Lea Iaia | Università degli Studi "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti Pescara (original) (raw)

Papers by Lea Iaia

EuroMed Journal of Business, 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the features that qualify the wine tourism dest... more Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the features that qualify the wine tourism destinations’ (WTDs) image and to deepen analyse the role of the image on the wine tourists’ perception, assuming that it changes from tourist to tourist, depending on who has formed its perception after a real experience or not.
Design/methodology/approach: This contribution fits in the range of studies regarding the measurement of the destination image; the authors suited the Echtner and Ritchie’s model (1991, 1993), as its multidimensionality approach, rarely applied in the area of wine tourism.
Findings: From a comparison between the images of the chosen destination, wine tourists consider Bordeaux the benchmark of WTDs and, in the collective imagery, France is one of the excellences between WTDs. The association territory-wine is less marked, so the biggest contribute is given by the in situ experience.
Research limitations/implications: Despite results can’t be generalised because the samples of convenience, they have provided an overall outline of attributes, benefits and attitudes of wine tourists of Web 2.0.
Practical implications: A managerial lecture of results shows that young destinations (aka new wine regions) have a bigger propensity for destination management as well as the attention to marketing aspects, which are able to influence the competitiveness of destination. Instead, destinations with an ancient tradition (aka old wine regions), although unique for their wines and territories, food traditions and the historic-architectural heritage, need to improve their services.
Originality/value: This research applies the consolidated analysis method of E&R on the theme of destination image to the wine tourism, never used for WTDs, improving the model with a comparison between visitor and no-visitor perceptions.

* Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to deepen the web marketing strategies used by wine fami... more * Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to deepen the web marketing strategies used by wine family businesses (FBs) with the aim to identify the role assigned to websites, the online models and the competitive strategies implemented through them.
* Design/methodology/approach – In order to examine the content and structure of the information found on the website of selected FBs, an ad hoc analysis model was designed and validated with the support of marketing and industry experts through an inspecting focus group (Mich, 2007).
* Findings – The subsequent observation of the websites of the businesses studied showed that family-run Italian wineries use their websites mainly to present information about the business and as a relational tool through edutainment activities; FBs yet neglect the potential of e-commerce.
* Research limitations/implications – The study highlights the importance and the attention that FBs, among others, should dedicate to the role of web communications within their communications strategy. Although this path has allowed the traits essential to launch effective online communications for FBs, the small number of businesses surveyed (ten) does not permit a theoretical generalisation of the results. Thus, we expect to integrate the information obtained from this preliminary study with in-depth interviews with the digital strategists for the companies examined or by increasing the number of FBs studied.
* Originality/value – The paper provides an evaluation model to effectively organise the websites' contents; wine businesses should consider and customise these essential elements with the brand's specific details.

Objectives. The paper aims to investigate and compare the web communication of two different categories of wine (a native wine – which strongly represents the cultural heritage of the area of origin - and one overall), assessing the existing gap in wine bloggers’ communication.
Methodology. The work steps provided by methodology are: 1) identification of the top 100 international wine blogs; 2) text mining on the blog articles in the homepage of each wine blog, in order to identify the most widely-mentioned “global” wine; 3) selection of the articles related to the two types of wines in exam, in order to deepen investigate them through the text mining analysis; 4) evaluation of the gap in the web communication of wine bloggers, through a model designed and tested in earlier work for such purpose.
Research findings. The analysis enables the search for information, which aims to identify similarities/differences or peculiarities in the web communication of the two different wines.

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.

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.

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.

The aim of the paper is to observe and analyse the contributions made by social media in re... more The aim of the paper is to observe and analyse the contributions made by social media in redefining firm-client relations in the wine sector as a support for CRM systems. After a literature review, in order to define the theoretical framework, the research will provide two stages of analysis:the first step concerns an investigation of buyers aimed at gathering information about their degree of usage of social media for interacting with customers as well as the spread of content and critical issues;the second step investigates the content and characteristics of Web 2.0 communication for detecting social media best practices in the use of wine blogs and the social networking site Facebook.
The originality and managerial usefulness of this paper onsists of studying the emerging trends in the use of Web 2.0 tools in the wine sector, identifying the main purchase
determinants that lead the choice process of consumers and developing new guidelines for the effective implementation of the instruments observed. This will help companies to better manage the social media communication tools called sCRM applications as well as their related marketing strategies, according to the companies’ mission and goals.

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.

Contributions in Books by Lea Iaia

L'evoluzione dei modelli di comunicazione Web based ha determinato dei cambiamenti nelle strategi... more L'evoluzione dei modelli di comunicazione Web based ha determinato dei cambiamenti nelle strategie di marketing, anche in virtù dei bassi costi di im-plementazione. Gli applicativi di CRM, con cui negli ultimi anni si è afferma-ta una logica di marketing relazionale di tipo integrato (Borghesi, 2001), sono oggi arricchiti dalla componente social (da ciò l’acronimo sCRM), con cui si ha l’opportunità di incrementare la conoscenza del cliente, di acquisirne nuovi e, di conseguenza, personalizzare la relazione con gli stessi. Il principale con-tributo dei social network è, appunto, da ascrivere alla possibilità offerta ai partecipanti di assumere un ruolo di co-creatore e “commentAutore”, ovvero diventare attori primari nel processo di creazione dell’offerta (Solima, 2008; Riva, 2010;Prahalad e Ramaswamy, 2004; Boaretto, Noci e Pini, 2007; Kot-ler, Kartajaya e Setiawan, 2010).
L’obiettivo del paper è quello di analizzare i contenuti e i caratteri della comunicazione di tipo web 2.0 a supporto dei sistemi di sCRM, con riferimen-to al settore vitivinicolo. L’elevato contenuto cognitivo del vino e la sua com-plessa struttura, legata ed elementi emozionali ed esperenziali di tipo territo-riale (Mattiacci, Ceccotti e De Martino, 2006), si prestano all’interazione, alla condivisione e alla rigenerazione dei contenuti (Costantinides e Fountain, 2008; Bernhoff e Li, 2008), tipica degli strumenti web 2.0.
I caratteri della web communication (assenza di vincoli spazio-temporali e coinvolgimento pieno degli utenti) favoriscono la percezione del complesso legame prodotto-territorio, come quelli a vocazione vitivinicola della Puglia, consentendo loro di valorizzare le produzioni autoctone, proteggendo la rura-lità di determinate aree geografiche. In tal modo si può contribuire alla sensi-bilizzazione sui temi della salvaguardia dei territori ed alla conseguente diffu-sione di pratiche agricole sostenibili (temi peraltro caratterizzanti alcuni asset del programma Horizon 2020), con riflessi positivi e sinergie attivabili, in un’ottica sustainability-oriented, altresì in ambito turistico, settore di punta della regione Puglia, insieme all’agroalimentare, nei tempi più recenti.
Muovendo dalle considerazioni teoriche esposte, la ricerca si propone di analizzare i contenuti e i caratteri della comunicazione di tipo web 2.0 con riferimento al settore vitivinicolo, al fine di individuare alcune linee guida per l’implementazione della componente social di un sCRM. Il lavoro prende spunto da un progetto di ricerca finalizzato, tra le altre, all’adozione di un sCRM in una realtà imprenditoriale impegnata nella produzione e commercia-lizzazione di vino . Tale progettualità è finalizzata all’ottimizzazione delle relazioni commerciali e ad una maggiore personalizzazione dell’offerta (Bor-ghesi, 2001), secondo una logica di co-creazione del valore (Payne, Storbacka e Frow, 2008); in particolare, l’obiettivo della comunicazione social è genera-re una comunità aperta, in grado di stimolare l’intelligenza collettiva dei par-tecipanti (Hogg et al., 2006) e, in tal modo, produrre e condividere, in virtù del legame con l’applicativo CRM, informazioni utili alla caratterizzazione del sistema d’offerta.

A firm’s ability to enter a foreign market entails the activation of a screening process that sta... more A firm’s ability to enter a foreign market entails the activation of a screening process that starts with the selection of those markets held to be interesting in that they are compatible with the specific features of the product on offer, the characteristics of the firm and the expectations of its management.
Starting from this assumption, the study aims to identify a suitable method for analysing foreign markets and establish criteria for monitoring firms’ internal skills (with the aid of a software application created ad hoc), in order to adopt a suitable internationalisation strategy that also makes use of the internet. The field of inquiry chosen for the application of the proposed method – wine tourism – derives from specific research interests (which are connected to projects currently in progress). However, it also reflects current market trends, especially the growth of “destination Puglia” – a region with a long tradition of wine-making, now characterised by a strong shift towards higher quality – as an ideal location for wine tourists.

Conference Papers by Lea Iaia

Wine’s cultural identity is linked to authentic experiences, valued by the modern consumer becaus... more Wine’s cultural identity is linked to authentic experiences, valued by the modern consumer because they represent a particular geographical area tradition, heritage, culture, ethnic variety, and identity. The presence in this industry of many family businesses well describes the strong relationship between the product and the terroir. The purpose of this work is to identify online communication models and wine family business (FB) and wine no family business (NFB) implemented strategies, to discover and describe the distinctive elements, deriving from the family participation in the business. The content of their websites has been analyzed through the content analysis, using text mining (words associations analysis). There were also highlighted the differences and the similarities between the FB and NBF online communications.

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.

The work aims at examining the online communication started by wine tourists on Web, in order to ... more The work aims at examining the online communication started by wine tourists on Web, in
order to i) identify topics and subjects around which wine tourists mainly discuss and to ii)
profile them, through a netnographic approach.
The originality of the paper can be identified in the application of the research methods still
less used in the touristic marketing studies, although through them it is possible to express
interesting research hypothesis.
Managerial involvements can be found in the possibility of using the results emerged from
the analysis of the user generated contents (UGCs) so as to be able to (re)direct the
communicational strategies, developing, at the same time, a targeted and personalized tourist
offer.

The paper aims at getting to know the online transmitted image (by a wine tourist destination of ... more The paper aims at getting to know the online transmitted image (by a wine tourist destination of excellence) and the relative
perceived image (by third actors), through a gap analysis model designed for this purpose.
So, the analysis is structured in different steps:

the identification of a wine tourist destination (best practice) through the study of the online content posts, by looking up
the word “wine” in the top 100 international travel blogs; 2) text mining on the website contents of the DMO selected and
on the articles of the blogs selected; 3) use of the interpretative model proposed (AIWA).
The model represent a cause for reflection for DMOs in order to reach: a) a multiple effect of awareness and brand recall;
b) increasing the sensorial, emotional and cognitive perception of the destination; c) evaluation of the level of
communication of web users and the DMOs’ strategies; d) creation of targeted forms of promotional communication.

Obiettivi. l’obiettivo del presente lavoro consiste nell’approfondimento della dimensione esperie... more Obiettivi. l’obiettivo del presente lavoro consiste nell’approfondimento della dimensione esperienziale di innovativi format di vendita e di website dedicati alla promo-commercializzazione di prodotti agroalimentari tipici, particolarmente rappresentativi del proprio territorio di origine (cd. legame brand-land).
Metodologia. al fine di verificare l’ipotesi di ricerca formulata, si è fatto uso di un modello (ideato e testato in un precedente lavoro) che prevede, anche tramite l’adozione della tecnica dei focus group, l’analisi della percezione della componente esperienziale delle best practice considerate (Consorzi di Tutela: Chianti Classico, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma), tanto nelle strategie di comunicazione implementate nello spazio virtuale, quanto in quello fisico (si analizzeranno e sperimenteranno, infatti, gli elementi strutturali ed esperienziali utili per allestire un concept store per i prodotti agroalimentari salentini).
Risultati. l’esame ha permesso di individuare gli elementi chiave per trasmettere la dimensione esperienziale ed il legame brand-land dei prodotti tipici agroalimentari nella comunicazione in store ed online.
Limiti della ricerca. il lavoro, pur adottando un’analisi di benchmarking, è focalizzato su un caso specifico e, per consentire di generalizzare i risultati ottenuti, sarebbe opportuno ampliare l’indagine.
Implicazioni pratiche. l’indagine si inserisce in un progetto di ricerca a cui partecipano aziende del settore agroalimentare, con le quali si sono condivise e sviluppate alcune delle risultanze emerse, che potranno agevolare l’implementazione di buone prassi comunicazionali.
Originalità del lavoro. la letteratura di marketing sulla dimensione esperienziale dei website è ancora carente; il lavoro, pertanto, potrebbe stimolare futuri approfondimenti anche in merito alla possibile adozione del modello di analisi qui prospettato.

Proceedings of 13th International Marketing Trends Conference Universitá Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2014

The purpose of this research is to provide guidelines for wine tourism destinations, to produce a... more The purpose of this research is to provide guidelines for wine tourism destinations, to produce an effective web communication activity. To achieve the aim:
- the text regarding the topic “wine tourism” was extracted from the new generation social networks (Instagram e Pinterest) and the wine tourism destinations’ websites, and it was then analysed using text mining techniques;
- the uploaded images founded on the aforesaid social networks and websites were analysed with a quali-quantitative approach;
- the communication structure of the wine tourism destinations’ websites was studied. In this way, some behavioral models potentially repeatable were defined, with the aim to design and implement a website for a wine tourism destination and the related web marketing strategies.
Key words: wine tourism destination, web communication, social network, text mining, wine tourism.

Atti del X Convegno Annuale della Società Italiana di Marketing Smart life: dall'innovazione tecnologica al mercato, 3 e 4 ottobre 2013, Milano, ISBN 978-88-907662-1-3, 2013

Il lavoro si prefigge di delineare un format – potenzialmente replicabile in differenti contesti ... more Il lavoro si prefigge di delineare un format – potenzialmente replicabile in differenti contesti geografici – di concept store, inteso come un luogo in cui si narra e si enfatizza (anche grazie a mezzi di comunicazione multimediale, metodi di stimolazione sensoriale, percorsi d’interazione personalizzata) il legame “prodotto-territorio”, in modo da agevolare la percezione e, quindi, la promo-commercializzazione dei prodotti Made in Salento, servendosi della sinergia comunicativa con il web.
Keyword: concept store, web communication, brand-land, prodotti tipici

The goal of this research project is to deepen and expand the web marketing strategies used by fa... more The goal of this research project is to deepen and expand the web marketing strategies used by family businesses (FB) and to identify the role assigned to websites and the online communication strategies implemented through them.
In order to examine the content of the information found on the website of selected FBs, an “ad hoc” analysis model was designed and validated with the support of marketing and industry experts through an inspecting focus group (Mich, 2007).
The observation of the FB websites showed that family-run Italian wineries use their websites mainly to present information about the business and as a relational tool through edutainment-style activities; FBs yet neglect the potential of e-commerce.
Although this path has allowed the traits essential to launch effective online communications for FBs, the small number of businesses surveyed (10) does not permit a theoretical generalisation of the results. Thus, we expect to integrate the information obtained from this preliminary study with in-depth interviews with the digital strategists for the companies examined or by increasing the number of FBs studied. In addition, the results could be compared with those from Italian businesses in the wine industry which are not family run and which meet the selection criteria (turnover, etc.).
The study highlights the importance and the attention that FBs, among others, should dedicate to the role of web communication within their communications strategy. It also provides a list of contents to consider when creating a website which should be customised with the brand’s specific details.

Obiettivi. Il lavoro si prefigge di individuare una metodologia di analisi dei mercati esteri, no... more Obiettivi. Il lavoro si prefigge di individuare una metodologia di analisi dei mercati esteri, nonché i criteri per monitorare le
capacità interne dell’impresa, al fine di delineare un modello di valutazione che possa fornire le linee guida per l’elaborazione di
una corretta strategia di internazionalizzazione basata sul Web. A tal proposito, nel paper si propone un’applicazione dello stesso
modello al settore enoturistico pugliese, il quale oggi riveste un ruolo importante nel novero dell’offerta turistica pugliese (si pensi
che la Puglia rientra tra le “Ten best wine tourism destinations 2013” selezionate dalla rivista americana Wine Enthusiast).
Metodologia. Il paper si articola in tre step: 1) review della letteratura in tema di orientamento ai mercati esteri delle piccole
e medie imprese (PMI); 2) analisi e selezione dei mercati obiettivo; 3) perfezionamento e sperimentazione di un software finalizzato
all’autodiagnosi di competenze, con precipuo riferimento ai processi di internazionalizzazione delle PMI.
Risultati. La ricerca ha consentito di individuare un modello di analisi utile per conoscere i mercati/Paese verso i quali
indirizzare idonee strategie di incoming enoturistico per le PMI del settore.
Limiti della ricerca. L’indagine ha interessato un ridotto campione di imprese (che quindi non permette una ottimale
generalizzazione dei risultati), sul quale si è sperimentato il modello di analisi ed il software in esame.
Implicazioni pratiche. L’ambito di osservazione (enoturismo) risulta essere non particolarmente analizzato negli studi
manageriali, malgrado costituisca una valida opportunità di diversificazione settoriale. Il lavoro ha consentito, inoltre, il
perfezionamento di un software (denominato Minerva) innovativo per finalità e progettazione.
Originalità del lavoro. Il modello di screening dei mercati e l’applicativo informatico possono essere considerati un utile
strumento per valutare e stimolare il potenziale manageriale delle PMI.

L’obiettivo principale della ricerca consiste nell’individuare gli attributi che qualificano l’im... more 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. 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). 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. 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.

EuroMed Journal of Business, 2018

the identification of a wine tourist destination (best practice) through the study of the online content posts, by looking up
the word “wine” in the top 100 international travel blogs; 2) text mining on the website contents of the DMO selected and
on the articles of the blogs selected; 3) use of the interpretative model proposed (AIWA).
The model represent a cause for reflection for DMOs in order to reach: a) a multiple effect of awareness and brand recall;
b) increasing the sensorial, emotional and cognitive perception of the destination; c) evaluation of the level of
communication of web users and the DMOs’ strategies; d) creation of targeted forms of promotional communication.

Proceedings of 13th International Marketing Trends Conference Universitá Ca' Foscari Venezia, 2014

Atti del X Convegno Annuale della Società Italiana di Marketing Smart life: dall'innovazione tecnologica al mercato, 3 e 4 ottobre 2013, Milano, ISBN 978-88-907662-1-3, 2013

The purpose of the research is to analyse the convergence between the core communication (identit... more The purpose of the research is to analyse the convergence between the core communication
(identity) and the core perception (image) that can generate more extensive knowledge of the
brand over time.
This paper uses a model, created by the authors – called Assessing web convergence (AWC) –,
for extracting information from the web, processing it by text mining techniques and
interpreting it in order to monitor the level of convergence between the online core
communication (identity communicated by the company) and the online core perception
(image perceived by third parties). It was decided to test the model on the brand of a DMO in
the field of wine tourism.
The empirical methodology entailed three steps: 1) identification of a wine-tourism
destination (considered to be representative of best practice) by studying the content of online
posts, selected by searching for the keyword “wine” in the top 100 international travel blogs;
2) text mining, with cluster analysis, of the content of the selected DMO’s website and of the
articles published by the top 100 travel blogs; 3) use of the Assessing Web Convergence model
(AWC) in the interpretative phase.
This paper is a work in progress. Specifically, the interpretative phase enables management to
identify and exemplify those elements that enable companies to transform data into
knowledge that is useful for developing and enhancing their competitive strategies with
regard to the building the brand.

Atti Del Xxiv Convegno Annuale Di Sinergie, Oct 14, 2012

International Marketing Review

PurposeSmart cities and their internationalization process and efforts in order to gain the compe... more PurposeSmart cities and their internationalization process and efforts in order to gain the competitive advantage in the international arena have received a great deal of attention by marketing scholars and practitioners alike. Yet, the growing number of studies focused on this topic has led to considerable fragmentation and theoretical confusion.Design/methodology/approachTo move the domain forward, this study applies the systematic review methodology and reviews 41 peer-reviewed articles published in highly esteemed publication outlets.FindingsBuilding on the antecedents–phenomenon–consequences framework, the authors discuss the antecedents and consequences of the various innovative marketing strategies that smart cities adopt for their internationalization and development of an international competitive advantage. In the process of doing so, the authors synthesize the findings of the studies as well as literature gaps that provide fruitful avenues for future research.Originality/...

J. for Global Business Advancement

Sustainability

With its Global Compact, the United Nations (UN) called companies to align strategies and operati... more With its Global Compact, the United Nations (UN) called companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, while settling and pursuing the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Achieving SDGs in business reporting is part of the lively debate in the literature about the ability of nonfinancial reporting in providing stakeholders with useful and value-relevant information about companies’ behaviors. This paper intends to address this issue in the aftermath of the recent European Union EU policy (Directive 95/2014/EU) of mandating companies to disclose nonfinancial information (NFI) according to some of the SDGs matters. To this end, the Italian context was analyzed, and main findings provide some early evidence of the absence of association between NFI and financial/market performance. At the same time, the positive association between companies’ Beta factor and size and NFI is supported. This ...

Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management

Business Process Management Journal

Purpose A substantial body of research evidence has now accumulated in the cause-related marketin... more Purpose A substantial body of research evidence has now accumulated in the cause-related marketing (CRM) literature. Yet, research on positive word of mouth (WOM) in the CRM domain is scarce. Based on this, the purpose of this paper is to present a framework that enhances positive WOM persuasion in a CRM context. Design/methodology/approach Specifically, the authors explore collectivism as a contextual dimension for positive WOM persuasion in a CRM setting and discusses three novel constructs for effectively designing such campaigns, namely, cause proximity, choice of donation type and choice variety of donation types in a single offering frame. Based on conceptual logic and drawing on literature from a variety of disciplines, this framework should provide deeper insight into achieving positive WOM persuasion with CRM strategy and implementation. Findings Additionally, the analysis leads to specific research questions regarding the associations between these contrasts and positive W...

Annals of Tourism Research

British Food Journal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the distinctive elements of CSR communications t... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the distinctive elements of CSR communications that characterize the communications models of family businesses in the Italian wine industry, and to compare them with nonfamily businesses. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, a sample of large and medium companies practicing corporate social responsibility was identified. The content of their websites was examined using content analysis and text mining (correspondence analysis techniques and word association analysis using the T-Lab software). Findings The analysis indicates that the ownership structure nature makes a difference in the online CSR communications process. The cultural identity in both family and nonfamily businesses is founded on intangible factors such as tradition; however, being a family business is a fundamental driver in the online CSR communications process, no longer forming a bond among players in the wine industry, but rather linking with ot...

Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, 2018

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.