The importance of dream in advertising: luxury versus mass market

Luxury companies typically follow managerial approaches that differ from those of mass market companies and, in particular, their marketing strategies are based on opposite tactics. For instance, luxury companies commonly use imagery rather than text in their print advertising as a way of allowing customers to assign their own personal meanings to the message, thus fulfilling their desire to dream. Indeed, in this current era of information proliferation, today\u2019s consumers are increasingly less willing to process advertising information they receive as text. In this study we explore luxury communication by analyzing some luxury brands\u2019 print advertisement and showing how luxury companies mainly communicate through images instead of text, thus creating appealing advertisements. On the basis of those results and some literature insights, we formulate some managerial propositions that mass market companies may use to start developing dream-evoking communication in order to appeal to modern consumers. In particular, we present mass market managers with suggestions about how to employ the luxury model to make their communications more aspirational than rational through imagery rather than text

Omnichannel Shopping Experiences for Fast Fashion and Luxury Brands

This chapter explores how luxury and fast fashion brands have been affected by omnichannel strategies, which refer to the opportunity to integrate online and offline channels to create a seamless shopping experience aimed at engaging customers. Through a quali-quantitative research approach, the study examines the potential effects of the implementation of omnichannel activities on the perception of luxury and fast fashion brands. Interestingly, consumers perceive omnichannel strategies as something projected for luxury brands, thus as a way for them to improve the luxury shopping experience. Consequently, when applied to fast fashion brands, omnichannel strategies may lead consumers to perceive such brand as more prestigious, activating a sort of “luxurization.” For a luxury company, omnichannel strategies may represent an opportunity because they can increase the perceived luxuriousness of the brand, but also a threat because they may help fast fashion brands to be perceived as luxurious, thus “imitating” luxury companies

Consumers\u2019 Pro-Environmental Behaviors: the Role of Framing and Emotions

Sustainability is a central issue for people\u2019s well-being, but companies often fail in communicating and selling \u201cgreen\u201d products. This paper shows that using negative frames in communications activates a sense of shame in consumers, which in turn leads them to choose green products and develop pro-environmental attitudes

Effects of Grape Pomace Polyphenols and In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on Antimicrobial Activity: Recovery of Bioactive Compounds

Grape pomace (GP), a major byproduct obtained from the winemaking process, is characterized by a high amount of phenolic compounds and secondary plant metabolites, with potential beneficial effects on human health. Therefore, GP is a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. As people are paying more attention to sustainability, in this work, we evaluate two different extractions (aqueous and hydroalcoholic) of GP bioactive compounds. In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of the GP extracts was performed to improve the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of polyphenols. The antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH assays) and the phenolic characterization of the extracts by UHPLC-DAD were evaluated. The antimicrobial effects of GP antioxidants in combination with a probiotic (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) on the growth of pathogenic microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Bacillus megaterium, and Listeria monocytogenes) were evaluated. As a result, an increase of antioxidant activity of aqueous GP extracts during the gastrointestinal digestion, and a contextual decrease of hydroalcoholic extracts, were detected. The main compounds assessed by UHPLC-DAD were anthocyanins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and stilbenes. Despite lower antioxidant activity, due to the presence of antimicrobial active compounds, the aqueous extracts inhibited the growth of pathogens

Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis encompassing both host genetic and environmental -infectious/toxic- factors responsible for altered fibrogenesis and diffuse microangiopathy. A wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes may be observed in patients' populations from different geographical areas. We investigated the prevalence of specific clinical and serological phenotypes in patients with definite SSc enrolled at tertiary referral centres in different Italian geographical macro-areas. The observed findings were compared with those reported in the world literature.Materials and methods: The clinical features of 1538 patients (161 M, 10.5%; mean age 59.8 +/- 26.9 yrs.; mean disease duration 8.9 +/- 7.7 yrs) with definite SSc recruited in 38 tertiary referral centres of the SPRING (Systemic sclerosis Progression INvestiGation Group) registry promoted by Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) were obtained and clustered according to Italian geographical macroareas.Results: Patients living in Southern Italy were characterized by more severe clinical and/or serological SSc phenotypes compared to those in Northern and Central Italy; namely, they show increased percentages of diffuse cutaneous SSc, digital ulcers, sicca syndrome, muscle involvement, arthritis, cardiopulmonary symptoms, interstitial lung involvement at HRCT, as well increased prevalence of serum anti-Scl70 autoantibodies. In the same SSc population immunusppressive drugs were frequently employed. The review of the literature underlined the geographical heterogeneity of SSc phenotypes, even if the observed findings are scarcely comparable due to the variability of methodological approaches.Conclusion: The phenotypical differences among SSc patients' subgroups from Italian macro-areas might be correlated to genetic/environmental co-factors, and possibly to a not equally distributed national network of information and healthcare facilities

Sustainable Luxury and Word of Mouth: The Effect Of Shame and Individualism

This research proposes that messages describing unsustainable versus sustainable luxury manufacturing methods elicit anticipated shame, which differentially impact consumers\u2019 negative word-of-mouth intentions depending on their individualistic versus collectivistic cultural orientation. An experimental study shows that messages about unsustainable luxury products trigger shame, which, in turn, increases (decreases) negative word-of-mouth for collectivistic (individualistic) consumers. Such results contribute to the literature on luxury and sustainability by shedding light on the role that negative emotions \u2012 shame, in particular \u2012 and consumers\u2019 cultural orientation have in sustainable luxury development

Negative Word-Of-Mouth About Unsustainable Luxury Products: An Examination Of Shame And Cultural Orientation

This research investigates the emotional consequences of consumers\u2019 exposure to messages emphasizing luxury products that are unsustainable and whether and how such emotions lead to negative word-of-mouth. We propose that messages describing unsustainable versus sustainable luxury manufacturing methods elicit anticipated shame, whose effect on consumers\u2019 negative word-of-mouth intentions depends on their individualistic versus collectivistic culture. Findings of one experimental study show that shame induced by messages about unsustainable luxury products increases (decreases) negative word-of-mouth for collectivistic (individualistic) people. This work contributes to research on luxury and sustainability by examining the role of negative emotions and consumers\u2019 cultural orientation in shaping consumers\u2019 approach to sustainable luxury and by investigating a previously unexplored negative emotion, such as shame

Eosinophilic disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract: an update

Eosinophilic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), are rare chronic pathologies of the digestive system, with an immuno-mediated pathogenesis. Recent data suggest that, together with the "classic" IgE-response to allergens, also a delayed hypersensitivity mechanism could be involved in the development of eosinophilic disorders. EoE and EGE were studied only in the latest decades and as a consequence accurate data are not yet available, concerning not only pathogenesis, but also epidemiology, treatment and outcomes. The diagnosis of EoE is centered on endoscopic findings but the certainty is obtained by histological examination from biopsy samples, that has a sensitivity of 100% when based on five samples. The currently available treatments include topical corticosteroids, specific diets and endoscopic treatment. Concerning EGE, three subtypes (mucosal, muscular, and serosal) were identified. The diagnosis is based, as for EoE, on endoscopic and histological assessment, and the treatment includes pharmacological and dietetic approaches. Further studies are warranted in order to better define the etiology and pathogenesis of eosinophilic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and thus to develop more appropriate and specific therapies