PUNTOITALY N°2 - July - December 2012

GastroMarketing The cuisine of every nation is, without a shadow of doubt, an expression of its culture, its traditions, its economic evolu- tion, in a word - of its history. The close analysis of a cuisine therefore involves an understanding of national identity; and when this cuisine is exported to other parts of the world, as frequently occurs with Italian cuisine, that also tells us a lot about the countries in which it is served and appreciated. It is certainly true to say that for Italy, more than for other coun- tries, food has often functioned as a privileged medium for the transmission of national values, since it is evident that the cultural richness of a particular food helps constitute added value also in terms of its wider dissemination. It is a fact, demonstrated a number of times by research and polls, that Italian cuisine and gastronomy are often a greater asset to the image of our country abroad that other aspects on which our nation prides itself, such as fashion, football and Formula 1. Italian food has always had a good reputation, but today, more than ever in this new historical-social-cultural dimension known as globalisation, the Italian diet in all its manifestations has gained a prime position among the various national cuisines, to such an extent that it has spread and is enjoyed as much as, if not more than, varieties of American fast-food. • The origins of the success of Italian cuisine in the world. Souvenir of Italy According to a poll conducted by Coldiretti, food and good cuisine are, for almost two Italians in three, and one forei- gner in two, the very symbol of the made-in-Italy brand. This poll puts food ahead of culture and art, stable at 24%, fa- shion at 8%, technology at 3% and sport at 2%. Confirming the importance of local specialities, a study carried out by the Istituto Piepoli-Leonardo-Ice demonstrated that when Italian and foreign tourists pass their summer holiday in Italy, they prefer as souvenirs wine and food products typi- cal of the area where they have spent their holidays. For six tourists out of ten, food products that are typical of a particular region, such as wine, cheese, olive oil, char- cuterie or conserves, were more sought-after souvenirs than local handicrafts, which were stable at 25%, or the more commercial mementos such as postcards, trinkets and T-shirts, which registered only a marginal quota of pre- ferences. The foreign tourists most attracted to Italian ga- stro specialities are the Swedes and the Americans, while the lowest levels of interest are shown by the Chinese and the Russians, more interested in fashion products. By Davide Pini 58 Davide Pini manages innovative marketing projects in the food away from home market. He’s the founder of www.gastromarketing.it THE AUTHENTIC ITALIAN STYLE