Evaluation of the promotion campaign for Italian specialities in Japan

Title Evaluation of the promotion campaign for Italian traditional gastronomic specialities

Location Japan

Duration 3 years

Partners Consorzio Mortadella Bologna IGP, Consorzi Salame Cacciatore DOP, Zampone Modena e Cotechino Modena IGP

Context

Promotion campaigns help manufacturers communicating the quality of their products in order to promote it on existing markets, or to open new ones. This type of promotion takes place through the valorization of quality standards identified with geographical indications or organic production.

The promotion activities carried out in the campaign for Mortadella Bologna PGI (Protected Geographic Indication), Salamini alla Cacciatora PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), Zampone di Modena PGI and Cotechino Modena PGI allowed the 3 Italian Consortia to promote the added value of their products in terms of authenticity, safety, traceability and labeling, guaranteed by the protection of the European Union quality labels.

In particular, the promotional campaign assessed by ARCO aims at improving the competitiveness of the products of the 3 Consortia on the Japanese market.

The decision to open a new market in Japan was built on the evidence that in recent years the country has become the fifth outlet market for agri-food products from Europe. In addition, pork products make up 20% of the country’s agri-food imports. Japan is therefore a receptive market, especially considering younger generations, who are more sensitive to trendy and quality food products, as well as to their aesthetics.

General Objective

The process of measuring and evaluating the results of a promotion campaign is an important step in understanding the actual relevance for the targeted market, the effectiveness, as well as the impact that the campaign has generated on consumers.

Our contribution

ARCO designed the promotion campaign evaluation strategy and built a set of ad hoc assessment tools. The strategy investigates the following impact dimensions:

  • • Understanding the meaning of PDO and PGI brands;
  • • Assess the knowledge of the products of the campaign and the related consumers’ purchasing habits;
  • • Assess the value that consumers attach to key product qualities;
  • • Investigate consumers’ perceptions of the products of the campaign and in general of the PDO and PGI products.

The evaluation methodology was built ad hoc to adapt to the characteristics of the campaign and to the Japanese context, and involved the use of:

  • • Survey questionnaires submitted online to representative samples of consumers and chefs;
  • • Survey questionnaires addressed to the Japanese press who was involved in the promotional activities.

CHAFEA – Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency Enjoy, it’s from Europe!

Read more on our M&E and Impact Evaluation Unit