Search results

The paper aims to investigate pro-social behaviour of Italian consumers during the decision-making process of buying food produced in lands confiscated from Mafia-type organisations. This is assumed as a form of buycotting, thus as an ethical purchasing choice to contribute to social change.

Data from 339 interviews were elaborated with a cluster analysis. The difference between groups was confirmed using MANOVA, whereas the multivariate multiple regression analysis was carried out to assess the difference between clusters.

Three types of consumer groups are identified: absolutists, exceptionists and subjectivists. Coherent with previous studies, findings also highlight the relevance of information acquisition and of the self-effectiveness perception as key factors to stimulate pro-social behaviours.

With a social marketing perspective, the paper offers useful suggestions to promote political consumerism as a critical choice to contribute to fight against Mafia-type organisations and to spread a culture of lawfulness.

This paper aims to examine the effect of a food-inspired multimedia intervention on children’s fruits and vegetables (F&V) consumption in a real-life setting during lunch.

Children in an elementary school in Bologna (Italy) in third, fourth and fifth grade, aged between 9 and 12 years old, were examined (N = 171). Two different types of messages (generic and specific) were used to test message-tailoring in two separate intervention groups and one control group. The two intervention groups (classes) were presented with multimedia messages during an English lesson before lunchtime, and their eating behavior during lunch at school was observed. All children were served the first and second course, vegetables and fruit during lunchtime. Data was analyzed with R 3.4.2. Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis and ANOVA tests were used to test for group differences, ordered logistic regression for modelling fruit and vegetable consumption.

The results show that children receiving a specific message targeting F&V consumed more fruit than the other two study groups. No effect on vegetable consumption was observed. Results from an ordered logit model support the notion that the multimedia message impacted fruit intake in the specific message group when taking other variables into account, such as F&V consumption and availability at home and children’s attitude toward F&V.

While many studies have considered a group of intervention for understanding the effect of multimedia, this study is focused only on the effect of a message (generic or specific). Moreover, participants, children, were not informed that they were participating in a study on fruit and vegetables consumption, and thus were following their daily routine.

This study aimed to investigate the gendered nature of craft beer (CB) consumption in Italy and Germany.

Data were collected through online surveys in Italy (N = 210) and Germany (N = 211). Based on an enhanced version of the theory of planned behaviour, mean value difference tests and moderated regression analyses with gender as a moderator were performed to test gender effects on CB consumption behaviour.

The study results provide evidence that the gap in CB consumption behaviour is not very pronounced. In the German sample, gender did not moderate the effects of the model components on behavioural intent. However, the study found significant mean differences in all model variables. In the Italian sample, gender moderated the effects of several components of the theory of planned behaviour on behavioural intention. Hence, CB consumption appears to represent an opportunity for Italian women to negotiate their womanhood in a historically masculine-dominated space.

The limitations of these data are the focus on two specific countries, the use of small-sized samples and the prediction of behavioural intentions instead of actual behaviour.

The study may help marketing managers develop appropriate marketing strategies based on a better understanding of gender-specific needs in CB consumption.

This investigation provides the first comparative analysis of gender-specific behavioural patterns in CB consumption in two European countries characterised by notably different beer cultures.

An interesting subset of millennials are university students. This study aims to investigate motivations to drink craft beers in a sample of Czech and International University students in Prague (Czech Republic).

Adopting a revised model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), a simultaneous equations model was used by performing a three-stage least squares (3SLS) regression. The data were obtained from 305 students of 18 and 35 years of age (152 Czechs and 153 Internationals) at the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS), who completed a face-to-face interview using a questionnaire.

The findings confirm the major role played by self-identity (SI) on the intention to drink craft beers, in the whole sample, and the key role played by the perception of being able to drink, for the Czechs participants only. Attitudes and social pressure towards craft beer consumption are of secondary importance, whereas the desire for uniqueness is not a relevant aspect in the participants’ decision of drinking craft beers.

The study deepened the TPB by incorporating consumers’ SI and the desire for unique consumer products as additional constructs to explain the intention of drinking craft beers. Given the long tradition of brewing in the Czech Republic and its significant role in the global marketplace, the understanding of local and foreign millennials’ intention to drink craft beers would contribute to increase knowledge on consumer behaviour, bringing beneficial effects to the brewing sector. Further research developments, within the context of handcrafted food consumption, stem from the discussion of the theoretical implications.

Combining sensory evaluations and hypothetical valuation mechanisms, this study aims to investigate the impact of consumers' product sensory attributes on willingness to pay (WTP) and overall liking for a new apple cultivar.

A sample of non-expert participants (n = 122) evaluated the overall liking and just-about-right (JAR) attributes. A variable transformation approach was applied to make linear and interval regression models between the JAR attributes, overall liking scores and participants' WTP.

The study reveals the high consumer appreciation for the new apple in both hedonic and economic terms. After controlling the anchoring effect's bias, the predicted mean WTP for the new apple cultivar was €3.26 per kilogramme. Crunchiness and flavour significantly affect both participants' overall liking and WTP.

The main limitation is the non-probabilistic sampling procedure, which does not allow for the generalisation of the results. Penalty analysis for JAR attributes in monetary and hedonic terms is beneficial for optimising the product and evaluating its potential in the marketplace.

The findings provide helpful directions for product optimisation in future breeding programmes to ensure the long-term sustainability of the new apple cultivars in the marketplace.

This study provides evidence of the beneficial synergy of mixing sensory-oriented research with the behavioural economics field of study.

The wine market in Italy has been through several changes in the last decade. Actors in the supply chain need to find new strategies or tools in order to remain competitive in what has become a fiercely competitive sector. Innovation is one of the tools which have been successfully used in the New World wine market, hence innovation might also be a useful resource for actors in the Old World wine market, such as in Italy. The purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholders’ perception of such innovation, including how its usefulness in the Italian wine production and distribution chain is perceived.

Semi-structured interviews were carried out in Emilia-Romagna with a wide range of actors in the Italian wine chain and consumer focus groups and the resulting data were analyzed using the content-summarizing approach.

These stakeholders agreed that innovation is needed for production and processing as well as in quality control, but only on condition that it should maintain the quality and value of traditional wines. Innovative wine products tend to be unacceptable to consumers. Most stakeholders associate innovation with communication as producers and distributors seek innovative ways to convey information regarding the value of wines to final consumers.

The findings are qualitative and based on a small group of Italian wine industry players and consumers who operate mainly in a domestic context.

The paper provides industrialists with information useful in the search to find the right strategies to make them more competitive in the Italian wine market. It is crucial to find and adopt innovative approaches toward communication throughout the chain. Information appealing to tradition and sentiment could be highly effective ways to reach the consumer.

This is the first in-depth study of the perceptions of all stakeholders (from producers to consumers) regarding innovation in the Italian wine chain; of particular importance as the industry is currently in transition toward globalization.

As indicated in the Italian law (No. 109-1996), agri-food co-operatives can also play a role in combatting mafia-type systems by choosing to grow their food products in lands confiscated from mafia-type organisations. These food products provide individuals with a new opportunity to fight criminal organisations on the marketplace. The purpose of this study is to explore how people react to a social marketing initiative devoted to promoting food “buycotting” to counteract mafia-type organisations in Italy.

The data were obtained from a convenience sample of 339 Italians, and the study adopted a model inspired by the general theory of marketing ethics. A structural equation model was applied to estimate both the parameter and coefficient functions.

Individuals recognise the ethical value of “buycotting”. However, they perceive this form of critical choice as not yet being fully effective in counteracting mafia-type systems in Italy.

The results suggest that promotional and psychological approaches from marketing literature can be effectively used to influence the consumer’s ethical judgement by selectively communicating and emphasising the benefits of the critical consumption investigated.

This is one of the first studies to address consumers’ ethical judgments and their reactions towards buycotting food as a critical choice to reward socially responsible corporations.

Few published studies have examined which values and motives might encourage the purchase of craft beer (CB) over the Internet by Millennials. This study aims to investigate the motivations behind CB online buying habits among Millennials, and the chosen context is Italy. Adopting a revised model of the Alphabet Theory, a questionnaire-based consumer survey was designed. The data were collected in Italy, between January and April 2020, from a convenience sample composed of 273 interviewees aged 25–39. A structural equations model was estimated using a three-stage least squares regression. The interviewees were segmented into two groups based on their habits of purchasing CB online, using a triadic split procedure. The findings confirm the significant role played in Millennials’ attitudes towards CB online purchasing habits. Specifically, within the whole sample, our concern was with the essential role played by online product availability. The impulsive desire to discover a moment of pleasure is the principal aspect influencing Millennials’ attitudes (among those who are more inclined to purchase CB online). Whereas, for consumers less inclined, sensorial aspects, self-identity and local identity remain relevant. Given the lack of research on Millennials in this purchasing context for CB, this study breaks new ground to better understand this group and the CB consumer culture in this evolving sector. These findings shed new light on making and selling CB, as well as on the interests of beer consuming communities. The findings may help marketing managers develop appropriate marketing strategies based on a better understanding of Millennial-specific needs.

The paper aims to focus on traceability as part of information management in the fruit supply chains of Emilia‐Romagna, Italy. A review of the rules in use for traceability distinguishes between baseline traceability and traceability plus (T+), which encompasses many further embedded value attributes.

The paper takes the form of a qualitative study involving in‐depth interviews with key informants in the Italian fresh produce chain.

Findings are discussed in terms of different themes including identification of three distinct types of supply chains and the impact upon them and categorisation of traceability systems across the different chains. Identified are the impact of information systems management; purchasing management; product management transaction costs; and co‐ordination issues.

The study's findings are based on Italian fresh produce traceability context only.

Elements of competitive strategy are considered in the analysis of fruit supply chains of Emilia‐Romagna, to demonstrate that not only strategic, but also operative choices determine the way a single firm or supply network manages traceability and information issues. Applications of such elements to buyer and seller selection as well as to competing retailers of the fruit supply chain, verify the hypothesis.

The paper adds to the body of knowledge surrounding prior studies on the development of traceability systems and develops further the analysis of legal and value‐adding dimensions of traceability.

The aim of this paper is to assess the applicability and impact of private food standards – specifically that of the BRC (British Retail Consortium) – in a European country context, and to classify food companies into groups on the basis of their different perceptions regarding the Global Standard for Food safety impacts.

The research is developed in two stages: a qualitative investigation based on in-depth interviews with quality managers (QMs); a quantitative investigation with a structured questionnaire: with response from 192 food processors in Italy, selected through a probabilistic random sampling method. Data were elaborated with descriptive statistical techniques and subsequently with multivariate analysis (factor and cluster analysis).

QMs agree with most of the assumptions with regard to the impact elements of the BRC food standard. Some characteristics, such as geographic location, size, and type of processing and adoption of ISO 9001, seem to elicit different perceptions between the companies. Through factor analysis, eight factors were extracted; and subsequently, through cluster analysis applied to the factors, five different groups of companies are identified.

The adoption of private food standards is both useful and comprehensible for food operators. However, BRC is a minimum standard and a base level for food suppliers; it cannot wholly substitute a specific retailer's dedicated second-party audit. Findings could be used by the subjects of the certification process to determine ideal marketing strategies.

This paper provides a statistically significant description of the impact of private food standards (via the important BRC standard) in one of the most important European markets.