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TopIntroduction, Objectives, Methodology
The global pandemic has reshaped the scenario for marketing organizations across several industries, as it apparently represents one of the most remarkable environmental changes in the modern marketing history, with relevant consequences on consumers’ behaviour. Since the total interruption of in-person marketing engagement due to the lockdowns, consumers became more comfortable with online purchases and open to new digital experiences (spending also more time on social media). Overall they had more time at home which resulted in new habits and new possibilities of engagement by companies as they are seeking more in the way of escapism and entertainment (He & Harris, 2020).
Prior to this major turbulence, in recent decades, the world economy has undergone some profound changes, mainly caused by the globalization, referred to as “a process by which world economies increasingly open up and become integrated at the international level” (Musso, 2009, p. 262) that has led to the rise of new players and to a change in the international competitive strategies: Italian companies mainly operating in the typical Made in Italy sectors can exploit the competitive advantage based on the stable and lasting image of quality and creativity of its products by rethinking the strategic role of development decisions in the international markets (Bertoli & Resciniti, 2013; Musso, 2009). In this context, the value of the Made in Italy brand could be used as a differentiation strategy and it addresses foreign customers who are able to appreciate the real value of the products and are driven by the country-of-origin effect: companies can successfully enter into “those foreign markets where Made in Italy reflects the tastes, styles and needs of consumers and where quality is a key determining factor for their choices” (Cioppi & Pencarelli, 2014, p. 121) and also implement international strategies to raise awareness about the real value of Made in Italy (Cioppi & Pencarelli, 2014; Lamb et al., 2011). This concept stands out in the four macro sectors of the Italian manufacturing excellence, labelled the 4F: fashion, food, factory automation, furniture and design (Becattini, 2000; Fortis, 2005; Micelli & Di Maria, 2000). In particular, in 2019 the Italian food industry recorded a growth rate of 3%, representing the best result among all industrial production sectors, overall dropping. Food has become the major asset of the country through the extended agri-food supply chain (ranging from the fields to the shelves and restaurants), which has reached 538 billion euros (25% of Italian GDP) and has employed 3,8 millions of workers. The global consumption of Italian food and wine has recorded a historical 4% increase in 2019, reaching 44,6 billion euros. In the early months of 2020, during the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, the food sector, as well as the agricultural sector, was not stopped by the lockdown and it continued his production cycle to guarantee food and drinks to the population. Although the food sector was penalized by the total closure of catering establishments, exports pushed the sales to an increase of 13,5% in March 2020. Since April, there has been a drop mainly caused by disinformation, manipulation and unfair competition, highlighting the need for a solid internationalization plan with the creation of new channels and a strong communication campaign to support the true Made in Italy overseas (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica [ISTAT], 2019-2020).
This paper proposes a conceptual model in the context of the food experience, which starts from the assumption of the positive effect of foreign potential customer education upon the perception and evaluations of Made in Italy food products, strengthen by the country-of-origin effect, and finally leads to a positive impact on purchasing decisions. The purpose of teaching the typical culinary practices of the Italian tradition (e.g. how to make pizza, pasta, bread) is to encourage the customers to independently replicate at home what they have learned, using appropriate Made in Italy products (e.g. flour, olive oil, tomato sauce, etc.).