Consumer perceptions of typical products: which implications for marketing strategies?

Italy is the first country in the world for certified production, but consumers are not able to recognize the distinctive features of typical food products yet. They often confuse local and typical products, they have a limit knowledge about European Certification and they don’t perceive the value of the denomination of origin. Such situation worried marketers operating in agricultural food chain who are wondering which strategies to implement in order to improve consumer knowledge and the perception of the value of typical food products. A proper understanding of the value of typical food products is, in fact, a prerequisite for implementing effective marketing strategies and supporting a premium prices for these products. Our research aims to explore consumers perception of typical food products in order to understand the role of brands and distribution channels in consumer and shopping behavior. Understanding how consumers perceive typical food products is important to drive retailers and manufacturers in their strategies aimed to give the appropriate value to typical production.