Title: Web marketing strategies of food producers in Italy: a competitive analysis

Authors: Azzurra Annunziata; Riccardo Vecchio

Addresses: Department of Economics, University of Naples 'Parthenope', Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy ' Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università, 100 – 80055 Portici, Italy

Abstract: Among the various information and telecommunication technologies available today, internet is certainly the most innovative and useful in terms of marketing potentialities. However, it requires that enterprises (especially small and medium sized ones) develop specific strategies in order not to be excluded from the advantages offered by the virtual market. An empirical investigation, carried out by browsing the websites of 107, randomly selected, Italian companies engaged in the production of typical and traditional foods has shown that these firms invest very little in web marketing. Focusing their efforts on the internet only as a secondary promotion tool, while web-based direct selling is confined to market niches.

Keywords: web marketing; agrifood sector; typical foods; traditional foods; Italy; internet marketing; food marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2013.056584

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2013 Vol.8 No.1, pp.1 - 18

Published online: 12 Jul 2014 *

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