Advertising and brand trust: perspectives from the UK and Italy

The creation of a trusting brand identity through advertising has received relatively little attention in European marketing research. We explore this relationship by undertaking focus group research in the UK and Italy to identify the characteristics of print advertisements perceived as portraying a trusting image. The results show that advertisements that are simple, straightforward and clear are perceived as being more trusting. However, findings also show some differences between our national samples in relation to factors such as colour perception and consumer ethnocentrism. Young consumers are also quite critical of current advertising efforts in building a trusting brand image.

The positive effects of ingredient branding reached by Tetra Pak Italy

The aim of this article is to understand the key factors of success and advantages that Tetra Pak Italy reached thanks to Ingredient Branding (IB) implementation. In order to reach the goal of the paper, direct and indirect data were analysed. The primary data are the outcome of an in-deep interview with the Tetra Pak Italy marketing director, while the secondary data comes out from reports made available by the company. The reports present results – codified in tables and figures - of the cobranding campaign. The secondary data clearly showed that the IB strategy was successful. The use of primary data allows to identify the existence of several key factors of success of Tetra Pak Italy implementation of IB. This paper is a step in a stream of research that analyses IB in the supplier’s perspective. The contribution of the paper should not, however, be overstated. Actually, the analysis presents an initial foray into the realm of IB

From CSR to CSI: analysing consumers' hostile responses to branding initiatives in social media-scape

Purpose - The paper analyses consumers’ hostile responses and ‘creative’ re-interpretation of a proactive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) brand communication campaign on social media by a leading Italian company in the energy industry that came to be perceived as a reactive Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI) performance. Design/methodology/approach - Taking Palazzo and Basu’s framework of scapes (2007) as a starting point, the paper explores the intersection between branding and CSR studies. After consideration of the lack of empirical studies on this subject, a content analysis of tweets generated from the campaign ‘Guerrieri’ of Enel is performed. Findings - Findings show the dialogic bottom-up approach results are ineffective due to the hijacking of original intent of the company in implementing its CSR communication initiatives. That is to say that corporate brand (CB) strategies can be easily re-interpreted in social media-scape in an opposing perspective, raising the risk of digital hijacking and boycotting initiatives. Practical implications - From a practical standpoint, the study informs managers so that they can evaluate complex problems implicated in the creation of CSR activities aimed at engaging consumers and virtual communities. Besides, the paper would like to aid managers when they face discontent or activism, suggesting they should turn the attention of their stakeholders through a re-evaluation of relevant CSR activities, potentially leveraging on a loyal public which has completely interiorised CB values and can act as brand ambassadors. Originality/value – The paper is one of the first attempts to study the nexus between CSR and CB in digitally-empowering contexts, clarifying the crucial role of social media-scape

Developing corporate communications: insights from the Italian scenario

Purpose - Based on business manager perceptions in large firms, this paper explores the emergence, growth and importance of corporate communications and how it is evolving and creating competitive advantage in Italian firms. Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative approach is deployed, comprising depth interviews with senior managers from corporations from a broad spectrum of industries including: energy, telecommunications, automotive, transport, retail chain, appliances, technology and engineering, private shipping, government-owned holdings, marketing consultancy, and construction. Findings - The paper provides insights of corporate communication (corpcom) practices in the sampled companies. The research shows that corpcoms involves a complex range of activities leading to performances managed and implemented under CEO direction. Practical implications - Corpcoms is perceived as a strategic concept with effective application relative to managing corporate image and reputation. The findings offer insights for communication professionals who deal with corpcoms, branding, and marketing communications. Originality/value - Corpcoms can be viewed via lens of social actors’ perspectives, i.e. via practitioners – including brand managers and senior executives as they possess practical knowledge of contextual business setting and the managerial capacity to design and implement integrated corporate communications

Driving Co-Created Value Through Local Tourism Srvice Systems (LTSS) in Tourism Sector

Purpose – Our purpose is to qualify Local Tourism Area (LTA) as Local Tourism Service System (LTSS), glocal network for value co-creation and equifinality for stakeholders. We identify the conditions and the critical aspects useful for the start-up and the development of a network characterized by a strong international competitiveness. Methodology/approach – Our methodology integrates Service Science Management and Engineering and Viable Systems Approach. SSME is useful for qualifying a Service System; VSA is helpful to interpret tourism territories as Systems. SSME&VSA highlights Structural Variety and Systems Relationship that qualify a LTSS as a long lasting network. Findings – This work provides a general cognitive scheme useful for interpreting LTA as LTSS. So, we can consider a new managing perspective and new ways for developing local service systems according to a governance process based on information sharing, consonance of interpretative patterns and resonance of value categories. Practical implications – Our perspective induces new way of thinking about local systems: territory is not a simply “product” - as static views suggest - but a “service” according to a dynamic view. So, we can see how government guides the development of LTS ensuring distinctive brand destination and place reputation in tourism market. Originality/value – Our paper offers a schema for directing decision makers according to LTA as a LTSS. In the next future, the qualification of the LTSS could be useful to generate a method for measuring the drivers of our model, according to the harmonization among the different governance and the improving reputation of entire servic

EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF INNOVATIVE ACOUSTIC MA-TERIALS FOR ENGINE NOISE CONTROL IN VEHICLES

Due to the continuous evolution of vehicle noise regulations, the automotive industry is increasingly looking for more efficient engine bay design solutions to control noise coming from the engine. To this aim, proper acoustic treatments and covers made of multilayered trimmed panels need to be se-lected. Hence, present study reports the results of an experimental investigation aiming to characterize the acoustic properties of innovative absorbing materials to be used in a new identified engine encap-sulation solution. Both sound absorption and sound insulation properties of several selected materials were measured by using an impedance tube. A sound intensity method, as specified by ISO 15186 standard, was finally utilized to assess the sound insulation performance of prototypes of the acous-tically-treated component. In the paper, the acoustic performances of the tested materials are com-pared with reference to standard polyurethane foam based materials, in order to identify more efficient engine encapsulation solutions both in terms of acoustic performance and ease of industrialization