Abstract

Although Italy is the first country in the world for certified typical food products, consumers are not yet able to recognize their distinctive features. The differences between «local» and «typical» are not yet clearly understood or consistently defined. Consumers don't perceive the authenticity of the denomination of origin and the value of European Certification (Dop, Doc, Igp). Such situation worries marketers operating in agricultural food chain who are interested to understand which strategies to implement in order to improve consumer knowledge. A proper understanding of the value of typical food products is a prerequisite for implementing effective marketing strategies and supporting a premium prices for these products. The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' perception of typical food products in order to understand which role brands and distribution channels may have in decisions' making process. This study provides retailers and manufacturers with a depth knowledge on what shoppers value today and how to better promote and support typical food products.