Giovanni Pino

The development of cruise tourism in emerging destinations: Evidence from Salento, Italy:

This study aimed at identifying the factors that likely favor or hinder the development of cruise tourism in an emerging Southern Italian tourist destination. We conducted semistructured interviews with key players in this business, showing that the following are relevant enablers of cruise tourism development: the accessibility of tourist resources, the supply of integrated services to cruise lines and their passengers, cooperative relationships among private and public operators, and the creation of a distinctive image. However, cruise tourism development can be inhibited by poor professionalism on the part of tourist firms, the lack of a clear tourist regulatory framework, the fragmentation of the shore-based offer, and the risk of environmental degradation. The study thus contributes to the research on cruise tourism development, which is still in its infancy, and provides policymakers and practitioners with suggestions for facilitating the emergence of the cruise industry.

Store attributes leading customer satisfaction with unplanned purchases

ABSTRACT Understanding which specific factors of retail stores’ offering affect unplanned buyers’ satisfaction may be of great interest to store managers as they could set ad hoc strategies to target these consumers and establish long-term, profitable relationships with them. Satisfied unplanned buyers could indeed return to the store where they purchased their unplanned item(s) and/or positively talk about it with other customers. Nevertheless, we still know very little about such factors. To close this gap, this research gathered survey data on consumers’ store satisfaction and perceptions of store attributes in Spain during two time periods: in 2008, when the crisis was barely noticed by Spanish consumers, and five years later, when consumers were experiencing this economic situation. The results obtained evidence how grocery retailers can respond to customers’ awareness of the crisis by providing some managerial recommendations for bolstering satisfaction in consumer segments with diverse levels of unplanned buying behavior.

The dominant rationality of local stakeholder networks: The case of a southern Italian province

This study examines the level of interconnectedness and the relational power of stakeholders operating in four local territorial systems (LTSs) localized in a southern Italian province. Such an analysis allows for the determination of the dominant rationality of each LTS, i.e. the pattern of distribution of decision-making power among its stakeholders and hence the extent to which each of them is capable of influencing local governance processes. In all four LTS, public institutions are revealed to be endowed with higher relational power than the other stakeholders. The dominant rationality of each LTS and policy implications deriving from results are discussed.

Perceived images and vocations of local territorial systems: implications for place branding strategies

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the extent to which the perceived images and personalities of places mirror their prevalent production orientations, or “vocations”. It also investigates the factors that shape the expectations and desires of residents, tourists, local firms and export markets, as well as these users’ overall place experience. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 600 questionnaires containing both closed-ended and open-ended questions were administered in four local territorial systems (LTSs) of a Southern Italian province. Data were analyzed by using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Findings – Results showed that place image mirrors the respective productive orientation for only one of the examined LTSs. Meanwhile, for all four LTSs, place image was congruent with place personality. Research limitations/implications – The generalizability of the results is limited, as the research focused on LTSs located in a specific geographical area. Practical implications – The paper ...

Luxury, Sustainability, and Corporate Social Responsibility: Insights from Fashion Luxury Case Studies and Consumers’ Perceptions

Since the mid-twentieth century, rapid technological and scientific developments have produced continuous and significant improvements in people’s daily lives. However, this growth has had considerable, and sometimes horrifying, consequences for the climate and environment (Egri and Ralston 2008). As a result, sustainability has become a central point in public discourse—not only for consumers, but also for the companies, and in particular those in the luxury industry, who generally operate at the international level and may serve as relevant actors in economic development (Fraj and Martinez 2007; Kerr et al. 2009). Our focus on luxury firms was born from the fact that such firms are still uncertain about how to combine luxury and sustainability; indeed, these two concepts are often seen as contradictory (Joy et al. 2012; Kapferer and Michaut-Denizeau 2014). The very term “Luxus” has a double meaning: It positively connotes such concepts as beauty, prestige, and power, but also implies excessive and ostentatious displays of wealth (Kapferer 1997, 2012). This duality helps to explain consumers’ difficulty in reconciling luxury, sustainability, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and also why a company like Prada recently launched a website dedicated to highlighting initiatives that reflect the brand’s commitment to sustainability. The present chapter thus delves into a currently neglected area of research—namely, consumers’ perceptions of the relationship between luxury, sustainability, and the CSR strategies that major luxury companies adopt to counter said perceptions. To analyze luxury brands’ initiatives, we conducted a qualitative study on three well-known brands—Gucci, Tod’s, and Bulgari—and examined their eco-sustainable collections and approaches. We supplemented this research with a survey of consumers’ perceptions regarding luxury, sustainability, and CSR specifically by interviewing 200 consumers via an online questionnaire. From these data sources, we draw theoretical and managerial implications.

Iconic Art Infusion in Luxury Retail Strategies: Unveiling the Potential

ABSTRACT This research investigates art infusion, a phenomenon in which artistic elements contribute to enhance the perceived value of consumer goods, in the retailing sector. An experiment conducted with 188 consumers suggests that individuals with high dispositional greed are more interested in shopping in luxury stores that promote products through artworks representative of an artist’s iconic, that is, most recognizable, style. Results show that greed determines consumers’ store preference through an externalized luxury tendency, that is a tendency to purchase luxury goods to show off social status. Such an effect proved to be stronger for extroverted than for introverted consumers.

Luxury advertising and recognizable artworks: New insights on the “art infusion” effect

Purpose This research advances current knowledge about art infusion, which is the ability of art to favorably influence the assessment of consumer products. In particular, the research aims to investigate the effectiveness of artworks that evoke their creators’ most recognizable style in luxury advertising. Design/methodology/approach The research encompasses three studies – two conducted online and one in a real consumption situation. The first study explores the effect that a recognizable vs non-recognizable painter’s style has on consumers’ judgments about luxury products. The second and third studies explore the moderating roles of desire to signal status and desire for distinction, respectively, which are relevant to advertisers interested in targeting these individual differences. Findings Advertisements that incorporate artworks that evoke a painter’s most recognizable style enhance the advertised products’ perceived luxuriousness. Consumers with a higher desire to signal status exhibit greater purchasing intention in response to recognizable artworks. By contrast, consumers with a higher desire for distinction exhibit greater purchasing intention when the painter’s style in the featured artwork is less recognizable. Practical implications The results provide marketers with suggestions on how to select and incorporate visual artworks into luxury brand communication: they could focus on recognizable vs non-recognizable artworks based on whether their main goal is to communicate status or distinctiveness. Originality/value This research offers novel insights into the practical value of art infusion by showing when and for whom the beneficial effects of pairing art with luxury products are more likely to occur.

A methodological framework to assess social media strategies of event and destination management organizations

ABSTRACT Social media have become an indispensable tool for promoting events and tourist destinations, but some tourism organizations are still unable to exploit their full potential. The present research addresses this issue and proposes a methodological framework that could help managers increase users’ online engagement with tourist events and destinations’ social media sites. In two distinct studies, this research identifies content- and format-related characteristics that trigger users’ engagement, here assessed in the form of message liking, commenting, and sharing. Study 1 examines the messages posted on the official Facebook page of a religious event celebrated in a Southern Italian region. Study 2 examines a sample of tweets posted on the official Twitter pages of the same region’s main tourism promotion agency. The results identify features that may increase the effectiveness of social media managers’ promotional efforts, and also highlight differences across the two platforms.

Store Attributes and Consumer Satisfaction with Unplanned Purchases: An Empirical Research in Spain

Understanding what specific factors of retail stores’ offering have a positive impact on unplanned buyers’ satisfaction may help store managers target these consumers, especially when international markets experience economic difficulties or recessions. Nevertheless, current knowledge on these factors is still very limited. To close this gap, this research investigated the factors likely to determine unplanned buyers satisfaction in Spain in 2008, at the onset of the last international economic crisis, and 5 years later, when consumers were experiencing this negative economic situation. The results provide some managerial recommendations for bolstering satisfaction with unplanned purchases and responding to consumers’ awareness of international economic crises.

The impact of disgust on consumers’ purchase intentions: An empirical assessment

Purpose This study adds to the research on disgust by proposing a theoretical framework encompassing contamination-based, moral, and structural disgust dimensions. The study empirically assesses the impact of these three dimensions on consumers’ purchase intentions for different product categories. Design/methodology/approach The study investigates consumer reaction to disgusting stimuli related to attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness products by means of closed-ended questionnaires administered to three consumer samples. Findings Contamination-based disgust reduces the intention to purchase expertise and trustworthiness products. Similarly, structural disgust reduces the intention to purchase expertise and trustworthiness products. Moral disgust seems to have a positive effect on the intention to purchase attractiveness products. Research limitations/implications Marketing strategies for expertise and trustworthiness products should emphasize their pureness and capacity to match consumer expect...