Heritage Marketing for Made-in-Italy industries. An in-depth analysis of the Marche Region’s wine sector (Italy

The research aims to deepen the understanding of the dynamics between the company, the corporate heritage, the local cultural heritage and the milieu. In order to pursue this objective, the thesis begins with a literature review on heritage marketing, which is useful in outlining the conceptual and theoretical framework guiding the research. The review provides a thorough assessment of current knowledge and identifies three distinct strands of research: key concepts, tools and consumer perceptions. This analysis reveals that the existing literature focuses primarily on the internal resources of corporate heritage, overlooking the potential of external resources, particularly local cultural heritage. Furthermore, the temporal dimension is extensively explored, while the impact of place on heritage marketing is underexplored. Based on the identification of these gaps, three research proposals are put forward: (1) exploring the role of external cultural resources, (2) deepening the role of the place dimension, and (3) investigating the impact of heritage marketing strategies on the surrounding territory. To address the research questions, the thesis presents several studies using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The first of these studies aims to contribute to the debate on this topic by examining the relationship between the wine sector, the milieu, and local cultural heritage, to understand the role it plays in wine and tourism marketing. The research analyses the case of Burgundy (France), where the Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. The case is considered as a best practice, also useful for benchmarking analysis in the wine sector. The results show that strengthening this relationship could create value not only for the wine sector (strengthening brand image), but also for the cultural heritage (better protection and enhancement) and, despite some identified shades, for the territory (notably through the development of tourism). Two subsequent studies focus on the case of the Marche region (Italy). The first study analyses the role of milieu and corporate and local cultural heritage in digital marketing. In today's globalised world, the milieu can represent a competitive advantage for companies rooted in their local production context, as in the case of the agri-food industry. Making effective use of the relationship between a company, the milieu and the local cultural heritage can be a successful marketing strategy, capable of creating a virtuous circle that also benefits the sustainable development of tourism. A fundamental tool for exploiting this potential is digital marketing. In this context, the research examines whether and how the Marche wine industry communicates its relationship with the milieu and cultural heritage on official websites. A model has been developed to analyse the web marketing strategies of 83 wineries belonging to a non-profit association whose main objective is the promotion of wine tourism. The results show that the relationship between the milieu and local cultural heritage is not significantly communicated on the website, revealing ample room for improvement. The proposed evaluation model and its management implications could be extended to all companies in the agri-food sector and, more generally, to those in the Made-in sector, thus providing a useful framework for improving communication and promoting cultural heritage in the corporate context. Another study looks at a case study of particular interest from the Marche region. Given the growing attention to the contribution of culture to the implementation of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the study examines how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) can support sustainable tourism in rural areas. Using a case study methodology, it analysed the Marche Food and Wine Memories project, an initiative promoted by CiùCiù, a winery located in Offida (AP), a small town in the Marche region. After discussing the strategies and tools used to enhance rural heritage, the analysis focuses on the involvement of local communities and businesses in the different phases of the process. The research aimed to understand: (1) the current contribution of the project to the economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainability; (2) its strengths and weaknesses and possible future improvements. The research findings confirm the high potential of ICH-based initiatives for the development of sustainable tourism in rural areas, but also highlight the need to improve networking with local businesses and identify gaps in marketing and management skills. Finally, the findings provide policy and management implications for similar ICH-based initiatives. A final study aims to investigate the role that a culturally rich location can play in heritage marketing strategies, with a particular focus on consumer perceptions. This pilot study uses a quantitative methodology to examine the relationship between brand heritage and willingness to pay more, taking into account the moderating effects of a culturally rich location. The results confirm a positive and significant effect of brand heritage perceptions on willingness to pay more, in line with previous research. However, the moderating role of the location variable was not found to be significant, suggesting that the relationship between brand heritage and willingness to pay more is robust and stable regardless of the specific context examined. Managerial implications include the possibility of investing in heritage marketing strategies to positively influence consumers' willingness to pay more. Despite the non-significant moderating effect of location, enhancing a culturally rich location can still provide a competitive advantage. The final conclusions of the thesis summarise the reflections and theoretical, managerial and methodological contributions. Despite the acknowledged limitations, the research offers new perspectives and contributions from both a theoretical and methodological point of view, and suggests possible directions for future interdisciplinary studies in the field of heritage marketing.