Maria Teresa Cuomo

Relationship Management in the Business of Quality and Communication

Abstract Enterprise quality systems represent an indispensable development for modern businesses: the procedures formalisation seems to produce more direct effects on the operations rationalisation, while it also proposes several critical observations (and less direct effects) on proposal management. This study offers an analysis of a set of questionnaires that have been proposed to entrepreneurs and managers of SMEs that operate only in B2B markets. The research highlights that personal relationships play a fundamental role in business relations, in which technical aspects of communication prevail on emotional ones. The research target verifies that business customer loyalty is mainly due to effective relationship-marketing policies, most of all for SMEs, which are more vulnerable to the aggression of moneyed advertising and information campaigns on behalf of large competitors. Thus, the suggestion is to provide proposal management procedures with CRM systems.

Building brand equity: the genetic coding of Mediterranean brands

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to stimulate reflection on the concept of Mediterranean brands, to map and qualify their specific genetic make up and their influence on brand equity.Design/methodology/approach – From an overview of the available literature and using the brand genetics model, conceptual dimensions inherent to the Mediterranean brand are identified, so as to evaluate their contribution in the building and transfer of brand value.Findings – This paper shows how the properties of Mediterranean elements are reconciled with branding models and more in general, with sustainable business.Originality/value – The paper highlights the generating drivers of value from a Mediterranean marketing perspective. Management has to govern these strategically in order to retain lasting competitive advantage.

Advertising Self-Regulation - Clearance Processes, Effectiveness and Future Research Agenda

This paper assesses the progress made in international research in advertising self-regulation (ASR) since 1980. We analyse and critique the academic progress made in relation to the ASR clearance processes, focusing specifically upon advertising clearance procedures, the influential factors of advertising clearance activities, and their effectiveness (including complaint handling), evaluating the extent to which issues raised have been adequately addressed and what areas remain underexplored. We then offer a new agenda for ASR research.

Misurare il contributo della comunicazione alla corporate reputation per la creazione di valore

This article is about methodology in research in marketing. It questions the mainstream choice of approaches and suggests alternative directions with qualitative rather than quantitative inquiry in focus. It deals with my personal journey through Methodologyland; the establishment of a Hall of Fame of my favorite research approaches supplemented with a Chamber of Horrors; and a brief commentary on some pivotal concepts in science. It concludes that the absence of the development of general marketing theory is partly due to the preoccupation with erroneously chosen methodology and claims that scholarly research boils down to four basic strategies: curiosity, courage, reflection, and dialogue; the rest is technical support. Key words: action research; case study research; grounded theory; interactive research; narrative research; research methodology; theory generationObiettivo del paper : Il lavoro si propone di analizzare la correlazione tra il livello di reputazione delle organizzazioni e la sua “rilevanza”, in termini di comunicazione, quale “strumento” per migliorare le performance aziendali. Metodologia : E stata realizzata una ricerca esplorativa su un gruppo di imprese del settore alberghiero con sede in provincia di Salerno, per valutare se e come il loro quoziente reputazionale, calcolato rifacendosi ad un originale modello multistadio, possa essere influenzato dall’attivita di comunicazione. Risultati : Il progetto di ricerca fornisce un contributo rilevante alle problematiche di governance delle imprese, dal momento che la comunicazione qualifica interdipendenze sistemiche sia da un punto di vista interno che esterno e, allo stesso tempo, suggerisce possibili influenze sulla creazione di valore, sintetizzate nel reputation quotient, da parte dell’impresa. Limiti della ricerca : Lo studio si basa su una esemplificazione, utilizzando un panel di aziende nel settore alberghiero. Sarebbe utile poter allargare la base campionaria ed i settori economici analizzati. Implicazioni pratiche : La comunicazione assume un ruolo strategico per la diffusione dei risultati conseguiti in termini di creazione di valore, a patto che si basi su performance consolidate. Al contrario, il valore si disperde quando gli investimenti in comunicazione sono finalizzati a mascherare prestazioni mediocri, potendo, in casi estremi, acuire o addirittura determinare situazioni di crisi aziendale, violando “il patto di trasparenza” stipulato dall’impresa con i propri stakeholder. Originalita del lavoro : Utilizzando lo Schema delle Aree RQ si puo verificare se nel governo d’impresa sia stato attribuito un ruolo “adeguato” alla comunicazione quale vettore per la creazione di valore. Parole chiave: quoziente reputazionale; modello delle aree reputazionali; investimenti in comunicazione

Public-private partnerships from a business management perspective - risks and opportunities for SMEs in Europe

This paper concerns project financing initiatives from a general perspective with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, emphasising the importance of operational management for special purpose vehicles. In fact, this study, mainly from a theoretical point of view, focuses on business management as a strategic and operative flywheel for the successful functioning of project financing initiatives. In this way, small and medium enterprises can play an important role, even in public-private partnerships; although small and medium enterprises are usually not involved in public-private partnerships, they can be competitive in a different sense with respect to large enterprises simply by having more intense involvement in the management of special purpose vehicles. A focus on the role of small and medium enterprises in public-private partnerships in Europe, which are analysed through content analysis, shows evidence of significant opportunities, not only as subcontractors but also as attractors of innovative financing solutions.

Solid Green and Greenwashing: When Is Communication Really Green?

The aim of the paper is to investigate consumer perceptions involving green communication, analysed with reference to audience efficacy. In particular, the focus of the study is on the object of communication, in terms of responsible corporate processes or products, which are ecosustainable, natural, green and so on. Starting from a critical overview on the topic, an interpretive model of green communication is suggested and an empirical analysis is conducted, using a quali-quantitative approach. In particular, to verify whether the green content of communication encourages consumer purchases, the perceptions of the sample with respect to four print advertisements of companies positioning themselves as «green», are examined. The variables used to evaluate the advertisements are extracted from the Iso standard 14021. Findings suggest that sustainable communication can be redefined, in terms of «response-ability» for the requirements of what still remains nowadays, a niche market.