediaries between the company and the final customer often make it difficult to enhance the typicality of the product, its brand and its origins. However, if the company is directly present and works closely with foreign customers, the valorization of its origins as an element of differentiation is more effective. Moreover, the length of the channel has impacts on price escalation, due to the presence of intermediaries, transport costs, taxes, insurance costs, and other factors. This chapter describes the different entry modes, i.e., export modes, intermediate entry modes (contractual and equity based), and hierarchical modes, with the aim to identify in which cases management of the COO is especially critical and relevant.

This chapter focuses on the relationship between the COO and the international contractual distribution channel. As highlighted in Chap. 2, the main types of internationalization include intermediate modalities. To exercise greater control over the market than in export modes and to be able to strengthen the COO and the entire distribution channel, many companies opt for intermediate entry. In the intermediate entry mode, the distribution channel is configured as an integrated vertical marketing system. The companies and the partners that adhere to the agreement share ownership, risk, control, and margins through various technical forms with different implications for the valorization and management of the COO. Focusing on certain sectors (coffee and wine) and countries (China and India), this chapter presents the results of research based on secondary and primary data. These results confirm that the link between the COO and contractual agreements can be twofold. On one hand, contractual agreements are an important tool for the valorization of the COO in the foreign market, and on the other hand, the strong image of the COO can favor the possibility of concluding agreements in the target markets.

Background. This study was conducted to assess the variation in prescription practices for systemic antimicrobial agents used for prophylaxis among pediatric patients hospitalized in 41 countries worldwide. Methods. Using the standardized Antibiotic Resistance and Prescribing in European Children Point Prevalence Survey protocol, a cross-sectional point-prevalence survey was conducted at 226 pediatric hospitals in 41 countries from October 1 to November 30, 2012. Results. Overall, 17 693 pediatric patients were surveyed and 36.7% of them received antibiotics (n = 6499). Of 6818 inpatient children, 2242 (32.9%) received at least 1 antimicrobial for prophylactic use. Of 11 899 prescriptions for antimicrobials, 3400 (28.6%) were provided for prophylactic use. Prophylaxis for medical diseases was the indication in 73.4% of cases (2495 of 3400), whereas 26.6% of prescriptions were for surgical diseases (905 of 3400). In approximately half the cases (48.7% [1656 of 3400]), a combination of 2 or more antimicrobials was prescribed. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSAs), which included tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides, and sulfonamides/trimethoprim, was high (51.8% [1761 of 3400]). Broad-spectrum antibiotic use for medical prophylaxis was more common in Asia (risk ratio [RR], 1.322; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.202-1.653) and more restricted in Australia (RR, 0.619; 95% CI, 0.521-0.736). Prescription of BSA for surgical prophylaxis also varied according to United Nations region. Finally, a high percentage of surgical patients (79.7% [721 of 905]) received their prophylaxis for longer than 1 day. Conclusions. A high proportion of hospitalized children received prophylactic BSAs. This represents a clear target for quality improvement. Collectively speaking, it is critical to reduce total prophylactic prescribing, BSA use, and prolonged prescription.

L’innovazione nei canali di marketing può essere affrontata da diversi punti di vista. Questo lavoro si propone di approfondire l’argomento nella prospettiva del consumatore, con l’analisi delle preferenze d’acquisto tra canali offline, tradizionalmente legati alla dimensione fisica del punto vendita, e canali online, recentemente entrati con successo in molti settori. Tra questi, si è scelto di focalizzare l’attenzione sul mercato dei prodotti senza glutine, un comparto in piena espansione, per effetto di innovazioni stimolate dalle diverse parti del sistema competitivo (ricerca e sviluppo, produzione, distribuzione, consumo), che insieme stanno generando un quadro dinamico e complesso, sia a livello globale, sia a livello nazionale. Si è concentrata l’attenzione sul mercato italiano, anche per la particolare posizione di leadership del nostro paese a livello europeo e internazionale in questo comparto. Il volume è articolato in tre capitoli. Il primo propone una lettura del mercato dei prodotti senza glutine, delineandone caratteristiche, fattori di sviluppo e quadro competitivo. Il secondo, con finalità descrittive, tratteggia canali di marketing e strategie distributive degli operatori del settore, delineando, in un’ottica di multicanalità e omnicanalità, confronti e relazioni tra canali online e offline. Il terzo capitolo propone tre percorsi di ricerca al fine di esplorare, da diversi punti di vista, le scelte d’acquisto dei consumatori di prodotti senza glutine sui diversi canali. Questo studio, che fa parte di un più ampio filone di ricerca sul tema dei canali di marketing, deriva anche dalla collaborazione tra mondo accademico e aziendale, con l’avvio di un’interessante esperienza formativa e di ricerca sul tema dei prodotti senza glutine. Nel nuovo contesto competitivo, sempre più fortemente orientato alla digitalizzazione e all’omnicanalità, anche per i prodotti senza glutine, in un’ottica di marketing, è fondamentale comprendere il punto di vista del cliente: quali sono le sue preferenze e le sue motivazioni di scelta in merito ai canali d’acquisto? A partire da questo quesito generale sono stati sviluppati, con finalità esplorative, tre percorsi di ricerca, nella prospettiva del comportamento d’acquisto del consumatore. Il primo percorso affronta il tema ponendo il seguente quesito: quali sono le motivazioni principali che stanno alla base delle preferenze del consumatore verso i diversi canali d’acquisto? Il secondo percorso focalizza l’attenzione sui canali online, rispetto ai quali cerca di rispondere alla seguente domanda: quali sono i fattori che contribuiscono alla soddisfazione dei clienti verso il canale online di prodotti senza glutine? Il terzo percorso ha l’obiettivo di studiare la percezione del packaging attraverso una ricerca che punta a rispondere al seguente quesito: quali sono le caratteristiche del packaging che assumono rilevanza nell’influenzare la percezione del consumatore, online e offline?

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on the relationship between innovation and internationalisation, from the perspective of a joint analysis of the two phenomena. In the theoretical framework of business innovation, where internationalisation could also be considered as an innovative process, a study of two Italian coffee firms was conducted. This sector is the emblem of made in Italy abroad and is characterised by competitive global dynamics that can undermine its traditional sources of value creation, often based on technological-productive features. In order to obtain as well as maintain competitive advantage, firms need to adopt an integrated vision of the processes of both innovation and internationalisation.

In recent years a growing number of companies have decided to demonstrate their sensitivity to the subject of health. Therefore cause-related marketing campaigns that involve a partnership between companies and associations engaged in scientific research have increased significantly. Considering a particular initiative of cause-related marketing connected to those pink marketing projects aimed to fund breast cancer research, this paper intend to test the effects of the phenomenon of pinkwashing (pink D rose + washing D wash), a term proposed by the American Breast Cancer Action Campaign “Think before you pink,” launched in 2002, on trust, on the perceived risk, and consumer confusion. Based on an analysis of the literature on a similar subject, i.e., greenwashing it has developed a qualitative and quantitative research to explore the effects of pinkwashing. The starting point has been a structured questionnaire. Through this a descriptive analysis also using a two step cluster analysis and a hypothesis development has been performed.

Over the past several years, cause-related marketing (CRM) has become an important tool that many companies use to differentiate themselves from competitors. However, this type of marketing has also received criticism. Consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical about the authenticity of these initiatives because some companies attempt to improve their image by hiding information that may be perceived as negative. Marketing literature has paid more attention to environmental CRM than to initiatives associated with other issues such as health and those related to women's health. However, in recent years, a growing number of companies have implemented actions to support these concerns. This paper aims to contribute to this field by focusing on CRM initiatives to fund breast-cancer research and on their misrepresentations. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods via a semistructured questionnaire, this study confirms the influence of pinkwashing on consumer trust, consumer-perceived risk, and consumer confusion.

Il presente contributo focalizza l’attenzione sullo studio del processo di internazionalizzazione, adottando la prospettiva delle imprese che operano in settori rappresentativi delle eccellenze del made in Italy ad alto valore simbolico per i consumatori internazionali in un mercato di sbocco estero tradizionale, ovvero quello statunitense. In particolare il paper sintetizza il nostro progetto di ricerca che ha analizzato il ruolo del COO (qui declinato nel "made in Italy") e delle sue interazioni con la marca per la creazione di valore delle imprese italiane in un contesto esportativo maturo, con particolare riferimento alle sfide in ottica distributiva. Le esperienze raccolte mediante la ricerca qualitativa hanno messo in luce un quadro articolato, dove, all’interno delle diverse specificità settoriali, emerge però un comune denominatore rappresentato dalla chiara consapevolezza del ruolo della distribuzione quale fattore critico di successo del "made in Italy" nel mercato americano. Anche se si tratta di settori in cui le imprese italiane sicuramente possono sfruttare l’effetto positivo "dell’Immagine Paese" e della manifattura italiana il vantaggio competitivo va costruito investendo in relazioni strategiche con partner distributivi disposti a promuovere il valore del prodotto "made in Italy" e del brand lungo tutta la filiera. Scarsa conoscenza del prodotto, difficoltà da parte del mercato a percepire la reale distintività dei prodotti autentici, e quindi a pagare il differenziale di prezzo, sono alcuni dei principali ostacoli all’ulteriore penetrazione del "made in Italy" anche in USA. Esiste un gap conoscitivo da colmare per poter sfruttare anche quelle associazioni positive già presenti nella mente del consumatore americano che, se non efficacemente sollecitate e/o rafforzate, riducono il valore intrinseco del "made in Italy" ad un mero potenziale, non sfruttabile per la crescita del business. Un forte investimento nella partnership con i distributori, solitamente più sensibili e attenti alla qualità e all’autenticità, nonché la creazione all’interno dei p.v. di spazi espositivi dedicati all’originale "made in Italy", affiancati da forti investimenti in attività di comunicazione volte ad educare il consumatore statunitense, rappresentano le principali sfide per le imprese italiane intenzionate ad accrescere la propria presenza in USA.

This chapter has the aim to improve understanding of the in-store customer experience in the retail environment by analyzing the business of coffee shops in the United States market with a specific focus on American and Italian chains. After a brief overview of the managerial literature on coffee shops, the main findings of the qualitative research is presented. In particular, this chapter outlines the features of the U.S. coffee shop landscape and explores American consumers' perception of the coffee shop experience using nethnography. The results show a complex framework from the offer and the demand perspective that could also contribute to supporting coffee companies in managing customer experience strategy in the American market.

Packaging and communication: an empirical research in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region - Due to some different factors, the communication role of packaging is becoming more important for numerous products. To communicate effectively, marketers need to know how communication actually works. On the basis of this consideration, supported by several theoretical and empirical evidences, the authors refer to the model of the communication process in order to develop a field research. This model explains the relations between the sender and the receiver, and the related encoding and decoding process. The aim is first of all to point out, classify, and analyze the main contents of the message and the components of packaging used by a sample of wineries in the Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli area, and then to relate these aspects with the structural and competitive features of the firms.

The country of origin advantage is not sufficient for success in foreign markets if the governance of distribution channels is weak. A company’s strategy to leverage the country of origin of a product (or company) in international markets must take into consideration the role of distributors in order to deliver part of the value that is embedded in the given product or brand to final consumers The present research aims to analyse the degree of control exerted on distribution channels by small and medium-sized Italian companies enter- ing the Chinese market. All selected companies (a total of 71) considered belong to the furniture, food and fashion industries: sectors in which Italian companies typically leverage the Made in Italy effect and where the role of the foreign distributor is significant to strengthen the positive value of the country of origin effect. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect results. The main results show the need for improvement in the governance of distribution channels for Italian companies operating in China. The current use of indirect entry modes and problematic relationships with Chinese distribution partners make it difficult to convey the value of Made in Italy to the final consumer, limiting the future growth of Italian compa- nies in the Chinese market.