Among major international research and practice issues, the issue of the circular economy has eme... more Among major international research and practice issues, the issue of the circular economy has emerged recently as “an alternative economic paradigm” to address the current needs of the present and to search for innovative solutions for the future. The objective of this paper is to explore the initiatives and practices of the circular economy that could be actuated by tourism firms with the aim of understanding the value that could be created and its contribution to sustainable development based on decarbonization, energy efficiency, and the use of renewable sources. To achieve this objective, an in-depth, qualitative case study of a tourism resort is presented and analyzed to identify the key CE practices activated, with the aim of creating greater value and contributing to sustainable production and consumption. The results show that the main CE practices implemented focus primarily on enhancing resource efficiency, reducing emissions, and minimizing environmental impacts. This res...
Waste production is caused by a varied complex socio-economic
system. This is the result of the f... more Waste production is caused by a varied complex socio-economic system. This is the result of the fact that the issue concerns fami- lies , businesses and other institutions and each of these has their own way of regarding the problem. Nevertheless, they are all lin- ked by the common need to improve the service without causing too negative an effect on lives and specic needs. These user needs clash with the business efciency requirements of waste collection rms, especially in places where there are “uc- tuating users” (typical in tourist cities). Here they are forced to lo- ok for greater exibility of waste disposal service without prejudi- cing structural capacity due to contractual constraints. The aim of the following work is to identify and test organizational and management changes that would allow an improvement of the waste collection service in the city of Gallipoli particularly during the summer. The methodology applies a systemic approach com- bined with procedures of Total Quality Management.
Obiettivo del paper: L'obiettivo principale della ricerca consiste nell'individuare gli attributi... more Obiettivo del paper: L'obiettivo principale della ricerca consiste nell'individuare gli attributi che qualificano l'immagine delle destinazioni enoturistiche ed analizzarne il ruolo nella percezione dei wine tourist. Metodologia: Facendo propri i principi della letteratura manageriale in materia di Destination Management e, nello specifico, di Destination Image, si è inteso adottare a livello metodologico il modello di misurazione proposto da Echtner e Ritchie (1991). Risultati: Si è pervenuti ad una mappatura delle risorse che contribuiscono a qualificare l'immagine di una destinazione enoturistica, verificandone la rilevanza assegnata dagli enoturisti, con uno specifico focus sulle principali destinazioni enoturistiche internazionali. Implicazioni pratiche: La mappatura generale alla quale si è pervenuti può costituire, se opportunamente contestualizzata, uno strumento per valutare l'ampiezza del percorso che un'area deve intraprendere per valorizzare i prerequisiti di base fino a renderli identificabili come un sistema enoturistico dai wine tourist. Originalità e limiti della ricerca: Il principale elemento di originalità attiene alla scelta di applicare una metodologia di analisi consolidata in tema di immagine della destinazione ad un ambito, quello enoturistico, di crescente rilevanza in chiave di sviluppo turistico, ma ancora poco studiato ed approfondito, pur con il limite derivante dalla difficoltà di definire il campione secondo idonee regole statistiche che permettano una generalizzazione dei risultati.
Obiettivo del paper: Il paper si prefigge di individuare quali siano e/o possano essere le determ... more Obiettivo del paper: Il paper si prefigge di individuare quali siano e/o possano essere le determinanti essenziali, soprattutto in termini di contenuti verbali e iconici, nella comunicazione " brand-land " , approfondendo in particolare le modalità attraverso cui queste possono essere veicolate nella Rete. Metodologia: L'approccio metodologico utilizzato è di tipo mixed methods: 1) Individuazione, tramite sondaggio, dei principali network del settore agroalimentare rappresentativi del connubio brand-land; 2) impiego della tecnica del text mining per analizzare la comunicazione verbale (con l'ausilio del software T-Lab) realizzata sui web sites dalle imprese del campione; 3) impiego della tecnica del focus group per esaminare la visual web communication delle realtà esaminate. Risultati: Si sono potuti identificare le aree tematiche, le unità lessicali più ricorrenti e gli elementi visivi su cui le realtà indagate basano la comunicazione sul web dei prodotti tipici. Implicazioni manageriali: Il lavoro ha consentito di individuare le linee guida per una corretta comunicazione via web dei prodotti tipici, che agevolano l'impresa agroalimentare nella scelta del contenuto testuale e degli elementi visivi più efficaci per trasferire ai web users l'identità prodotto-territorio, migliorando così le attività di promo-commercializzazione della propria offerta. Originalità e limiti della ricerca: Il principale elemento di originalità attiene alla scelta di impiegare il text mining ai web sites del campione selezionato, al fine di ottenere informazioni in grado di produrre valore per le imprese agroalimentari. Il principale limite deriva dalla difficoltà di definire il predetto campione secondo idonee regole statistiche che permettano una generalizzazione dei risultati. Parole chiave: web communication; prodotto tipico agroalimentare; territorio; brand-land Purpose of the paper: The aim of the paper is to identify, especially in terms of verbal and visual contents, what are and/or may be the essential determinants in the " brand-land " communication, with particular regard to how they can be transmitted through Internet.
The web is increasingly ranged as one of the options available to agri-food small and medium-size... more The web is increasingly ranged as one of the options available to agri-food small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in order to face the challenge on how to provide personal taste experiences and manage differentiation in a global market. This research aims at analysing users' lexical choices in unstructured web sources, identifying the essential determinants in the local products web communication, while highlighting the latter's contribution to both consumer empowerment and SMEs' competitiveness. A content analysis of Italian and English-language agri-food blogs was done, in order to retrieve the most frequent concepts from and detect the language used in such sources, thus guiding SMEs in their market decisions. Managerial implications are discussed, due to the sector's role in the development of the whole Mediterranean area and its ability to gain local preservation and territorial sustainable development.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiential dimension of certain Itali... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiential dimension of certain Italian agrofood products’ websites, which are seen as exemplifying best practices in the terms of the representation of the brand-land relationship, including their link with the territory of origin in the sense of terroir. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted after the conception and experimentation of a model (called SObER), the fruit of detailed studies of experiential marketing (Schmitt, 1999a, b). The model was tested using the user-based focus group technique (Mich, 2007) and verified with reference to certain consortia brands considered to reflect best practices in communication of the brand-land connection. Findings – The analysis made it possible to identify the key elements for expressing both the experiential dimension and the brand-land relationship of traditional agrofood products, ensuring their effective online communication. Research limitations/implications – Although the research uses a benchmarking technique, it focuses on specific case studies; thus, the outcomes can be generalised by means of an extension of the analysis. Originality/value – The value of the analysis carried out lies in the creation of a model aimed at the assessment of agrofood products and, more generally, their link with the territory of origin in the online context. In addition, the marketing literature on the experiential dimension applied to website tools is still limited. For this reason, this work may stimulate future in-depth analysis with reference to the proposed model.
Il paper si prefigge l’obiettivo di indagare e confrontare la web communication di due differenti... more Il paper si prefigge l’obiettivo di indagare e confrontare la web communication di due differenti categorie di vino (un vino autoctono – rappresentativo del patrimonio culturale del territorio di origine – e uno globale), valutando il gap nella comunicazione dei wine bloggers. Gli step di lavoro previsti dalla metodologia sono: 1) individuazione dei primi 100 wine blogs internazionali; 2) text mining sugli articoli presenti nella homepage di ogni wine blog, al fine di determinare il vino internazionale più menzionato; 3) selezione degli articoli inerenti alle due tipologie di produzione vinicola in esame, al fine di approfondirli tramite text mining; 4) valutazione del gap nella web communication dei wine bloggers, attraverso un modello all’uopo ideato e testato in precedenti lavori. L’analisi condotta risponde all’obiettivo della ricerca di informazioni utili per individuare somiglianze/differenze, ovvero peculiarità nella web communication dei due differenti vini.
Assuming that actual or potential wine tourists may perceive the wine tourism destinations' image... more Assuming that actual or potential wine tourists may perceive the wine tourism destinations' image using as cognitive keys what has been communicated by both wine tourism destinations and travelling bloggers, the research aims at carrying out an analysis which: 1) suggests the identification of the main recurring themes and their importance in communicating the destination image; 2) highlights the [eventual] gap existing between what is communicated by the wine tourism destinations and what is transmitted by third party actors (in this case, by bloggers in their own blogs). The approach is innovative because: 1) the creation of a communicative and relational sphere of the image derives from techniques and instruments that stimulate conversations, taking advantage of the bi-directional communication potentialities offered by the web; 2) it suggests an operational framework through which it is possible to identify the dimensions to decode the extracted information.
Obiettivi. Il paper si prefigge l’obiettivo di indagare e confrontare la web communication di due... more Obiettivi. Il paper si prefigge l’obiettivo di indagare e confrontare la web communication di due differenti categorie di vino (un vino autoctono - rappresentativo del patrimonio culturale del territorio di origine - ed uno globale), valutando il gap nella comunicazione dei wine blogger. Metodologia. Gli step di lavoro previsti dalla metodologia sono: 1) individuazione dei primi 100 wine blog internazionali; 2) text mining sugli articoli presenti nella homepage di ogni wine blog, al fine di determinare il vino internazionale più menzionato; 3) selezione degli articoli inerenti le due tipologie di produzione vinicola in esame, al fine di approfondirli tramite text mining; 4) valutazione del gap nella web communication dei wine blogger, attraverso un modello all’uopo ideato e testato in precedenti lavori. Risultati. L’analisi condotta risponde all’obiettivo della ricerca di informazioni utili per individuare somiglianze/differenze, ovvero peculiarità nella web communication dei due differenti vini. Limiti della ricerca. Il principale limite del presente lavoro può riscontrarsi nel numero limitato di produzioni vinicole considerate; tuttavia, questo potrà essere superato con un successivo approfondimento dell’analisi, al fine di rafforzare altresì le potenziali ricadute manageriali. Implicazioni pratiche. La metodologia proposta consente di estrarre, dai contenuti inseriti sul Web dai wine blogger, informazioni utili a (re)indirizzare le strategie comunicative delle imprese. Originalità del lavoro. Il lavoro adotta un workflow operativo ed un modello di analisi, potenzialmente adottabili in qualunque settore, in grado di valutare il gap nella web communication.
Research Background: Wine businesses operate in an increasingly harsh and globalized competitive ... more Research Background: Wine businesses operate in an increasingly harsh and globalized competitive environment, characterized by shifting consumer behavioural trends, the rise of new players (Third World Countries, Banks and Overton, 2010) and unpredictability. They are thus obliged to strive for ‘strategic transcendence’, through holistic re-evaluation, redefinition and redevelopment of all their functional and marketing processes. Research Aims: This paper analyzes attributes of the wine purchasing process and assesses, from a consumer-oriented perspective, their value as determinants of marketing strategy. Research Methodology: Extensive theoretical research was conducted into various aspects of wine consumer purchasing behaviour. Subsequently, an empirical survey was performed, and the gathered data was processed with both descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques. The empirical research evaluated the theoretically identified variables in the context of the new competitive conditions that characterize the wine sector today. Research Findings: The research identified five ‘macro-themes’ associated with the perception of the generic product ‘wine’: ‘Relationship between territory and wine’, ‘Wine Identity card’, ‘Experiential identity of the wine’, ‘Information in support of the purchase process’, and ‘Price’. Research Value: The research identified trends which, properly interpreted, add to our understanding of consumer behaviour and offer valuable guidance for the development and implementation of corresponding strategies (primarily concerned with marketing and branding) in the wine sector.
The development of Web 2.0 lead to an evolution in the Enterprise – Customer relationship, allowi... more The development of Web 2.0 lead to an evolution in the Enterprise – Customer relationship, allowing the latter to access a wide range of information with a growing importance in the purchase process. Enterprises – particularly the small ones – have been required to use the web with greater awareness and a sense of observation to deal with consumers’ empowerment and to generate sustainable benefits to both the territorial and business systems. In the light of these considerations, this study aims at highlighting the contribution of web communication to agri-food Small and Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs’) competitiveness and at analysing agri-food SMEs’ web communication patterns. In line with these goals, a field research on Italian- and English-language websites has been conducted to identify the essential determinants in the "brand-land-product" web communication as well as the most common verbal contents adopted by agrifood SMEs and their transmission through the Internet. Managerial implications are indicated in the possibility for Mediterranean agri-food business SMEs to acquire deeper semantic and lexical expertises in communicating their products on the web, in support of their competitiveness, by filling the gap between their opportunities and capabilities to compete on the global scene. This study is part of a project named ISCI – Innovative Services to Strengthen Cooperation and Internationalization between SMEs in the field of Agri-food Industry, financed by the European Territorial Cooperation Programme (Interreg) Greece - Italy 2007-2013.
With the advent of Internet and Social networks, the process of knowledge extraction and search h... more With the advent of Internet and Social networks, the process of knowledge extraction and search has became of great importance, especially for companies that are interested in collecting customer feedback, establishing a brand presence, observing the way their brands are discussed and perceived. Several tools for the extraction of semantically related concepts from unstructured sources are available on the web. These sources such as forums, blogs, etc. can provide real-time information about how users perceive certain brands and can guide companies in making market decisions. In this paper, we propose an innovative knowledge extraction architecture realized through the integration of some existing java based tools that aims to retrieve more frequent concepts from unstructured sources, suggest other links of articles and images, and detect the language used in the sources. The architecture provides a knowledge base of a specific domain, which is used to suggest other concepts related to the research and to filter the results obtained from the elaboration of the unstructured sources. This software, integrated with traditional marketing channels (analysis of reports) makes possible the extraction of useful information for companies. In order to show, interpret and benefit from the software output we present a case of study related to marketing in agri-food sector.
Nowadays many small and medium companies are interested in entering into foreign
markets to estab... more Nowadays many small and medium companies are interested in entering into foreign markets to establish a brand presence, sell their products and beat the competitors. Before making such a marketing decision, marketing experts can be guided by the traditional analysis of reports but also by the Web, through the analysis of social networks, blogs, forums, etc. These sources can provide real-time information about the perception that users have of specific brands and products. As a result, there are several tools that can extract interesting information from these unstructured data. In this paper, we propose an innovative knowledge extraction architecture realized through the integration of some existing tools. The aim is to retrieve the more frequent concepts from unstructured sources, suggest other links of articles and images, with multi-language feature so that the research is language independent. The architecture provides a knowledge base of a specific domain, which is used to suggest concepts related to the research, and to filter the results obtained from the elaboration of the unstructured sources. We present a case of study related to marketing in agri-food sector, in order to illustrate how the software
This paper assumes that reciprocal
recognition (enterprise-region) generates local economies whi... more This paper assumes that reciprocal recognition (enterprise-region) generates local economies which, thanks to the interdependence and complementarity of their formulas, produce a general competitive advantage. In accordance with managerial studies that study the region and its competitiveness in a holistic key (Knight, 1995; Caroli, 1999; Golinelli, 2000; Ritchie and Crouch, 1999; 2003), it proposes a theoretical model in which region and enterprise merge into a single entity, transforming their relationship into a driver for the joint creation of competitiveness. Borrowing and adapting the brand identity approach (Aaker, 1997; Aaker, Joachimsthaler, 2000; Van Gelder, 2003), the model’s outputs are thus interpreted as the dimensions of a single identity (brand/land identity). The model was verified by adopting the case study approach (Malhotra, 1993; Yin, 1984; Gummesson, 2000), which enables access to a considerable quantity of information, mainly qualitative, and provides clues to the nature of a much broader range of phenomena than could be obtained with quantitative methods (Flyvbjerg, 2006; Dubois and Gibbert, 2010; Easton, 2010; Piekkari et al., 2010; Dubois and Gadde, 2013). From the viewpoint of management practices, this paper follows a holistic approach (considering the relationship between enterprises and their region) that can be interesting for those enterprises that are strongly rooted in a region’s economic traditions and customs, which can become a form of capital, yielding differentiation and hence competitiveness.
Purpose of the paper: The paper aims to examine online communication of wine tourism destinations... more Purpose of the paper: The paper aims to examine online communication of wine tourism destinations and their users in order to identify strategic approaches potentially suitable for the development of: 1. new web communication formats; 2. innovative entrepreneurial formulae that meet the expectations of increasingly demanding and expert customers. Methodology: These aims are pursued by means of various methods: - official wine tourism destination websites were investigated with the use of the text mining technique; - wine tourists’ online discussions were analysed with the use of text mining and the results were netnographically investigated. Findings: The analysis enables the search for information, which aims to: a) identify the most frequently used keyword and thematic messages by official wine tourism destination websites; b) profile wine tourists who speak of wine tourism destinations under study. Research limitation: The two main limitations of the study are: (i) the analysis has been conducted only on the wine destination websites, which are less interactive than social networks; and (ii) the netnographic approach used is of the observational kind and thus doesn’t provide any interaction with wine tourists themselves. Research and managerial implications: In managerial terms, the results of the analysis of user-generated content can be used to (re)direct communicational strategies and develop a more innovative and personalised tourist offer. Originality/value of paper: The originality of the research lies in the application of research methods that enable interesting research hypotheses, although they are still infrequently used in tourism marketing studies.
This paper aims to provide some reflections on the advisability and ways of enabling the
emergenc... more This paper aims to provide some reflections on the advisability and ways of enabling the emergence in Apulia of a Tourist Product System based on Food&Wine (henceforth, TPS “Puglia Food&Wine”). The idea of setting up a TPS Gourmet in Puglia is based on the following considerations: Apulia has a significant basic equipment in terms of specific food resources. We refer to attractors, often of a potential nature, which could find a complete form of exploitation through the combination of “Food&Wine-tourism”; - the regional rules of Apulia (RR 4/ 2009) provide for the legal recognition of Tourist Product Systems (TPS) as part of Local Tourist Systems (LTS). The guidelines for the approval of the TPS refer to manufacturing districts, thus making it essential to define the peculiarities of this type of tourist systems; - the interest shown by institutions and associations of entrepreneurs. The two research questions that we will try to answer are therefore: 1. what are the specificities of the TPS and how can they be used to increase the tourist competitiveness of Apulia? 2. what is the conceptual model for the emergence of the TPS “Puglia Food &Wine”? Key words: tourism product system, gourmet food, destination management
The aim of this paper is to assess, with a view to marketing strategies, the potential of a marke... more The aim of this paper is to assess, with a view to marketing strategies, the potential of a marketing intelligence software application designed to extract information from non-structured web sources (typically websites and social media). The paper also proposes a conceptual model that SMEs can use to transform simple qualitative and quantitative data into knowledge that is useful for supporting the decision-making process in the context of international marketing. The presentation of the proposed interpretative model is followed by the application to the wine market in the USA. Comparison of the themes typical of online discourse in the worlds of supply and demand highlights a certain communicative misalignment that SMEs can resolve by adopting suitable communicative strategies.
Uploads
Papers by Paola Scorrano
system. This is the result of the fact that the issue concerns fami-
lies , businesses and other institutions and each of these has their
own way of regarding the problem. Nevertheless, they are all lin-
ked by the common need to improve the service without causing
too negative an effect on lives and specic needs.
These user needs clash with the business efciency requirements
of waste collection rms, especially in places where there are “uc-
tuating users” (typical in tourist cities). Here they are forced to lo-
ok for greater exibility of waste disposal service without prejudi-
cing structural capacity due to contractual constraints.
The aim of the following work is to identify and test organizational
and management changes that would allow an improvement of the
waste collection service in the city of Gallipoli particularly during
the summer. The methodology applies a systemic approach com-
bined with procedures of Total Quality Management.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted after the conception and experimentation of a model (called SObER), the fruit of detailed studies of experiential marketing (Schmitt, 1999a, b). The model was tested using the user-based focus group technique (Mich, 2007) and verified with reference to certain consortia brands considered to reflect best practices in communication of the brand-land connection.
Findings – The analysis made it possible to identify the key elements for expressing both the experiential dimension and the brand-land relationship of traditional agrofood products, ensuring their effective online communication.
Research limitations/implications – Although the research uses a benchmarking technique, it focuses on specific case studies; thus, the outcomes can be generalised by means of an extension of the analysis.
Originality/value – The value of the analysis carried out lies in the creation of a model aimed at the assessment of agrofood products and, more generally, their link with the territory of origin in the online context. In addition, the marketing literature on the experiential dimension applied to website tools is still limited. For this reason, this work may stimulate future in-depth analysis with reference to the proposed model.
Metodologia. Gli step di lavoro previsti dalla metodologia sono: 1) individuazione dei primi 100 wine blog internazionali; 2) text mining sugli articoli presenti nella homepage di ogni wine blog, al fine di determinare il vino internazionale più menzionato; 3)
selezione degli articoli inerenti le due tipologie di produzione vinicola in esame, al fine di approfondirli tramite text mining; 4)
valutazione del gap nella web communication dei wine blogger, attraverso un modello all’uopo ideato e testato in precedenti lavori.
Risultati. L’analisi condotta risponde all’obiettivo della ricerca di informazioni utili per individuare somiglianze/differenze, ovvero peculiarità nella web communication dei due differenti vini.
Limiti della ricerca. Il principale limite del presente lavoro può riscontrarsi nel numero limitato di produzioni vinicole considerate; tuttavia, questo potrà essere superato con un successivo approfondimento dell’analisi, al fine di rafforzare altresì le
potenziali ricadute manageriali.
Implicazioni pratiche. La metodologia proposta consente di estrarre, dai contenuti inseriti sul Web dai wine blogger, informazioni utili a (re)indirizzare le strategie comunicative delle imprese.
Originalità del lavoro. Il lavoro adotta un workflow operativo ed un modello di analisi, potenzialmente adottabili in qualunque settore, in grado di valutare il gap nella web communication.
Research Aims: This paper analyzes attributes of the wine purchasing process and assesses, from a consumer-oriented perspective, their value as determinants of marketing strategy.
Research Methodology: Extensive theoretical research was conducted into various aspects of wine consumer purchasing behaviour. Subsequently, an empirical survey was performed,
and the gathered data was processed with both descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques. The empirical research evaluated the theoretically identified variables in the context of the new competitive conditions that characterize the wine sector today.
Research Findings: The research identified five ‘macro-themes’ associated with the perception of the generic product ‘wine’: ‘Relationship between territory and wine’, ‘Wine Identity card’,
‘Experiential identity of the wine’, ‘Information in support of the purchase process’, and ‘Price’.
Research Value: The research identified trends which, properly interpreted, add to our understanding of consumer behaviour and offer valuable guidance for the development and implementation of corresponding strategies (primarily concerned with marketing and branding) in the wine sector.
deal with consumers’ empowerment and to generate sustainable benefits to both the territorial and business systems.
In the light of these considerations, this study aims at highlighting the contribution of web communication to agri-food Small and Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs’) competitiveness and at analysing agri-food SMEs’ web communication patterns.
In line with these goals, a field research on Italian- and English-language websites has been conducted to identify the essential determinants in the "brand-land-product" web communication as well as the most common verbal contents adopted by agrifood
SMEs and their transmission through the Internet.
Managerial implications are indicated in the possibility for Mediterranean agri-food business SMEs to acquire deeper semantic and lexical expertises in communicating their products on the web, in support of their competitiveness, by filling the gap
between their opportunities and capabilities to compete on the global scene.
This study is part of a project named ISCI – Innovative Services to Strengthen Cooperation and Internationalization between SMEs in the field of Agri-food Industry, financed by the European Territorial Cooperation Programme (Interreg) Greece - Italy 2007-2013.
became of great importance, especially for companies that are interested in collecting customer
feedback, establishing a brand presence, observing the way their brands are discussed and perceived.
Several tools for the extraction of semantically related concepts from unstructured sources are
available on the web. These sources such as forums, blogs, etc. can provide real-time information
about how users perceive certain brands and can guide companies in making market decisions. In this
paper, we propose an innovative knowledge extraction architecture realized through the integration of
some existing java based tools that aims to retrieve more frequent concepts from unstructured
sources, suggest other links of articles and images, and detect the language used in the sources. The
architecture provides a knowledge base of a specific domain, which is used to suggest other concepts
related to the research and to filter the results obtained from the elaboration of the unstructured
sources. This software, integrated with traditional marketing channels (analysis of reports) makes
possible the extraction of useful information for companies. In order to show, interpret and benefit
from the software output we present a case of study related to marketing in agri-food sector.
markets to establish a brand presence, sell their products and beat the competitors. Before
making such a marketing decision, marketing experts can be guided by the traditional
analysis of reports but also by the Web, through the analysis of social networks, blogs,
forums, etc. These sources can provide real-time information about the perception that
users have of specific brands and products. As a result, there are several tools that can
extract interesting information from these unstructured data. In this paper, we propose an
innovative knowledge extraction architecture realized through the integration of some
existing tools. The aim is to retrieve the more frequent concepts from unstructured sources,
suggest other links of articles and images, with multi-language feature so that the research
is language independent. The architecture provides a knowledge base of a specific domain,
which is used to suggest concepts related to the research, and to filter the results obtained
from the elaboration of the unstructured sources. We present a case of study related to
marketing in agri-food sector, in order to illustrate how the software
recognition (enterprise-region) generates local economies which, thanks to
the interdependence and complementarity of their formulas, produce a
general competitive advantage. In accordance with managerial studies that
study the region and its competitiveness in a holistic key (Knight, 1995;
Caroli, 1999; Golinelli, 2000; Ritchie and Crouch, 1999; 2003), it
proposes a theoretical model in which region and enterprise merge into a
single entity, transforming their relationship into a driver for the joint
creation of competitiveness. Borrowing and adapting the brand identity
approach (Aaker, 1997; Aaker, Joachimsthaler, 2000; Van Gelder, 2003),
the model’s outputs are thus interpreted as the dimensions of a single
identity (brand/land identity).
The model was verified by adopting the case study approach
(Malhotra, 1993; Yin, 1984; Gummesson, 2000), which enables access to
a considerable quantity of information, mainly qualitative, and provides
clues to the nature of a much broader range of phenomena than could be
obtained with quantitative methods (Flyvbjerg, 2006; Dubois and Gibbert,
2010; Easton, 2010; Piekkari et al., 2010; Dubois and Gadde, 2013).
From the viewpoint of management practices, this paper follows a
holistic approach (considering the relationship between enterprises and
their region) that can be interesting for those enterprises that are strongly
rooted in a region’s economic traditions and customs, which can become a
form of capital, yielding differentiation and hence competitiveness.
1. new web communication formats;
2. innovative entrepreneurial formulae that meet the expectations of increasingly demanding and expert customers.
Methodology: These aims are pursued by means of various methods:
- official wine tourism destination websites were investigated with the use of the text mining technique;
- wine tourists’ online discussions were analysed with the use of text mining and the results were netnographically investigated.
Findings: The analysis enables the search for information, which aims to: a) identify the most frequently used keyword and thematic messages by official wine tourism destination websites; b) profile wine tourists who speak of wine tourism destinations under study.
Research limitation: The two main limitations of the study are: (i) the analysis has been conducted only on the wine destination websites, which are less interactive than social networks; and (ii) the netnographic approach used is of the observational kind and thus doesn’t provide any interaction with wine tourists themselves.
Research and managerial implications: In managerial terms, the results of the analysis of user-generated content can be used to (re)direct communicational strategies and develop a more innovative and personalised tourist offer.
Originality/value of paper: The originality of the research lies in the application of research methods that enable interesting research hypotheses, although they are still infrequently used in tourism marketing studies.
emergence in Apulia of a Tourist Product System based on Food&Wine (henceforth, TPS
“Puglia Food&Wine”).
The idea of setting up a TPS Gourmet in Puglia is based on the following considerations:
Apulia has a significant basic equipment in terms of specific food resources. We refer to
attractors, often of a potential nature, which could find a complete form of exploitation
through the combination of “Food&Wine-tourism”;
- the regional rules of Apulia (RR 4/ 2009) provide for the legal recognition of Tourist
Product Systems (TPS) as part of Local Tourist Systems (LTS). The guidelines for the
approval of the TPS refer to manufacturing districts, thus making it essential to define
the peculiarities of this type of tourist systems;
- the interest shown by institutions and associations of entrepreneurs.
The two research questions that we will try to answer are therefore:
1. what are the specificities of the TPS and how can they be used to increase the tourist
competitiveness of Apulia?
2. what is the conceptual model for the emergence of the TPS “Puglia Food &Wine”?
Key words: tourism product system, gourmet food, destination management
useful for supporting the decision-making process in the context of international marketing. The presentation of the proposed interpretative model is followed by the application to the wine market in the USA. Comparison of the themes typical of online discourse in the worlds of supply and demand highlights a certain communicative misalignment that SMEs can resolve by
adopting suitable communicative strategies.