Drivers of Eco-Innovation in the Italian Wine Industry

The importance of eco-innovations for industry has been rising exponentially in recent years. However, even if recent trends show that firms are increasingly committed to eco-innovations, there is little knowledge on why and how companies integrate environmental sustainability into new product development. In this paper we offer a comprehensive analysis of the drivers of eco-innovation in the Italian wine industry on the basis of a large survey on Italian wine producers. We analyse the impact of firms’ characteristics and their technological and organizational capabilities on the introduction of eco-innovations. The relevance of the drivers in influencing the probability of introducing eco-innovations is measured with a latent class econometric model. Our evidence shows that business characteristics and firms’ scientific search processes and their general innovative behaviour are key drivers of eco-innovation. Therefore, according to our results, firms’ commitment to eco-innovate does not differ substantially from other types of innovation activities

Perceived Technological Regimes: An Empirical Analysis of the Apulian Wine Industry

Technological regimes define the technological environment in which innovative and learning activities take place within each sector of the economy. However, in our view technological regimes must be interpreted and elaborated by each organisation operating in a specific sector in order to be rationally implemented, thus turning into perceived technological regimes. We test this argument on a sample of wine companies in the Apulia region (Italy). We find empirical evidence that the perceived technological regimes exist and that firms’ perceptions tend to vary uniformly across different wine technologies. In addition, we find evidence that different firms’ characteristics have a strong impact on firms’ perceptions both at the aggregate level and when distinct perception groups are identified

Analysis of Italian Market of Syrah Wine

In order to fully understand Syrah wine market in Italy both supply and demand need to be studied. While supply is analyzed with the simple (benchmarking) comparison of the descriptive statistics between Syrah Italian wines and other high quality red Italian wines, the demand is studied econometrically. A double logarithmic approach has been chosen for its simplicity as well as its mathematical tractability, allowing for direct applicability and replicability at industry level. The information retrieved in these analysis results fundamental for the application of appropriate marketing strategies, in order to set the market efficiency at the margin. Findings show exact relationships allowing for price and marketing targets adjustments. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, describing the competitive context and the Syrah wine sub-sector, would have been also important for the focus of this study for completeness purposes. Nonetheless, the aim of this analysis is to furnish valuable information about supply and demand in order to improve marketing efficiency for the Syrah wine. The contribution of this study to the existing knowledge about Syrah wine market is twofold: methodological because it identifies ad hoc methodologies that are easily applicable by the industry to understand such a “thin” market, and informational because results are directly applicable for marketing strategies.Syrah, Demand, Supply, Benchmark

Italian wine demand and differentiation effect of geographical indications

Purpose – Geographical indications (GIs) provide a strong differentiation tool for firms. Whether this statement is confirmed at aggregate level in terms of market independence of different GIs is not tested yet. The purpose of this paper is to provide demand estimates and elasticities (own‐price and substitution) in order to test this hypothesis and verify the differentiation effect of GIs at aggregate level.Design/methodology/approach – The analysis consists of the application of a quadratic almost ideal demand on a four equation system. Estimates are obtained through an iterated version of a generalized method of moments, which corrects for endogeneity determined by expenditure and prices in case of promotional activities.Findings – Estimates prove the existence of a differentiation effect of GIs in terms of magnitude of elasticities and substitution effects. GIs corresponding to higher quality generate lower price sensitiveness and product substitution, contrarily to wine without GI. Controlled origin denomination (DOC) wine demand results are price sensitive and they substitute for wines of different GI. Controlled and guaranteed origin denomination (DOCG) is the most profitable GI. In fact, because of its inelastic demand, DOCG price could be potentially increased, to a certain extent, without having significant effects on volumes consumed.Research limitations/implications – Foreign wine should also be included in the demand system in order to understand the whole Italian wine market. Data concern retail level demand. The whole market, including hotels, restaurants and catering, should be included to offer a wider set of implications.Practical implications – Marketers and producers could use the information provided by the estimates in order to forecast Italian wine demand. Elasticities and substitution effect provide them with a precise measure of consumers' price sensitiveness, which would be beneficial for their pricing strategies.Originality/value – The paper provides, for the first time, estimates of a demand system relative to GI differentiated Italian wine

New Technologies and Sustainability in The Italian Wine Industry

Abstract The new shape of competition is pushing wine firms to invest into new technologies. Given the growing interests in this area, we provide evidence on the determinants of the adoption of the new technologies industry. On the basis of a survey on Italian companies, the main investments in innovations and their key drivers are investigated. We tested whether firm characteristics impact the adoption as well as absorptive capacity, networking and shared knowledge among firms and research institutions and demand factors. Drivers are explored throughout an econometric model. Results lead to policy implications that could be useful to develop supportive actions to innovation

A Hedonic Analysis of Processed Tomato Prices Using Italian Regional Markets Data

The Italian market of processed tomatoes (whole peeled and unpeeled tomatoes, chopped tomato pulp, tomato purée, and concentrated tomato paste) rose, thanks to the Italian tradition of using such products in many recipes of cuisine, until early 2000; since then, it has declined to date. Moreover, such products are traditionally considered low-price products, and their market is characterized by intense price competition. Thus, recently, producers have started to differentiate their products as a way to achieve higher margins, and escape from competition in price. By using the sales data of Italian processed tomatoes sold in several retail stores and a hedonic price model, we estimated the implicit prices associated with several attributes that are currently available in processed tomato products on the market. We find that a protected designation of origin, organic certification, and flavoring, as well as the indication of tomato variety, are the most valuable features of processed tomato products sold in the Italian market. This implies that product differentiation strategies that could be suggested to producers as the most effective are those aimed at enhancing the territorial link of the product, the environmental sustainability of the production process, and organoleptic product features, as well as its convenience

Analisi del mercato Italiano del vino Syrah

In order to fully understand Syrah wine market in Italy both supply and demand need to be studied. While supply is analyzed with the simple (benchmarking) comparison of the descriptive statistics between Syrah Italian wines and other high quality red Italian wines, the demand is studied econometrically. A double logarithmic approach has been chosen for its simplicity as well as its mathematical tractability, allowing for direct applicability and replicability at industry level. The information retrieved in these analysis results fundamental for the application of appropriate marketing strategies, in order to set the market efficiency at the margin. Findings show exact relationships allowing for price and marketing targets adjustments. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, describing the competitive context and the Syrah wine sub-sector, would have been also important for the focus of this study for completeness purposes. Nonetheless, the aim of this analysis is to furnish valuable information about supply and demand in order to improve marketing efficiency for the Syrah wine. The contribution of this study to the existing knowledge about Syrah wine market is twofold: methodological because it identifies ad hoc methodologies that are easily applicable by the industry to understand such a “thin” market, and informational because results are directly applicable for marketing strategies