The Strategic Role of Marketing Communication in he SME: the Case of Fornari SpA

In this paper we discuss the strategic importance of communication and Intranet for theItalian Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs). We analyse the case of Fornari SpA, an Italian medium size clothing and shoes manufacturer that uses internet as a communication tool. The aim of this study is to understand the potential of internet in a specific case and to understand whether internet is a strategic tool or only an operative tool. The firm currently uses two applications of internet: extranet and intranet. The analysis underlines the importance of marketing competences and training that are absolutely necessary to make the most effectiveand efficient use of the internet potential.SME, ICT, Internet Marketing.

AI, human or a blend? How the educational content creator influences consumer engagement and brand-related outcomes

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of educational digital content (EDC) creators on perceived content quality, consumer engagement, brand attitude and advocacy intention. Design/methodology/approach The research consists of two experimental studies. In Study 1 (N = 172), participants were exposed to either AI-generated or human-generated educational content, with measured perceived content quality and consumer engagement. In Study 2 (N = 158), the authors extended the investigation and compared the effects of AI-generated, human-generated and hybrid-generated EDC on consumer engagement, brand attitude and advocacy intention. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that while the type of content creator does not significantly affect perceived content quality, it significantly influences consumer engagement, with the AI-generated EDC resulting in lower engagement. Study 2 highlights the effectiveness of human-AI collaboration, showing that consumer engagement is higher for hybrid posts than fully AI-generated ones, with hybrid content performing on par with human-generated content. Mediation analyses indicate that consumer engagement is a crucial mediator between content creator type and brand outcomes. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature on EDC in digital marketing and AI-generated content. Unlike previous studies that often isolate AI and human creators, this work highlights the benefits of integrating a hybrid approach. The findings provide practical implications for managers seeking to optimize digital strategies with valuable educational content

La comunicazione web dei quartieri fieristici

Purpose of the paper: The main goal of the work is to outline the principal trends and the role played by the web communication within the international trade fair scenario. At a later time, the adequacy of the online communicative activities, adopted by the Italian exhibition centers, is evaluated. Methodology: A systematic review process (aimed at identify all the academic articles focused on the Trade Shows field between 1996 and 2016 and in particular on the web communication role) and a website quality evaluation model (2QCV2Q, Mich, Franch, 2000) are adopted. The model is here adapted to the sector of reference by the insertion of a series of quality variables specifically identified and used in literature for the trade show websites quality evaluation. Results: The survey shows an overall insufficient and underdeveloped adoption of the online communicative tools by the National exhibition centers. Although the majority of them own an official website, only a small percentage (about less than half) realizes really interactive online communicative activities. From the point of view of the single investigated dimensions, the National trade show websites present, as a whole, a correct brand identity construction (IDENTITY), a high content richness (CONTENT) and, to a lesser extent, a proper and careful website content management/update (MANAGEMENT). In contrast, the most evident criticalities have emerged in the context of the INDIVIDUATION, USABILITY and SERVICES dimensions. Limits: The study limitation is linked to the fact the survey has been conducted from an external perspective, not making possible, in this context, to realize a trade show online communication assessment in relation to the governance specific objectives. For the future, the authors’ interest is to extend the research from a methodological (through direct interviews with the National exhibition centers managers) and a geographical point of view (through a comparison with exhibition systems of other countries, in order to understand the real development state of the National exhibition centers online communicative activities). Implications: The study identifies a series of possible learning and innovative paths the National trade show industry could undertake in order to reduce the gap that currently separates the National exhibition universe from a totally powerful use of the web communication tools. Originality of the paper: The adopted literature review process has permitted to map the different academic articles that have deepened, in the last 20 years, the Tradeshows (TSs) field, allowing, in this way, to outline the main trends characterizing the recent literature specifically dedicated to this research sector

Comparison and combination of a hemodynamics/biomarkers-based model with simplified PESI score for prognostic stratification of acute pulmonary embolism: findings from a real world study

Background: Prognostic stratification is of utmost importance for management of acute Pulmonary Embolism (PE) in clinical practice. Many prognostic models have been proposed, but which is the best prognosticator in real life remains unclear. The aim of our study was to compare and combine the predictive values of the hemodynamics/biomarkers based prognostic model proposed by European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2008 and simplified PESI score (sPESI).Methods: Data records of 452 patients discharged for acute PE from Internal Medicine wards of Tuscany (Italy) were analysed. The ESC model and sPESI were retrospectively calculated and compared by using Areas under Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curves (AUCs) and finally the combination of the two models was tested in hemodinamically stable patients. All cause and PE-related in-hospital mortality and fatal or major bleedings were the analyzed endpointsResults: All cause in-hospital mortality was 25% (16.6% PE related) in high risk, 8.7% (4.7%) in intermediate risk and 3.8% (1.2%) in low risk patients according to ESC model. All cause in-hospital mortality was 10.95% (5.75% PE related) in patients with sPESI score ≥1 and 0% (0%) in sPESI score 0. Predictive performance of sPESI was not significantly different compared with 2008 ESC model both for all cause (AUC sPESI 0.711, 95% CI: 0.661-0.758 versus ESC 0.619, 95% CI: 0.567-0.670, difference between AUCs 0.0916, p=0.084) and for PE-related mortality (AUC sPESI 0.764, 95% CI: 0.717-0.808 versus ESC 0.650, 95% CI: 0.598-0.700, difference between AUCs 0.114, p=0.11). Fatal or major bleedings occurred in 4.30% of high risk, 1.60% of intermediate risk and 2.50% of low risk patients according to 2008 ESC model, whereas these occurred in 1.80% of high risk and 1.45% of low risk patients according to sPESI, respectively. Predictive performance for fatal or major bleeding between two models was not significantly different (AUC sPESI 0.658, 95% CI: 0.606-0.707 versus ESC 0.512, 95% CI: 0.459-0.565, difference between AUCs 0.145, p=0.34). In hemodynamically stable patients, the combined endpoint in-hospital PE-related mortality and/or fatal or major bleeding (adverse events) occurred in 0% of patients with low risk ESC model and sPESI score 0, whilst it occurred in 5.5% of patients with low-risk ESC model but sPESI ≥1. In intermediate risk patients according to ESC model, adverse events occurred in 3.6% of patients with sPESI score 0 and 6.65% of patients with sPESI score ≥1.Conclusions: In real world, predictive performance of sPESI and the hemodynamic/biomarkers-based ESC model as prognosticator of in-hospital mortality and bleedings is similar. Combination of sPESI 0 with low risk ESC model may identify patients with very low risk of adverse events and candidate for early hospital discharge or home treatment.

Web 2.0 e visibilità online: un modello di misurazione per il settore turistico

Le imprese turistiche (alberghi, ristoranti, musei, ecc.), pur offrendo un servizio o un'esperienza off-line, si trovano oggi, per sopravvivere, a dover competere innanzitutto e soprattutto on-line, consapevoli del fatto che non essere visibili sul web equivale spesso a non esistere. Il web 2.0 è, oggi, il mezzo ideale per l'incontro tra domanda e offerta in un settore ad alto contenuto intangibile come quello turistico, i cui prodotti sono tra le prime cinque categorie più acquistati su Internet. Di fronte a tale scenario di mutamento, il presente contributo si pone come obiettivo quello di capire l’importanza del web 2.0 nelle scelte di comunicazione e marketing del comparto turistico ricettivo. In particolare lo studio cerca di rispondere alle seguenti domande: qual è il grado di utilizzo degli strumenti web 2.0 nelle imprese turistico ricettive? In che modo vengono utilizzati gli strumenti di comunicazione web 2.0? Come le imprese turistico ricettive considerano il cliente nel processo di formulazione dell’offerta? Cioè lo individuano come co-creatore oppure come semplice fruitore del valore? Infine qual è la portata dell'impatto che il web 2.0 ha avuto sui processi di marketing

Il sito web aziendale nelle PMI: potenzialità elevate e realtà moderate

L’impatto di Internet sul governo aziendale è sicuramente importante (Lugli, Ziliani, 2002), soprattutto per i cambiamenti generati nella gestione delle informazioni e nella comunicazione interna ed esterna all’azienda. Nuovi canali di "approvvigionamento informativo" sono disponibili sia per l’analisi e l’interpretazione dell’ambiente circostante, sia per migliorare la gestione e sfruttare i benefici diffusi di applicazioni che usufruiscono delle stesse interfacce grafiche e degli stessi protocolli di comunicazione. Grazie alle tecnologie di rete l’organizzazione aziendale riesce a potenziare le attività di raccolta, trasmissione ed elaborazione dati, creazione di informazioni ed assunzioni di decisioni (Kotler, 1997). Da cosa dipende la decisione delle PMI di adottare il sito web, quali sono gli effettivi impieghi rispetto le sue potenzialità, come il sito viene realizzato sono le problematiche affrontate da questo studio. L’analisi si avvale di un’indagine empirica condotta sulle PMI del contesto locale della provincia di Pesaro e Urbino. In letteratura, infatti, è stato dedicato scarso interesse allo studio, soprattutto empirico, della piccola dimensione aziendale in riferimento alle implicazioni del sito web. La provincia di Pesaro e Urbino risulta interessante in quanto il tessuto industriale di quest’area si caratterizza per una forte concentrazione di piccole imprese distribuite nei tre settori manifatturieri più diffusi anche a livello nazionale (meccanico, mobile e tessile) e quindi rende possibile estendere ad un contesto più ampio alcune considerazioni specifiche tratte dall’indagine empirica. Dopo una presentazione dei principali interrogativi, scaturiti dall’analisi di alcuni attuali contributi teorici ed empirici sull’argomento, cui la presente ricerca intende fornire risposte (par. 2), vengono, in seguito, illustrati la metodologia e l’articolazione degli obiettivi dell’indagine empirica (par. 3), per poi esporne i principali risultati cui è giunta (par. 4)

Il ruolo di Internet per la valorizzazione dell'offerta commerciale al dettaglio nei centri minori

Obiettivo del lavoro è analizzare le modalità e l’efficacia di utilizzo del web nel commercio al dettaglio. La ricerca si è avvalsa dell’analisi dei siti di diverse imprese del commercio al dettaglio della provincia di Pesaro e Urbino. Ci si è chiesti come queste aziende utilizzano la comunicazione elettronica per valorizzare la loro offerta, con quale grado di efficacia e quali sono gli elementi di forza e di debolezza delle scelte intraprese. La ricerca, di natura quantitativa, si basa su un campione di 200 aziende che si occupano di commercio al dettaglio nella zona della provincia di Pesaro-Urbino. I dati, riguardanti l’utilizzo e lo sviluppo di un sito web aziendale, sono stati raccolti tra Luglio e Agosto del 2010. Scopo dell’analisi è quello di descrivere la situazione specifica della provincia, per poi confrontarla, dove possibile, con la situazione a livello nazionale. I risultati dell’analisi sono stati successivamente comparati con i dati nazionali riferiti al 2009 sull’uso del web nelle imprese del commercio al dettaglio, diffusi dall’ISTAT