Corporate Heritage Marketing: Using the Past as a Strategic Asset 2020053876, 2020053877, 9780367764951, 9780367764999, 9781003167259

Table of contents :
Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Preface
1 Heritage marketing: a strategy of stakeholder engagement
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Marketing: origins and development of the discipline
1.3 Heritage: origins and evolution of the construct
1.4 Heritage marketing: a new academic field
2 Heritage marketing: a dual analytical perspective
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Heritage marketing as response to new market challenges
2.3 Heritage marketing as affirmation of organisational identity and culture
2.4 The power of narrative in constructing organisational identity
3 The strategic process of heritage marketing
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The heritage marketing process
3.3 Auditing: identifying the main narrative themes
3.4 Visioning: defining narrative targets and objectives
3.5 Managing: narrative development and management
3.6 Controlling: evaluating narrative results
4 The tools of heritage marketing
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The heritage marketing mix
4.3 Narrating through words, images and sound
4.4 Narrating through products and brands
4.5 Narrating through places
4.6 Narrating through celebrations and relationships
Index

Citation preview

Corporate Heritage Marketing

Corporate Heritage Marketing introduces the reader to the design and implementation of a heritage marketing strategy. It aims to propose a new and integrated reading of this marketing strategy, both from a theoretical and a managerial perspective. This book sets out to answer key questions, such as: how is it possible to engage all the company’s stakeholders by exploiting corporate heritage? It also aims to discuss the basic principles for achieving a successful marriage between marketing and heritage. By highlighting the results of a research focused on 20 Italian companies, the book proposes a model for the development and implementation of a heritage marketing strategy. The nature of this book, being both theoretical and empirical, can contribute to increasing the curiosity and interest towards heritage marketing of both academics and practitioners. Angelo Riviezzo is Associate Professor of Management at University of Sannio, where he teaches business strategy and strategic marketing. He holds a PhD in management and his main research interests include business longevity, heritage marketing and corporate entrepreneurship. He has authored more than 100 publications. Antonella Garofano is Assistant Professor of Management at University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli,” where she teaches marketing and strategic marketing in graduate and undergraduate programmes. Her main research interests are business longevity, heritage marketing and entrepreneurship. Her work has been published in national and international journals. Maria Rosaria Napolitano is Full Professor of Management at Parthenope University of Naples, where she teaches service marketing. Her research interests focus on business longevity and cultural heritage, tourism and place marketing and entrepreneurship. She is author and co-author of over 150 publications, including 18 books.

Routledge Studies in Marketing

This series welcomes proposals for original research projects that are either single or multi-authored or an edited collection from both established and emerging scholars working on any aspect of marketing theory and practice and provides an outlet for studies dealing with elements of marketing theory, thought, pedagogy and practice. It aims to refect the evolving role of marketing and bring together the most innovative work across all aspects of the marketing ‘mix’ – from product development, consumer behaviour, marketing analysis, branding, and customer relationships, to sustainability, ethics and the new opportunities and challenges presented by digital and online marketing. 13 Internal Marketing Theories, Perspectives and Stakeholders David M. Brown 14 Stakeholder Involvement in Social Marketing Challenges and Approaches to Engagement Edited by Kathy Knox, Krzysztof Kubacki and Sharyn Rundle-Thiele 15 Decoding Coca-Cola A Biography of a Global Brand Edited by Robert Crawford, Linda Brennan and Susie Khamis 16 Luxury and Fashion Marketing The Global Perspective Satyendra Singh 17 Building Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation in the Digital Era T C Melewar, Charles Dennis and Pantea Foroudi 18 Corporate Heritage Marketing Using the Past as a Strategic Asset Angelo Riviezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/ Routledge-Studies-in-Marketing/book-series/RMKT

Corporate Heritage Marketing Using the Past as a Strategic Asset

Angelo Riviezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano

First published 2021 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2021 Angelo Riviezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano The right of Angelo Riviezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano to be identifed as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Riviezzo, Angelo, author. | Garofano, Antonella, author. | Napolitano, Maria Rosaria, author. Title: Corporate heritage marketing : using the past as a strategic asset / Angelo Riviezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano. Description: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifers: LCCN 2020053876 (print) | LCCN 2020053877 (ebook) | ISBN 9780367764951 (hardback) | ISBN 9780367764999 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003167259 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Marketing—Italy. | Cultural property—Italy—Marketing. Classifcation: LCC HF5415.12.I8 R58 2021 (print) | LCC HF5415.12.I8 (ebook) | DDC 658.8/02—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053876 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053877 ISBN: 978-0-367-76495-1 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-76499-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-16725-9 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC

Contents

1

Preface

vi

Heritage marketing: a strategy of stakeholder engagement

1

1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Marketing: origins and development of the discipline 3 1.3 Heritage: origins and evolution of the construct 6 1.4 Heritage marketing: a new academic feld 10 2

Heritage marketing: a dual analytical perspective

15

2.1 Introduction 15 2.2 Heritage marketing as response to new market challenges 16 2.3 Heritage marketing as afrmation of organisational identity and culture 22 2.4 The power of narrative in constructing organisational identity 24 3

The strategic process of heritage marketing

28

3.1 Introduction 28 3.2 The heritage marketing process 29 3.3 Auditing: identifying the main narrative themes 31 3.4 Visioning: defning narrative targets and objectives 40 3.5 Managing: narrative development and management 50 3.6 Controlling: evaluating narrative results 57 4

The tools of heritage marketing

63

4.1 Introduction 63 4.2 The heritage marketing mix 64 4.3 Narrating through words, images and sound 65 4.4 Narrating through products and brands 74 4.5 Narrating through places 80 4.6 Narrating through celebrations and relationships 88 Index

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Preface

In recent years both academics and entrepreneurs have devoted increasing attention to the topic of heritage marketing. However, despite expressions of interest within international spheres, this has not yet led to a complete shared framework, either in theory or in practice. Fundamental gaps remain, seen in particular in the lack of widely accepted concepts on the theoretical basis of heritage marketing, of agreement on its defning aspects, or on the consequent managerial implications. Given this status, the intention of this book is to provide a new and integrated reading of heritage marketing, investigated as a managerial process and at the same time as a toolkit, to be used in a coordinated, coherent way in recounting and sharing the history and identity of a company, reaching all of its internal and external stakeholders. A theoretical part (Chapters 1 and 2) draws on refections from an in-depth review of national and international literature, as well as of our previous works on the topic (e.g. Riviezzo et al., 2016; Napolitano et al., 2018; Garofano et al., 2020). This frst section explores the basic principles for achieving a successful marriage between marketing and heritage. A second empirical part (Chapters 3 and 4) utilises multiple case-study research to improve our understanding of the phenomenon of heritage marketing, through the in-depth examination of 20 long-standing Italian frms, distinguished for their wise exploitation of organisational heritage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the frst book addressing the topic of heritage marketing from a managerial perspective, focusing on corporate heritage and the multiple possibilities related to its exploitation, and based on such a rich base of empirical data. In line with the qualitative approach typical of narrative research (Gabriel, 1991; Boje, 1991; Czarniawska, 2004), we have applied a mixture of methods to build the case histories. The fundamental source was “elicited” stories, i.e. information collected through in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and managers. We also sought “prepared” stories, as found for example in business reports, special publications, mass media advertising, articles and videos. Furthermore, we searched for “spontaneous” stories, in particular emerging from more unstructured and informal conversations during our visits to company headquarters, manufacturing facilities, corporate museums and archives. The case histories under analysis are therefore the result of an interweaving of orality, textuality and visuality (Musacchio Adorisio, 2009).

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It was the companies themselves that made this book possible, by opening their doors and welcoming our visits and research. The current sample represents the range of frms, of all sizes (e.g. big corporations such as Pirelli or Martini&Rossi and small family frms such as Amarelli or E. Marinella), that have developed the “Made in Italy” system over the course of centuries. In fact, all the investigated companies have been operating for at least 100 years and are now committed to strategically exploiting the incredible cultural and historical heritage they accumulated over time. Faced with threats and opportunities, such companies have innovated and redefned their identities, still maintaining continuous and coherent relations between past, present and their intended futures. For us, the visits to these companies represented the individual stages of our research travels. It was a long and laborious journey, but one justifed by the discovery of riches of inestimable value: of refned skills, techniques and knowledge, of astounding stories, of unique products, and above all of friendly people in fascinating contexts. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the participating companies, whose individual histories we briefy introduce later. The nature of the book, which, as already mentioned, is both theoretical and empirical, and the in-depth analysis of heritage marketing, can contribute to increasing the curiosity and interest towards the topic of academics and students, and also of professionals and entrepreneurs. The book is primarily aimed at researchers and academics, and at postgraduate students. It can introduce students to the planning and implementation of a heritage marketing strategy. In so doing, the book gives an answer to key questions such as: how did the concept of marketing evolve over time? What are the goals and contents of a winning marketing strategy nowadays? How is it possible to ensure the engagement of all the company’s stakeholders in the implementation of a marketing strategy by exploiting corporate heritage? Nevertheless, given the empirical and practice-oriented nature of the second part of the book, based on real examples and evidences taken from the case histories we investigated, it is of great interest also for practitioners. In fact, it aims not only to transfer the most advanced theoretical notions of the discipline, but also the ability to apply the knowledge acquired, by proposing operative models and tools. Furthermore, by focusing on managerial practices and experiences of companies that distinguished themselves for the strategic exploitation of their heritage, the book may represent also a kind of “benchmark” for professionals, managers and entrepreneurs who need to connect the past with the future, which is keeping traditions alive while facing changes through innovation. There is a growing academic interest towards the topic of heritage marketing, paralleled by the fact that companies around the world have begun to look with rising attention to their past as a potential source of competitive advantage. However, on one side, most of the existing studies focus on single tools and activities (e.g. museums, archives and monographs), whose strategic and managerial implications are often neglected, making the literature rather fragmented and jagged. Thus, a comprehensive and integrated analysis of the

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phenomenon, at both strategic and operative levels, is still lacking. On the other side, evidences show that companies approach the single tools of heritage marketing experimentally and very often without an integrated vision. There is just a minority of frms showing to perceive the advantages of a convinced and multiform action of exploitation of their cultural and historical heritage. Thus, there is a huge potential that is not exploited yet. Based on these arguments, we do believe this book can be of interest to both academics and practitioners.

The companies investigated Albergian

The story of Albergian begins in the mountain village of Pragelato, Piedmont, where in 1909, the couple Serafno and Secondina Ponsat opened a hotel. Within this same structure they also founded a small laboratory for the production of fruit preserves and jams. Within a few years, the hotelier couple, together with their daughter Rosina and son-in-law Giacomo Tillino, had increased their production, extending into jams, honey, preserved vegetables, liqueurs and infusions of alpine herbs. Production and commercialisation grew enormously in the decades following the war, thanks in particular to the tireless work of Adriano Tillino, of the third family generation. In the early 1950s, the company established a new processing plant in the town of Pinerolo and extended distribution throughout the region of Piedmont. Some 60 years after launching the activity, the family fnally closed the hotel and dedicated themselves exclusively to the food sector. By this time Albergian had expanded far beyond regional borders, reaching international markets. Well into the new millennium, Adriano and his son Giacomo continue to preserve and develop the company’s artisanal production techniques. The fourth generation of the Tillino family remains intent on what they call the “tradition of good taste,” and still avoids strategies of mass industrialisation. Amarelli

The traditions of Amarelli are deeply rooted in the town of Rossano, Calabria, a region known since the Roman era for its production of the highest quality liquorice roots. Archival documents attest that the baronial Amarelli family had entered commercial liquorice production as early as 1500. In 1731, the Amarellis founded a proto-industrial plant called a concio, still present on the landholdings and now completely restored. Each of the successive 11 family generations has remained strongly innovative and persistent in improving the growing practices, processing, commercialisation and marketing for their products. In 1840, thanks to Domenico Amarelli, these eforts reached the capital city of the Kingdom of Naples. At the close of World War II, Amarelli was the only liquorice factory still operating in Calabria and one of the few in all

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of Italy. The next generations capitalised on the boom of the post-war, adding numerous products and processing innovations, and innovating heavily in the areas of marketing and management. In the 1980s, the baton passed to several cousins. Of these, Giorgio took the lead, while Alessandro and Franco continued their respective lives as medical doctor and professor. At the untimely death of Giorgio, the remaining two joined with Margherita Amarelli, a graduate in law, who briefy took on the role of administrator. However, the family ultimately turned to Pina Mengano Amarelli, wife of Franco, drawing on her excellent organisational and managerial skills and passionate leadership to advance the company identity and initiate new ventures. As of 2020, Pina remains honorary president. Alongside her and Franco are Fortunato and Margherita, children of Alessandro, respectively CEO and director of marketing. Amarelli, historically attached to Calabria, now markets a wide range of products in 26 countries, all of them still focused on the locally produced sweet liquorice root. Ascione

The documented history of this frm begins with Giovanni, son of Domenico Ascione. Domenico owned a number of boats active in the artisanal industry of fshing gem coral, focused around the village of Torre del Greco on the Bay of Naples. In 1855, at the age of just 21, Giovanni founded what is now the longest established coral processing company in Italy. From the outset, the company distinguished itself for the refnement, quality and originality of its production. Throughout the decades of the late 19th and early 20th centuries the family owners developed an elaborate and successful marketing strategy. One aspect was competition in international exhibitions and trade fairs where the company achieved numerous medals. In 1875, the Ascione family obtained the privilege of the mark of the Royal House of Savoia, and in the early 20th century they were recognised as ofcial suppliers. In 1938, they received personal recognition from Princess Maria-José of Savoia during her celebrated visit to Naples. Meanwhile Giovanni, Domenico’s son, had departed for the United States at a very young age, where he took on the task of growing Ascione’s international markets. The third generation, represented by Giuseppe Ascione and several brothers, developed a worldwide distribution network. Following Giuseppe, it was taken over by his son Giovanni, whose devotion to studies in art and architecture provided an extraordinary boost to the jewellery design and production activities. Today the company is directed by fve of Giovanni’s children – Giuseppe, Mauro, Caterina, Marco and Giancarlo – who continue to advance the traditions of Torre del Greco and in particular the creation and originality of their own coral production house. The passion of the Ascione workshops and the traditions of crafts in coral, gold, silver, cameos, semi-precious stones and precious metals are also communicated to the public in a museum, opened to the public in the historic Galleria Umberto I of Naples on the occasion of the company’s 150th anniversary.

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Birra Peroni

The beginnings of Birra Peroni can be traced to the humble industrial town of Vigevano near Milan, where Francesco Peroni opened a craft brewery and taproom in 1846. By 1864, the company had expanded its activities and opened its headquarters in Rome. The wisdom of this choice became more apparent in 1870, when the city was chosen as the capital of the new Kingdom of Italy. The second generation of family owners sold the original Vigevano breweries and turned their attention towards strengthening the company’s market position, frstly by pursuing commercial agreements and secondly through a strategy of investing in capacity. In 1924, Peroni Srl inaugurated a new brewery in Bari and in the following years acquired several subsidiary producers rooted in the Italian regions. In the 1970s and 1980s, the company expanded into foreign markets, diversifying its product portfolio and initiating collaborations with other national and international corporations. The fourth family generation, in charge through the 1990s, implemented a rationalisation process, with the closure of several acquired plants and concentration of production in the core Peroni breweries of Rome, Bari, Padua and Naples. By the dawn of the new millennium the family owners had laid the foundations of an international company and were progressively expanding the shareholder base. In 2003, Peroni joined the South African group SABMiller, at that time the world’s secondlargest brewing company. Birra Peroni, no longer a family company, continued to expand. In 2016, controlling ownership passed to the Asahi Group. Despite this series of transfers the company continues to produce exclusively from Italian plants and to capitalise on its traditions. In further demonstration of its enduring bond with Italy, the company preserves, develops and promotes its heritage through the museum and archives Museo e Archivio Storico Birra Peroni, situated in the Rome headquarters. Confetti Pelino

Confetti Pelino was founded in 1783, but embodies a confectionery tradition dating still earlier – to the times of the ancient Romans. Confetti, literally “with festival,” were originally a far diferent thing from the coloured bits of paper now known worldwide. For the Romans, these were simply a small sweet given at festive occasions, but in the 1500s, a technique developed of preparing them as sugar-coated almonds. The focus of production became the artisanal shops of Sulmona, Abruzzo, where an important descendant of one of these businesses still remains. This company is Confetti Pelino. Founded by Berardino Pelino, the company is now under management of the seventh family generation. The confetti are still made by the same artisanal processes, never completely industrialised, in a dizzying array of colours and designs. In Italy and elsewhere in the world, these treats are presented as party favours to guests of weddings and other special occasions, in elaborate gift confections. Today, Confetti Pelino trades on national and international markets, not only in a wide variety of sugared almonds, but also in liqueurs prepared in the traditions of the

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Abruzzo mountains, cake design products and the famous Citrate lemon-based digestive drink, patented in the early 1900s by Mario Pelino, at the helm of the ffth generation. The national and foreign awards received by Pelino embody a marketing history in themselves. In the 1960s, the company invested in new production facilities, and since then has developed two of the original factory buildings as the corporate museum Museo dell’Arte e della Tecnologia Confettiera. Following the premature death of Antonio, cousin Mario now leads the company, with support from others of the eighth family generation, recently involved in the management. E. Marinella

In 1914, the tailor Eugenio Marinella opened a shop in a tiny space on Via Riviera di Chiaia, the main promenade of Naples’ most genteel district. Given his success, Eugenio soon added two further ateliers: a larger one dedicated to the manufacture of shirts and a smaller one for creation of ties, cut and sewn by hard-working seamstresses. Marinella developed the shop in the image of British style and elegance at a time when the European grand tour was still in high fashion. The company prides itself on this “little corner of England” and the embodied traditions of high-quality timeless craftsmanship. After the forced break of World War II, Eugenio passed the company to his sole son, Luigi, who decided to focus the business exclusively on the necktie, developed as a completely distinctive and customisable product. In the 1980s, Marinella received the custom of famous clients, including Francesco Cossiga, President of the Italian Republic, and a series of American presidents. The shop became an unmissable stop for visiting personalities, and the Marinella tie began its ascent to the heights of luxury goods markets. More recently the company expanded into men’s and women’s accessories and began a strategy of opening stand-alone boutiques, as well as brand shops within the grand stores of global fashion cities such as London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, Rome and Milan. Today Maurizio Marinella, together with his son Alessandro, of the fourth generation, preside over the company headquarters still in the centuryold shop on Riviera di Chiaia. Fabbri

The icon of this company is its Amarena sour cherry preserve, frst produced in 1905 by Gennaro Fabbri, after taking over a druggist’s shop in the town of Portomaggiore, near Ferrara. From the very beginning, the business pursued innovative promotional strategies supporting the continuous launch of new products. The frst successes led the founder to take on his sons Aldo and Romeo as travelling sales representatives, operating throughout Italy. As sales expanded the company opened new facilities in Borgo Panigale, an industrial quarter of Bologna. Here, at the site that still remains its headquarters, the company expanded production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic syrups. Since

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the 1920s, the inspiration has remained that of an original recipe by Rachele, Gennaro’s wife, backed by the slogan “the amarena with fruit” and famous for its ceramic container with white and blue designs, still perfectly embodying the company image. The third generation, operating through the 1950s and 1960, continued to invest in the Fabbri reputation, among other strategies becoming one of the frst companies to use animated television advertising. In the 1980s and 1990s, Fabbri expanded its production for bars and restaurants and entered into provision of semi-fnished products for craft operators: professional fruit syrups for cocktails, soft drinks and ices, and ingredients ready for production of pastries and gelato. Today, the fourth and ffth generations of brothers and cousins still lead the company, operating with 250 employees and distributing 1,300 products in over 100 countries. Filippo Catarzi

Filippo Catarzi is one of the most important Italian hat manufacturers and has its headquarters in Signa, a Tuscan town that has been a centre of artisanal production using straw, in particular for hats. The story of the company begins in 1910, when Olderigo Catarzi decided to expand beyond the level of the traditional home workshop. He founded a new company, named for frst-born Filippo, and invested in the semi-automated production of fnished hats and bags. Through the mid-20th century the company employed countless local workers, supporting a vast economic activity in a wide range of indirect and supporting roles. Riccardo, representative of the third generation, invested substantially in further expansion, but in 1988 left the business in the hands of his only son Maurizio. Together with his wife Stefania, Maurizio launched new creative and marketing strategies in the midst of severe sectoral difculties, referencing the past but looking ahead to new interests and approaches. These new strategies have achieved continued growth on national and international markets, bringing production to more than 200,000 hats per year. Filippo Catarzi distributes directly, online and through prestigious international points of sale, and in collaboration with major fashion brands and retail chains, ofering a vast range of hat types and bags, from timeless to cutting edge styles, as well as a series of fashion accessories. Fondazione Banco di Napoli

The ancestral Banco di Napoli was established during the centuries of Bourbon rule over southern Italy, with aims of protecting the poor from the harms of usury. This institution merged with others, was restructured several times during the 1700s and 1800s, and in 1926 added the function of public creditor for the development of the Italian south. In 1819, Ferdinand I of Bourbon designated one of the city’s noble palaces as the ofcial seat for the bank’s archives. In 1991, under new national legislation, the Banco di Napoli became the frst public credit institution to assume a joint-stock structure, taking the name

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Banco di Napoli Spa, and assuming all activities of the previous structure. This arrangement continued until 1996, when a fnancial crisis led to divestment and the establishment of the Fondazione Banco di Napoli devoted solely to the archival operations, as an independent corporation. The foundation operations focus on the community and heritage sectors, in particular on support for voluntary work, social solidarity, charity, and the promotion of scientifc research, art and culture. The archives, housed in 330 rooms and with 80 kilometres of shelved holdings, remain crucial to the foundation’s identity and operations. The holdings contain a wealth of information in the areas of economic, social, political and art history. To improve the management and development of these assets, the Fondazione Banco di Napoli has in turn established the separate ilCartastorie foundation as its operational structure, with a statute permitting entry into commercial activities such as the ofer of guided tours, theatrical events, the sale of rights for republication and media productions, and rent of spaces for special events. Fratelli Branca Distillerie

Fernet-Branca amaro, or herbal “bitters,” was frst distilled in 1845 by Berardino Branca, a Milanese apothecary, drawing on a recipe said to have been received from a Swedish chemist. The product was commercialised by a newly founded company named Fratelli Branca, or “Branca Brothers”, indicating the founder’s three sons. Apart from its digestive properties, Fernet-Branca was also vaunted as a treatment for minor ailments, and viewed as a remedy during the cholera epidemic of 1867. The success of the artisanal product, marketed even beyond national boundaries, stimulated the family to invest in large-scale production. In 1850, the company opened its frst industrial distillery with about 300 workers. With the second generation at the helm, the company achieved even stronger growth and entered into new products, successfully presented at the most important international exhibitions. The advent of the third generation, in the person of Dino Branca, coincided with the defnitive entry into global marketing, followed by a move to a still larger plant and growth to over 900 employees. In the 1920s, still under the leadership of Dino, the company ordered construction of full-scale production plants in Chiasso, Stuttgart, Buenos Aires and Saint Louis and, in New York, a new plant accompanied by commercial ofces. These choices were strategic, largely intended to circumvent legislative constraints then in efect on circulation of foreign-produced spirits. In the 1950s, the company, along with the secret formulas, passed into the hands of the fourth generation. The company reduced its commercial portfolio, which by that time exceeded 400 products, and turned to television advertising as a new medium for promotion of the already famous brand. In the 1980s, the company grew and diversifed through acquisitions, adding other well-known brands in spirits, wines and sparkling wines. At the same time, the distillation of the core products was again concentrated in Milan, with the exception of a large factory opened in Argentina in 2001. Today the company is led by Niccolò Branca,

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representative of the ffth generation. Thanks to continued acquisitions, as well as distribution agreements for brands such as Rémy Cointreau, Piper-Heidsieck of France, as well as with the German group Borco, the company now operates in direct competition with other beverage multinationals. Guzzini Group

Enrico Guzzini began the frst family business in 1912. After returning from a period of emigration in Argentina he opened a workshop in Recanati, in the region of the Marche, for production of objects in ox horn, a craft tradition in that area. Following the Great War, Enrico’s son, Pierino, urged the family to invest in machinery and innovation of new products and materials and to take on a structure of marketing agents. In 1938, the company produced the frst-ever kitchen utensils in methacrylate, commonly known as Plexiglas. Fratelli Guzzini returned to this material following World War II, expanding the commercial line to a full range of household objects, backed by research in advanced production techniques. The Guzzinis recognised plastic as the material of the future and drew on important designers who could assist them in innovating objects that were functional and appealing. These new products were resistant to breakage, long lasting, and ofered a distinctively modern appeal. All of these strategies and factors led to immediate market success. In 1954, the company patented a doubled-layered production technique, used in the design of a famous line of tableware with complementary inner and outer colours. Meanwhile, the third generation, children of Enrico and his two brothers, entered the business. In 1958, Giovanni and Raimondo founded iGuzzini Illuminazione for the production of lamps in acrylic, complementary to the core business. iGuzzini soon expanded into architectural lighting in general, ofering services and products in support of major construction projects by national and international studios. In 1972, the fourth generation added a third major company operating in production of bathroom furnishings. In the 1980s, the family reorganised the diferent businesses under three fnancial holding companies, refecting the main activities of the original three brothers. Each of these main companies has continued to add secondary businesses, as diferent family members continue to diversify into complementary areas of activity. All of these structures continue to cooperate in a strategic manner, maintaining autonomy within distinct market sectors and with the common denominator of innovation in synthetic materials. Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza

Pietro Francesco Piacenza frst registered a family business for trade in bulk wool in 1733, in the village of Pollone, Piedmont, and soon after moved into the sale of fnished fabric. In 1750, Pietro and his son Giovanni Francesco obtained the permanent rights to the water power from a nearby stream, enabling the establishment of a frst fulling mill. As early as 1757, the factory

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employed 100 people. The opening of a sales house in Turin in 1799 ensured the survival of the company during the Napoleonic domination of Italy, in spite of severe reductions in production. In 1814, the company assumed the current name Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza, translated literally as “Piacenza Brothers Woolen Mills”. The family history of these times is representative of other industrialists of the Savoy Kingdom, uniting roles in both the economic sphere and the formative political events of the Italian nation, culminating in the years 1860–1870. In the early 19th century, the company acquired the frst mule-jenny and jacquard machines, through their contacts already using these in England. The succeeding generations added production in fabrics in the latest European tastes, expanding in both industrial capacities and manpower. The company won repeated prizes in national and international expositions and fairs, and by mid-century was present in over 100 retail markets on the continent and in Great Britain. The numerous trips abroad, attention to trends in demand, and the innate entrepreneurial skills of family members facilitated the growth of Fratelli Piacenza. In 1911, a new factory opened in the city of Turin, at the same time as a School of Woollen Milling in the home province. The company recovered from the fnancial crises of the Great Depression and the devastating events of World War II. In the 1950s, it entered international haute couture, opening ateliers in London, Paris and New York. In 1972, a new factory opened in Pollone, in the region of Piedmont, and by the 1980s, Piacenza fabrics had reached worldwide distribution. In recent decades, the company has refocused on a new line of clothing of highest quality, called Piacenza Cashmere, targeting the contemporary luxury market. At the head of Fratelli Piacenza today are the president, Guido, and managing director Carlo, together with their children, the latest of 14 family generations intent on seizing opportunities in trends and capitalising on technological progress. Martini & Rossi

The story of this frm began in 1863, from the fortunate meeting of Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi, the creative minds behind what would become the world’s greatest vermouth. It was in this year that the two men, both of Turin, along with Teoflo Sola, all investors in a pre-existing distillery, took over the business under the new name Martini, Sola & Co. The strategic location for production, chosen in the locality of Pessione on the Turin-Genoa railway line, would be a key factor in success. The plant grew rapidly, exploiting spur lines for the transport of an increasing number of products, including the famous Asti Martini spumante, a range of bitters, and chinotto. Success on international markets was immediate, backed by prizes won between 1864 and 1876 in expositions of New York, Paris, Vienna and Philadelphia, still proudly represented on the bottles. This led to the opening of the frst foreign branches in the 1880s, in Buenos Aires, Geneva and Barcelona. In 1879, with the death of Teoflo Sola, the company took the name Martini & Rossi. In the early 20th century, following the death of the other partners, the company passed

xvi Preface

to Rossi’s three sons, who began building it as one of the frst global brand names. Martini & Rossi backed its expansion of products and sales with a knack for advertising, featuring Art Deco graphics that came to represent an entire artistic style. The company was also an early sponsor of events, ranging from opera to bicycle and motor racing. Following the hiatus of World War II, the third generation of Rossis continued to promote these initiatives. The Terrazze Martini, organised in prestigious locations from Milan to Paris, New York to Sao Paulo, became elegant and lively meeting points for leading personalities from the worlds of cinema, costume, culture and fashion, and were instrumental in the emergence of a new cocktail: the “martini.” In 1970, the company further afrmed its presence with the Martini Racing Team, bearing what is still one of the famed liveries of the sport. Meanwhile, during the 1950s and 1960s, the portfolio of acquired companies continued to grow, at the same time as commercial efciencies were pursued and the structure was changed to that of a joint-stock holding. In 1977, there came a decisive turning point when the worldwide Martini & Rossi companies were consolidated under the holding General Beverage Corporation based in Luxembourg. In 1993, Martini & Rossi merged with Bacardi Limited, forming the giant Bacardi–Martini Group. Montegrappa

In 1912, Edwige Hofman and Heinrich Helm established a company in the town of Bassano del Grappa, Veneto, vaunting the slogan Manifattura Pennini Oro per Stilografche (literally “Maker of Gold and Stilographic Pens”). In 1925, the small workshop was bought by Alessandro Marzotto and Domenico Manea, who brought the renamed Elmo & Montegrappa into a new leadership position in the area of celluloid fountain pens. The company was at its high point in the 1930s but by the 1950s faced business problems, in particular with the advent of the ballpoint pen. In 1978, the Marzotto family transferred the company to a group of entrepreneurs from Vicenza, operating under the sole name Montegrappa. In 1981, the control of the company passed into the hands of the Aquila family, active in producing and selling pens since the 1930s and with a history of close relations with Elmo. Under the guidance of Gianfranco, joined by his wife and sons, the company was reorganised as the Montegrappa 1912 joint-stock company and gradually returned to the distinctive position of its origins, operating in precious materials and refned crafts. The objective of the Aquila family is to enhance the symbolic aspects of production and promote a distinctive writing experience, satisfying collectors and the luxury market segment. In recent years, the company has expanded into production of watches, accessories and perfumes, often in collaboration with other companies, and has opened boutiques in cities from Milan to London, Mumbai and Delhi. Montegrappa 1912 also boasts a long history of famous purchasers, fnances signifcant sports events, and obtains endorsements for one-of ultra-luxury items.

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Piaggio Group

In 1884, Rinaldo Piaggio, son of Enrico, branched out from his father’s small steam sawmill operation, founding a new company dedicated to marine furnishings. Within a few years the young Ligurian entrepreneur had entered the heavy vehicles and railway sectors, and soon after directed his attention to aircraft, acquiring a company already active in the city of Pisa. By the early 1930s, Rinaldo’s company was a national and international leader in civil and military aeronautics. In 1938, with the death of their father, ownership passed to sons Enrico and Armando, operating in collaborative control of both factories and strategies. However, the Tuscan plants, which had been inherited by Enrico, were totally destroyed near the close of World War II. In a socio-economic context of near despair, Enrico dreamed of contributing to post-war reconstruction, in particular in the area of personal mobility. In the space of only a few months, he had adapted the ruins of the Tuscany factories and facilities for production of the newly designed Vespa two-wheeled vehicle. This make and model became the undisputed leader in the phenomenon of the scooter, or motorino, which in Italy had particularly far-reaching economic and social efects. Piaggio soon abandoned the area of aeronautical production completely, and relying on the Vespa and Ape three-wheeled truck, attained enormous success. By 1953, in addition to leading the national market, Piaggio was present in over 10,000 sales outlets in 114 countries. In 1956, the Pontedera plant produced the millionth Vespa, and four years later reached the milestone two million total vehicles. With the death of Enrico in 1965, the company came under the control of the Agnelli family, in particular Umberto, who led the acquisition of other companies, most notably Gilera motorcycles in 1969. The company survived a period of crisis in the 1970s, and in 1993 the presidency passed to Umberto’s son, Giovanni Alberto Agnelli, at the age of only 29. Giovanni launched a rejuvenation of the company’s international strategies; however, his life was soon cut short by cancer. In an atmosphere of continuing difculties under the presidency of Alessandro Barberis, the Piaggio family sold their last shares to an international investment fund. In 2003, facing critical market and fnancial situations, the company was acquired in full by Roberto Colaninno and the IMMSI real estate group, who have presided over a renaissance of the multinational brand. In 2006, the Piaggio Group expanded, with the addition of the prestigious motorcycle manufacturers, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi. With the group now clearly focused on two-wheelers, the directorate took ownership public on the Italian exchange. The group’s strategic assets include two research and development centres in the United States and production plants in Italy, India and Vietnam. Pirelli

In 1870, the recently graduated engineer Giovanni Battista Pirelli departed on a study trip to the industrial cities of northern Europe. On his return to Milan, he was able to obtain the backing for a company in the manufacture of

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Preface

latex rubber, at that time virtually unknown in Italy. Initially focused on the production of technical–industrial components, the company soon exploited the versatility of the raw material for diversifcation into an expanding range of fnished industrial and consumer products. In 1879, the company engaged in its frst manufacture of insulated telegraphic and electrical wire, and in 1886, built an entire new factory for the production of submarine cables, in the port city of La Spezia. Pirelli was active in industrial lobbies and in politics, at the same time as cultivating solid business relations with major foreign companies. Thanks to important international agreements, G. B. Pirelli & Cie. became a world leader in the cable sector. The continuing process of diversifcation led to patents, including in the area of tires, frst for bicycles and motorcycles, and fnally in 1901 for cars. The founder was succeeded by his sons Piero and Alberto, who continued to grow the Italian company through the Great War, thanks largely to military and industrial orders. The Pirelli products were more advanced than those of their competitors and met with great success. By 1906, this obligated the opening of new plants in the Bicocca area of Milan, which in the interwar years grew to a total of 700,000 square metres with 13,000 staf. A factory built in 1902 in Barcelona represented the frst of a series, often backed by subsidiary common-stock companies, that would grow to over 140 production plants in nations scattered through all the continents. As early as 1920, the company assumed a true multinational structure, with a holding in Belgium at the head of a series of foreign subsidiaries. The group continued to invest in research in the second post-war, resulting in marketleading advances in both the tire and cable sectors. In the early 1960s, Alberto Pirelli passed the presidency to his son Leopoldo, who pushed towards a system of delegated decision-making and the modern managerialisation of the group. The pressing need for competitive growth in the tire sector led to decisions in favour of major acquisitions, but also to setbacks that would negatively afect the group’s evolution. In 1992, Leopoldo Pirelli handed the helm to his sonin-law Marco Tronchetti Provera, who initiated a process of rationalisation of the group’s presence in the cable and tire sectors, while also diversifying the corporate structure into new areas, including real estate, banking, telecommunications, clothing and accessories. However, within a decade the group determined to focus almost exclusively on the tire sector, ceding the entire Pirelli Cables company and divesting a series of shareholdings and collateral activities only recently acquired. The main events since 2010 concern the search for international partners, in support of competitiveness in the context of increasing globalisation. In 2014, a Russian investment company acquired an important minority shareholding, while in 2015, the Chinese giant China National Chemical Corporation – known as ChemChina – acquired 65% of Pirelli & Cie. SpA. In 2017, about two years after de-listing, the company returned to the Milan stock exchange, with the ChemChina stake reduced below 50%, Russian shareholders at around 5%, and the role of executive director in the hands of family member Tronchetti Provera.

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Poli Distillerie

In 1874, GioBatta Poli, operator of a small hat-making business, married the hatmaker Maria Moresco. The couple put aside their previous activities in a sector that was still proftable, and instead opened a small operation in hostelry at Schiavon, in Veneto, with sales of food and drink. In 1898, they turned their focus to their main passion, founding what is now Poli Distillerie for the production of grappa, the liquor made by distilling the grape residues left from winemaking processes. After a short period, operating a mobile hand-made still at the area’s individual wineries, the family invested their resources in a frst fxed plant, and their energy and ingenuity in improving the still rudimentary production techniques. The couple’s son Giovanni, supported by brothers Beniamino and Pasquale, expanded the facilities and installed a technologically advanced steam alembic. The third generation of Giovanni, Lisetta and Antonio took over in the 1950s, and within a few years had not only renewed their father’s still but also developed a much larger and more efcient plant, still in use today. Of the three children it was Antonio, with his wife Teresa, who concentrated on the family business, in particular through the great difculties of the 1970s, when competition with large industrial players threatened the survival of the company. The re-dimensioned Poli Distellerie is now one of the few surviving artisanal producers out of a group that once numbered over 2,000. Today the productive component of the business is carried forward by Jacopo, Barbara and Andrea, great-grandchildren of the founding couple, who have invested in making Poli Distillerie one the most advanced artisanal plants currently operating in Italy. Brother Jacopo leads the marketing activities, as national and international ambassador of Poli Distillerie. The company continues its strategy of exploiting long-standing traditions and family knowledge for the development of a varied product portfolio, through skilful combination of grape varieties, distillation and ageing methods. Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni

In 1828, the French lawyer Giuseppe Giulio Lorenzo Henry founded the Società Reale d’Assicurazione Generale e Mutua contro gli incendi (literally “Royal General and Mutual Insurance Company Against Fire”) in Turin, capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, with the support of King Carlo Felice. Policy holder no. 1 was in fact the sovereign, who actively encouraged his subjects to take out further policies, so that within a year the nascent Società Reale would already boast 1483 members. Reale Mutua remained at the side of the House of Savoy through the wars of Italian Independence, which it helped to fnance, and maintained a strong relationship until the very end of the monarchy. As the kingdom expanded and a united Italy became reality, the company expanded its lines and areas of operation – throughout the north by 1860, and over the entire peninsula by the end of century. In 1919, the members totalled 400,000. During World War I, Società Reale destined important sums to the

xx Preface

aid of combatants, the injured and prisoners. Through the 1920s, the company expanded its insurance lines and began investing signifcantly in real estate. In the decades of the second post-war, the company’s growth continued in parallel with the economic boom, along with its social commitments, particularly in the area of workers’ conditions. In the 1980s, the group entered the international scene, beginning in Spain, where the group is still present with Reale Seguros and Reale Vida, and then opened subsidiaries in France, the United Kingdom and Belgium. The most recent subsidiary is headquartered in Santiago, Chile. With over 1,160 employees and 349 agencies spread throughout the nations, Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni is the largest mutual insurance company operating in Italy. Both nationally and abroad, the group’s companies operate in insurance, real estate management and personal fnancial services. Strega Alberti

The story of Strega Alberti begins in 1860, when Giuseppe Alberti, supported by his apothecary father, decided to launch a further activity, complementary to the family café on the main piazza of Benevento. He began the production of a liqueur, which he called Strega, or “Witch,” recalling a legend of the witches of Benevento who gathered under a walnut tree to prepare a decantation that would unite the imbibing couples until death. Seeing the success of the new liqueur, the family acquired land near the railway station and raised an entire factory on the site still used today for company production. When the founder died in 1894, his sons Vincenzo, Ugo and Francesco decided to focus entirely on liqueurs, reforming the company under the collective name Ditta Giuseppe Alberti. The company expanded distribution not only throughout Italy but also abroad, particularly in the United States, in part by appealing to the massive presence of Italian emigrants. The company competed successfully in international expositions and developed a strong graphic identity that continues to the present day. The brothers also diversifed in confectionaries, beginning with production in a type of nougat traditional to the Benevento area. Thanks to the international presence and the inclusion of confectionary products and liqueurs in military supplies, the company passed through World War I without particular difculty, and in the post-war added a factory in Nice, France. The recovery from World War II was much more difcult. During the last phase of the confict, the Benevento factories sufered massive damage under Allied bombardment, in which members of the Alberti family and many others lost their lives. In 1947, Guido, son of Ugo, and later president of the company, decided to fnance an award for the best Italian novel of the year. The Premio Strega is still the country’s most important literary award and a further factor in the brand image. Strega Alberti pioneered the use of corporate advertising and sponsorships in broadcast TV in the 1950s and then expanded production successfully through the 1960s. In the 1970s, it sufered heavy setbacks due a 150% increase in taxes on the alcohol sector and from damages due to tragic earthquakes. The areas of foreign production and sales and the solidly organised

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national network saw the company through these difcult times. The modern company, guided by the sixth generation of the Alberti family, confronts an increasingly global economic sector. One of the responding strategies has been the incorporation of a new Strega Retail Srl subsidiary, focused on single-brand and pop-up stores in both Italy and abroad. Tela Umbra

Tela Umbra (literally “Umbrian Weaving”) was founded in 1908, by the baroness Alice Hallgarten and her husband Leopoldo Franchetti. Hallgarten, originally American, and the Baron, 30 years her elder, were married in 1880 in Città di Castello, Perugia. Educated as an economist, Leopoldo was highly active in the questions of the “disadvantaged South” in the political and intellectual circles of the new nation of Italy. Exploring the Perugia countryside, Alice encountered the women and children of tenant farms and villages, often living in near medieval conditions. The couple, of a similar mind, soon dedicated themselves to initiatives aimed at promoting social emancipation. Among their many works were the founding of two schools, ofering free education that drew on the revolutionary scientifc methods of their friend, Maria Montessori. The establishment of the Laboratorio Umbra was directed in particular at the mothers, through preservation and advancement of the ancient arts of manual weaving. The original workforce consisted of 15 women guided by two master weavers; however, the total numbers soon increased to 40. With the premature death of Alice in 1911, followed by the suicide of her husband in 1917, both their assets and the continuity of their cultural, social and philanthropic initiatives were entrusted to a sole inheriting foundation, the Opera Pia Regina Margherita. The Opera Pia was disbanded in 1981 and management of the now greatly reduced workforce passed to the Region of Umbria. The succeeding years were characterised by complex management events and situations of near bankruptcy. Eventually, with the support of the regional fnance company “Umbria Development,” and the Municipality of Città di Castello, the remaining workers of Tela Umbra organised as a cooperative. Tela Umbra still operates out of the historic Tomassini palace that Alice Franchetti had chosen as the company headquarters, and production is still carried out exclusively by hand by the six cooperative members, intent on maintaining the renaissance traditions that the Baroness promoted some 100 years ago. The cooperative, with its institutional partners, maintain a strong Internet presence, a museum, and in general plays an important socio-economic role in the local and regional communities.

References Boje, D. (1991), “The storytelling organization: A study of story performance in an ofcesupply frm”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 1: 106–26. Czarniawska, B. (2004), Narratives in Social Science Research, London: Sage Publishing.

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Gabriel, Y. (1991), “Turning facts into stories and stories into facts: An hermeneutic exploration of organizational folklore”, Human Relations, 44, 8: 857–75. Garofano, A., Riviezzo, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2020), “Una storia, tanti modi di raccontarla. Una nuova proposta di defnizione dell’heritage marketing mix”/“One story, so many ways to narrate it. A new proposal for the defnition of the heritage marketing mix”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, Supplementi 10, 2020: 125–46. Musacchio Adorisio, A.L. (2009), Storytelling in Organizations. From Theory to Empirical Research, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Napolitano, M.R., Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A. (2018), Heritage Marketing. Come aprire lo scrigno e trovare un tesoro, Napoli: Editoriale Scientifca. Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2016), “‘Il tempo è lo specchio dell’eternità’. Strategie e strumenti di heritage marketing nelle imprese longeve italiane”/“‘Time is the mirror of eternity’. Heritage marketing strategies and tools in italian long-lived frms”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, 13: 497–523.

1

Heritage marketing A strategy of stakeholder engagement

1.1

Introduction

The term heritage marketing joins two words that at frst glance would seem very distant. Heritage, rooted in the languages of the classical Mediterranean, is a concept of keen interest in the disciplines of humanities and social sciences. Marketing, of Anglo-Saxon derivation, gradually became a subject of primary importance in the managerial sciences, but with a scope extending far beyond its original meanings and also entering in everyday language. When frst introduced in management studies in the mid-1950s, “marketing” was proposed not as a specialised activity, but as “the whole business seen from the point of view of its fnal result, that is, from the customer’s point of view” (Drucker, 1954, p. 39). The basic concept of marketing became consolidated in literature and business practices as that of satisfying market needs, by creating value for the customer. Essentially, the concept refers to the distinctive abilities of perceiving the market, relating to selected customer segments, and defning and implementing efective value propositions for diferent segments. The radical economic and social changes of the late 20th century led to an extension of the boundaries of marketing within organisations, elevating it to the level of a philosophy that transversely pervades the processes of strategic business management. The difusion of new technologies and the importance of innovation processes, the radical transformations of the industry–distribution relations, and above all the profound changes in consumer behaviour, have imposed a profound rethinking of the theoretical principles and models of marketing management. The economic and social crises and the distinctive new features of consumption models in postmodern society have determined a new positioning of the discipline in social and cultural dynamics. The mission of marketing to generate value must now be understood in a broader sense, both in terms of target audiences (no longer the customers alone, now a full range of stakeholders) and in terms of the values marketed (no longer only economic, now also social and cultural). Just as marketing has extended in scope well beyond the managerial sciences, the much older concept of heritage has recently extended into the so-called hard sciences, and fnally encountered the sphere of management. The term “heritage,” derived from the late Latin heres, “heirs,” and the verb hereditare,

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refers to the handing down of things from one family member to the next, or of all that has been physically created and accumulated over time. It also relates to patrimonium, “patrimony,” which as early as the 14th century signifed the immaterial things handed down from the past. More broadly, heritage expresses “the history, traditions and qualities that a country or society has had for many years and that are considered an important part of its character.”1 As Susan Pearce (1998a, p. 86) points out, “heritage is a social concept which lives within its material confgurations through landscape, customary practices and objects, but not all material confgurations become heritage; a fundamental question in heritage studies is, therefore, how the process of ‘selection to become heritage’ operates and how and why specifc pieces of material practice are transformed into heritage status, implicit in this consideration are ideas of the nature of value, how practice and its materials come to be valuable and how valuation alter through time.” The etymological examination of the term reveals the strong links between heritage and both the individual and collective spheres, and highlights its dimensions of emotion, symbolism, identity, as well as transformation and revaluation. Indeed, “inheritance” and “patrimony” confgure heritage to the extent that individuals and groups value, inscribe and reinterpret heritage and historic patrimony in their own present. Heritage has only recently entered the management literature (Napolitano and Marino, 2016). Introduced to identify a new way of communicating the uniqueness of the company and its products to clients, it is a dimension of the company’s identity, based on its genetic patrimony and core values (Urde et al., 2007). Heritage marketing, therefore, refers to the set of decisions aimed at enhancing the individual’s experience of the organisation, to generate a sense of belonging to the company, and to the set of tools aimed at using its inheritance of brands and products to create lasting emotional ties with consumers (Misiura, 2006) and other stakeholders (Napolitano et al., 2018). Heritage marketing is an elective choice of companies that aim to enhance their history, experience and shared values. It represents a powerful tool for strategic refection, aimed at defning, promoting and communicating the identity and organisational culture to all stakeholders – internal and external (Napolitano et al., 2018). The opportunities of heritage marketing appear obvious in the cases of long-standing companies. In the particular case of Italy, there are many thousands of companies with long and substantial inheritances on which to build lasting competitive advantages. However, the adoption of heritage marketing strategies is certainly not limited to the Italian case, nor to specifc market positions, such as possession of already iconic brands or possibilities of “retrobranding.” Still more important, it is not the exclusive prerogative of companies with a long history. The idea shared in this book is that heritage is a strategic resource, able to generate economic and social value for a multitude of organisations of diferent nature and aims, who decide to use their experience in a strategic sense to build long-term relationships with their main stakeholders and to strengthen their identity by enhancing their received inheritances.

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3

On the basis of these premises it seems that our frst steps in better understanding the opportunities ofered by the conjunction of heritage and marketing should be to elaborate more deeply on the origins and development of marketing and the meaning and evolution of heritage, as we do in the following sections.

1.2

Marketing: origins and development of the discipline

The frst studies and defnitions focusing on the concept of marketing date to the mid-20th century. Presented for the frst time in the book The Practice of Management, marketing places the customer at the centre of managerial thinking: “There is only one valid defnition of business purpose: to create a customer” (Drucker, 1954, p. 37). Since its inception, marketing has been understood as a business philosophy that, in opposition to the traditional orientation of production and sales, bases the achievement of the company’s proft objectives on the satisfaction of customer needs and desires. Carlton McNamara (1972) described marketing as a management philosophy based on an orientation towards both consumer and proft. Although the pioneering contributions had been more ambitious, marketing – as “process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create and satisfy individual and organisational objectives” (American Marketing Association, 1985) – was long limited to the role of a functional area of the organisation, destined to manage the four levers – product, price, promotion and place – for successful positioning of the ofering system and the generation of customer satisfaction. In this perspective, the competitive advantage is based on the ability to satisfy the customer better than other companies, through positioning choices identifed on the basis of opportune processes of market segmentation. 1.2.1

The critical success factors to compete in complexity

Since its inception, marketing had been described as “a pervasive societal activity that goes considerably beyond the selling of tooth-paste, soap, and steel. [. . .] a great opportunity for marketing people to expand their thinking and to apply their skills to an increasingly interesting range of social activity” (Kotler and Levy, 1969, p. 10); however, it was in fact only after the profound economic and social changes occurring around the threshold of the new millennium that marketing was truly elevated to the level of a directorial and management philosophy, extending through the organisation and above all into the social sphere. The birth of the Internet economy, the growth of the service economy, the globalisation process afecting markets and companies, and above all profound changes in consumer behaviours, have drastically changed the sources of companies’ competitiveness. The difusion of information and communication technologies in particular has further widened the divisions of labour and profoundly changed the organisation of production, systems of value creation

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A strategy of stakeholder engagement

and competitive dynamics. The economy has become more volatile and mobile thanks to new geometries in fows of communication and relationships, rich with value creation processes (Evans and Wurster, 2000). The use of new Internet technologies has made it possible to reach a great multitude of users with a broad ofer of information, services and products. This promotes intermediation processes and the emergence of new ways of meeting between companies and intermediate and fnal customers, as well as the expansion of the cooperative and relational networks involved in value creation systems. Stakeholders have assumed an undisputed centrality in managerial choices and have determined a deep review of the basic principles of the organisation (Freeman, 1984), in particular of market orientation (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990; Narver and Slater, 1990). The new orientation is refected in decision-making processes based on customer centrality and the development of distinctive market-based competences in the identifcation and implementation of innovative ways of creating, transferring and communicating value for the customer and all stakeholders. New factors become critical for competitive success in the complexity of modern markets: the ability to involve stakeholders – intermediate and fnal customers, suppliers, all those with expectations of the company – in value creation processes; the development of networks as channels for the creation, distribution and promotion of stakeholder value; rapid identifcation of consumption trends and the so-called emergences; establishment and preservation of market relationships of loyalty, trust and fdelity; integration and emotional involvement of customers in creative and management processes; and the ability to learn from customers, competitors and social partners. 1.2.2

Consumption in postmodern society

The complex of postmodern societal changes has included drastic alterations in consumption patterns: a marked shift in favour of services, with an unprecedented abundance of products on ofer and radical changes in paradigms, involving immediate repercussions in forms of communication and sociality – from web marketing to social networks. Connectivity and interactivity draw the focus of value generation away from production and towards consumption, with the consequence that the economy progressively becomes “less tangible” (Rifkin, 2000); products have become containers of services and access to experiences, and production and consumption are no longer separated by clear boundaries; customers – increasingly informed, competent and demanding – have assumed new centrality in the processes of value creation (Napolitano et al., 2018). In the instability and disorder of the new millennium, consumption has gradually become more central to the economy than production. The forms of consumption combine the older economic dimension with new ones: experiential, aesthetic, tribal, ethical and sociocultural. Consumption is characterised by the centrality of emotional aspects, in particular the search for new forms of satisfaction and pleasure, for self-realisation and authenticity in experiences of

A strategy of stakeholder engagement

5

purchase and use, and for new forms of aggregation and sharing. Postmodern marketing attempts to respond to this centrality of emotional aspects, and sees the real challenge as the total involvement of the senses. According to Pine and Gilmore (1998), experiences are the fourth form of economic ofer, distinct from services as services are from commodities. When people buy a service, they buy a set of tangible assets made as an accompaniment, but when they buy an experience, they pay to spend their time enjoying a series of memorable events that the company organises. The experience results as a kind of “concert event,” rewarding the purchaser with direct engagement. In this perspective, “experiential marketing” bases the creation of value for customers on consumer experiences (Schmitt, 1999). Experience is understood as a privileged mode of dialogue with the consumer, aimed at establishing empathy and actively involving them in the processes of value creation. Company managers pursue strategies of diferentiation and unique positioning, intended to respond to individuals with value proposals of high experiential content, and in this way respond to the increasing saturation and massifcation of goods and services. The aesthetic value of products is also a fundamental component of the overall value perceived by the postmodern consumer. The value of beauty and the mobilisation of all the senses in the consumer experience are the main dimensions of “aesthetic marketing” (Schmitt and Simonson, 1997). The process of aestheticisation of everyday life through the search for beauty, in the design of consumer products as well as in the enjoyment of artistic and cultural goods and services, is one of the most widespread social trends in the new millennium. In addition to the centrality of emotional aspects and the involvement of the senses, the search for new forms of aggregation and sharing of experience and consumption is a further distinctive feature of postmodernity, on which “tribal marketing” is based. The latter is a new declination of marketing, capable of strengthening the value of marketing decisions and actions at three diferent levels: by evidencing the value of links and meanings in the aggregation of products, services and places; by developing bonds of afective trust based on the sense of belonging to a community; and by strengthening the social value of the brand and the company image (Cova and Cova, 2002). 1.2.3

From marketing to societing

The globalisation of the economy and society and the increased mobility of resources seem not to have hindered, but rather strengthened individual searches for social ties and roots and desires to live truer and more authentic lives. In modern scenarios of consumption, individuals increasingly aspire to take a more active role in value creation processes, to the extent of buying into companies. The neologism of “prosumer,” from the root words “producer” and “consumer” (Tofer, 1980), identifes the unity of the two roles and the concept of individual participation in production processes. The concept of the prosumer is defnitively acquired in marketing theory and practice. In the new scenarios,

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A strategy of stakeholder engagement

the ideal consumer in fact contributes their skills to the organisation (Carù and Cova, 2007). Such individuals are in search of authenticity, not only in their choices of goods or services, but above all in company behaviour (Cova and Cova, 2002). In the face of this trend, managers increasingly resort to strategies of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which further confrm the general view of the social role of companies. In the radically altered socio-economic context, even marketing is forced to revisit and evolve its functions within society, for purposes of embracing the mission of generating economic and social value for all company stakeholders. In this perspective, “societing” is able to change the direction of marketing, transforming it from a philosophy facing the market – in which consumers are analysed, targeted and conquered – to a philosophy accompanying the market, in which stakeholders participate in the entire process of value creation (Fabris, 2009). As afrmed by Arvidsson and Giordano (2013), societing, which is born from the new relational function performed by consumer goods and the capacity of the company to generate social and symbolic links through its supply system, concerns the company as a whole, aiming to promote lasting links with all stakeholders. In this way, it refects the new role assumed by the company, and the difused and social nature of the processes of value creation. The integration of societing allows marketing to renew itself and in fact situates it both beyond the market – in terms of its environmental and social relations – and alongside the market – in terms of its concerns with personal experiences and individual skills (Cova et al., 2007). For all of these reasons, marketing becomes essential to the organisation’s own culture (Schein, 1984) and ever more integrated with concepts of heritage (Napolitano et al., 2018).

1.3

Heritage: origins and evolution of the construct

The term “heritage,” codifed in the languages of all national economies, is rooted in the classical languages of ancient Europe and has long been elaborated by scholars of diferent disciplines. The roots can be traced to the Latin concept of heres, and from there to Old French heriter and “inheritance” – no longer limited just to property, but considering the entire set of conditions transmitted from predecessors and accumulated through time. What is gained strengthens not only the family and its specifc identity, but also the identities of territories, social groups and entire populations. The second conceptual root is that of “patrimony,” deriving from the union of two Latin terms pater (father) and munus (duty), literally the “duty of the fathers,” representing by extension all things that belong to the fathers and are thus left to the descendants. The etymological examination of the term evidences the strong links between heritage and both the individual and collective spheres, and above all the aspects of transition and transformation, identity, symbolism and emotion. This helps us understand the complexity of patrimony, meaning all that the past has transmitted to the present – as the set of material and immaterial

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7

resources that populations, social groups and individuals recognise in their history. “Inheritance” and “patrimony” assume importance to the extent that individuals or groups assess, inscribe and reinterpret these resources in their present. In this sense, heritage has a social meaning (Pearce, 1998a), and expresses the identity and sense of a territory and an organisation. As Gregory John Ashworth (1991) pointed out, heritage can have diferent meanings. Cultural properties, architectural works, culinary traditions and landscapes shape the heritage of a place only to the extent that the local community recognises their value and considers them as shared patrimony (Timothy and Boyd, 2007). In the same way, the fgures of the company founders and their families, of the people who over time achieved fame for the product or brand, the historic properties, the original processing techniques, and all else that can link with the past, represent the potential heritage of an organisation. These are all elements of its historic and cultural patrimony, which can increase the sense of belonging, the identifcation of the organisation’s members in its culture, and at the same time, satisfy the need for rarity and uniqueness felt by consumers (Napolitano et al., 2018). Over time, scholars, practitioners and institutions concerned with heritage have expanded the concept of heritage to extremely broad contexts. The frst international document ofering a defnition is the Venice Charter (1964). Jokilehto et al. (2005, pp. 17–18) summarise this so-called Magna Carta of the safeguard of heritage: Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people remain to the present day as living witnesses to their age-old traditions. People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to safeguard them for future generations is recognised. It is our duty to hand them on in the full richness of their authenticity. [. . .] The concept of an historic monument embraces not only the single architectural work but also the urban or rural setting in which is found the evidence of a particular civilisation, a signifcant development or an historic event. This applies not only to great works of art but also to more modest works of the past which have acquired cultural signifcance with the passing of time. Building on this perspective, UNESCO (1972), in the World Heritage Convention, adopted a defnition of cultural heritage that in addition to monuments included sites, i.e. the works of man or the combined works and areas of nature and man, and the areas, including archaeological sites, that have exceptional universal value from the points of view of history, art or science. A decade later, the World Conference on Cultural Policies promoted by UNESCO (1982) adopted a predominantly anthropological notion of cultural heritage, defning it as a complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional characteristics inherent to a society or a social group, as a set of both material and immaterial works expressing the life and social organisation

8

A strategy of stakeholder engagement

of groups and communities. Cultural heritage includes, therefore, the works of individual artists, architects, musicians, writers and scientists but also the group expressions of spirituality and value system that give meaning to community life, expressed in shared monuments, artworks, archives, libraries, historic places, literature, language, rites and beliefs. Stimulated by UNESCO, the United Nations then proclaimed the “World Decade for Cultural Development” (1988–1997), which further strengthened this broad conception, highlighting the role of cultural heritage as a source of identity for groups, communities and entire nations. 1.3.1

Cultural heritage as a source of shared identity

Despite the statements by global institutions and the numerous contributions found in the literature, the concept of cultural heritage still has no unitary, shared defnition (Loulanski, 2006; Rizzo and Throsby, 2006). As noted by Susan Pearce (1998b), the numerous theoretical and empirical contributions, characterised by diferent methodological approaches, aims and perspectives, mean that heritage lacks a focused disciplinary presence and correspondingly an agreed framework of reference and research. Heritage is seen as a source of identity for groups, communities, even entire nations, in particular as an opportunity for examining the past, for the capture of deeper and more real truths about current events. Heritage represents the way in which communities constitute themselves as collective actors, to represent the traces of their past. They interpret the testimonies of the past for current purposes, the main one being the identifcation of a shared identity. Most recently, the adoption of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in 2003 (UNESCO, 2003), testifed to the defnitive extension of the concept beyond that of “exceptional universal value.” Article 2.1 defnes intangible cultural heritage as the set of practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills – apart from the tools, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated with it – recognised by individual communities, groups and even individuals as part of their inheritance. Intangible heritage includes oral traditions and expressions, language as a vehicle for cultural heritage, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festivals, knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe, and traditional crafts. As one of the fathers of the economy of culture states (Throsby, 2007), cultural heritage is distinguished by its intimate association with a group, and is a capital with many of the same characteristics of economic capital: created by human activities, lasting for a period of time, subject to decay in the absence of maintenance, with the capacity for increase through investment, having fnancial value, and subject to purchase and sale. At the same time, however, it difers from economic capital in that it may be irreplaceable, and has social values that transcend its market value. It is a capital asset that incorporates, preserves and provides cultural value in addition to inherent economic values (Throsby, 2001),

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a capital inherited from past generations that above all has authentic social, historic and/or symbolic values. This makes clear the semantic development of the concept, and the holistic conception now shared (Loulanski, 2006). “Cultural heritage” is understood as a multifaceted and dynamic construct, and as an important component of territorial image and identity (Napolitano and Marino, 2016). As the scope of the concept broadens it acquires new values and gains broader infuence, as a resource with strategic character for economic and social growth and the development of identity. As Simon Anholt (2006) pointed out, the cultural aspect of the national image is irreplaceable and irreproducible because it is solely linked to the country itself. It reassures, because it links the country’s past with its present, and it edifes, because it demonstrates the spiritual and intellectual qualities of the people and institutions of the country. 1.3.2

Corporate heritage as an anchor in postmodernity

Although heritage has captured the interest of a growing number of scholars of business, the eforts at defning the content and boundaries of “corporate heritage” are still limited. Heritage has arrived in particular in studies on corporate longevity, where it is viewed as a potential source of competitive advantage for companies who can manage a strategic interpretation of a long and glorious past (Riviezzo et al., 2015). Corporate heritage is also described as a trait, or rather the set of institutional traits, which can contribute to the survival of the organisation, and ensure success in the present and important future opportunities (Balmer, 2013). The importance assumed by heritage both in academic debate and in managerial practice has coincided with growing attention to the temporal dimension of organisations, whose past seems to gradually become an essential element of marketing and communications (Burghausen and Balmer, 2014). The past of the company is in fact its solid foundation, on which the concepts and tools of heritage marketing are based, aimed at identifying a distinct and dynamic perspective of what has been, and which, when updated, can constructively infuence the organisation’s future. More specifcally, the resort to heritage, as a dimension of company identity based on its patrimony of values and beliefs, allows the development of new languages that can strengthen customer relationships, enriching them with emotion and empathy. Heritage is a whole with a strong emotional matrix, imbued with powerful interpretative, imaginary and identity dimensions (Stuart and Whetten, 1985), which intersect trends in the consumption behaviour of individuals in postmodern society: from the need to experience emotions to the search for oneself and one’s place in the world; from the need for authenticity to the forceful return to the past (Napolitano et al., 2018). In this sense, historic patrimony becomes a reservoir of meaning that responds to the increasing needs, experienced by contemporary organisations, to identify new opportunities for dialogue with consumers. As pointed out by John Balmer

10 A strategy of stakeholder engagement

(2011), heritage becomes increasingly important in the current atmosphere of destabilising change in competitive scenarios, serving as an anchor that “ofers certainty in a world of uncertainty” (p. 1383). And although intimately linked to history, heritage difers substantially: while history deals with the past, heritage is a timeless construct, linked to present and future as well as the past, making it the more relevant for contemporary activities and goals (Balmer, 2011). Scholars have devoted particular attention to the role of heritage in the construction of corporate identity (Burghausen and Balmer, 2014). John Balmer (2011), credited with originating the “corporate heritage identity” construct, stressed its specifcity with respect to the more general concept of organisational identity, and conceived of it in the plural. “Corporate heritage identities,” the scholar notes, represent a set of distinct facets of an organisation’s identity, a complex of indelible attributes that, combining past, present and future by virtue of their timelessness, can promote continuity and change. The identifying values contained in corporate heritage, combined with its opportunities of developing new languages for diferent target audiences, obligate managers and entrepreneurs to think, feel and act as custodians of their company’s cultural and historic patrimony, revising their roles in the perspective of “corporate heritage identity stewardship” (Burghausen and Balmer, 2015). Understanding heritage as an organisational phenomenon, and its potential as a strategic resource for business success, becomes more complex due to the existence of numerous corporate stakeholders, with diferent interests in the enhancement of the organisation’s patrimony and each perceiving a diferent whole. Hence, there is a need to probe the richness of the construct, integrating diferent theoretical domains and perspectives of analysis, in search of new ways to exploit the intangible heritage, which links past, present and future, and can enable the strengthening of relationships with stakeholders (Napolitano et al., 2018).

1.4

Heritage marketing: a new academic feld

The growing interest in the identity and relational value of corporate heritage has stimulated the development of diferent research paths in the managerial disciplines. Several concepts and dimensions have been identifed that could strengthen the role of heritage within the logic and tools of corporate management. “Memory” is seen as an organisational and communicative aspect that can facilitate the transition from “history” – an ofcial and objective reconstruction of past events – to “heritage,” through a path of discovery, activation and communication of the organisational patrimony (Wexler, 2002). It follows that having a history does not necessarily imply any advantage over competitors, while heritage becomes a valuable strategic resource for those companies capable of safeguarding and enhancing the contents bearing historical and cultural signifcance (Napolitano et al., 2018). As illustrated by John Balmer (2011), the present contains tangible and intangible elements inherited from the past, capable of provoking extremely varied

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11

impressions, reactions and attitudes, depending on the meanings attributed and the way in which the organisation uses the associated symbolic and cultural values. The individual engages in nostalgia: a search for happiness within the past, capable of providing a sense of security and belonging, an emotional bond. For the company, this can be ofered not only through what it represents today, but also through what it was in the past. To the company, nostalgia becomes a valuable tool, a source of positive associations with a past era, which can be leveraged to diferentiate products and brands. In this line of thinking, heritage becomes a specifc attribute of brand identity, positioning it in premises of historic continuity and connections between past, present and future. The role of marketing emerges strongly, uniting with heritage in celebration of the organisation’s past through the lens of the present. In the current studies focused on corporate heritage identity (Balmer, 2011, 2013), heritage marketing is seen as an elective choice of companies aiming to enhance their history and shared values, for purposes of generating a sense of belonging in the consumer and creating a lasting emotional bond (Misiura, 2006), for strengthening ties with external stakeholders and building feelings of solidarity with internal stakeholders, and for motivating employees to spread the organisational culture and substantiate the company’s identity. The historic patrimony inherited by the company becomes a guarantee of solidity and credibility towards all internal and external publics, activated frst of all from the possibilities inherent in its “narrativisation” (Burghausen and Balmer, 2014; Riviezzo et al., 2016; Napolitano et al., 2018; Garofano et al., 2020). In the perspective adopted in this book, heritage marketing therefore returns to the organisation’s historic and cultural patrimony and the identity contained within, and responds to its search for innovative paths towards stakeholder dialogue. Heritage marketing strategies ofer opportunities for successful diferentiation, open perspectives of action to meet the needs and desires of customers, and more generally, serve in developing long-term links with all stakeholders. Heritage marketing becomes both a management philosophy and process, supported by a valuable toolkit, serving in rediscovery of the organisation’s historic patrimony and in the participation of internal and external stakeholders in its cultural, emotional and symbolic values (Napolitano et al., 2018). As we will see in the following chapters, companies can use the process of narrative development to rediscover their organisational identify and culture, to retrace the path and experiences that have made their ofer of products or services unique. The process of narrative discovery and storytelling becomes a strategic key. The history of the company becomes a factor of diferentiation and a source of competitive advantage, along with a powerful tool for public engagement. The point of view of the present volume is that through exploring the repositories of its material and immaterial legacies the organisation can appropriate new ways of reading the present and of looking to the future. Given these premises, and with the aim of better understanding the potential ofered by heritage for creation of economic and social value, we adopt a dual analytical perspective: externally, focused on heritage marketing as a managerial

12 A strategy of stakeholder engagement

process able to afrm and strengthen the company’s uniqueness in the eyes of increasingly demanding customers and interlocutors; internally, focused on heritage marketing as a process aimed at building and strengthening the organisational identity, based on the development of its past experiences, inherent in all of its present, and able to drive the future. In the next two chapters we will frst build on this dual perspective, and then more deeply explore the management process of the heritage marketing strategy. In the fourth and fnal chapter, we propose a classifcation of the main operational tools to support this strategy, emerging from our analysis of 20 Italian companies, selected in view of their substantial commitments to enhancing their own heritage.

Note 1 Cfr. “heritage,” at www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/.

References American Marketing Association (1985), “AMA board approves new marketing defnition”, Marketing News, 19: 1. Anholt, S. (2006), Competitive Identity: The New Brand Management for Nations, Cities and Regions, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Arvidsson, A., Giordano, A. (2013), Societing Reloaded: pubblici produttivi e innovazione sociale, Milano: Egea. Ashworth, G.J. (1991), Heritage Planning: Conservation as the Management of Urban Chang, Groningen: Geo Pers. Balmer, J.M.T. (2011), “Corporate heritage identities, corporate heritage brands and the multiple heritage identities of the British Monarchy”, European Journal of Marketing, 45, 9/10: 1380–98. Balmer, J.M.T. (2013), “Corporate heritage, corporate heritage marketing, and total corporate heritage communications”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 18, 3: 290–326. Burghausen, M., Balmer, J.M.T. (2014), “Repertoires of the corporate past: Explanation and framework. Introducing an integrated and dynamic perspective”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19, 4: 384–402. Burghausen, M., Balmer, J.M.T. (2015), “Corporate heritage identity stewardship: A corporate marketing perspective”, European Journal of Marketing, 49, 1/2: 22–61. Carù, A., Cova, B. (Eds.) (2007), Consuming Experience, Abingdon: Routledge. Cova, B., Cova, V. (2002), “Tribal marketing”, European Journal of Marketing, 36, 5–6: 595–620. Cova, B., Giordano, A., Pallera, M. (2007), Marketing non convenzionale. Viral, guerrilla, tribal e i 10 principi fondamentali del marketing postmoderno, Milano: Il Sole 24 Ore. Drucker, P.F. (1954), The Practice of Management, New York: Harper&Row. Evans, P., Wurster, T.S. (2000), Blown to Bits: How the New Economics of Information Transforms Strategy, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Fabris, G. (2009), Societing. Il marketing nella società postmoderna, Milano: Egea. Freeman, R.E. (1984), Stategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Boston: Pitman. Garofano, A., Riviezzo, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2020), “Una storia, tanti modi di raccontarla. Una nuova proposta di defnizione dell’heritage marketing mix”/“One story, so many

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ways to narrate it. A new proposal for the defnition of the heritage marketing mix”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, Supplementi 10, 2020: 125–46. Jokilehto, J., Cleere, H., Denyer, S., Petzet, M. (2005), The World Heritage List: Filling the Gaps – An Action Plan for the Future, München: ICOMOS. Kohli, A.K., Jaworski, B.J. (1990), “Market orientation: The construct, research proposition and managerial implications”, Journal of Marketing, 54, 4: 1–18. Kotler, P., Levy, S.J. (1969), “Broadening the concept of marketing”, Journal of Marketing, 33, 1: 10–15. Loulanski, T. (2006), “Revising the concept for cultural heritage: The argument for a functional approach”, International Journal of Cultural Property, 13, 2: 207–33. McNamara, C.P. (1972), “The present status of the marketing concept”, Journal of Marketing, 36, 1: 50–57. Misiura, S. (2006), Heritage Marketing, Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Napolitano, M.R., Marino, V. (Eds.) (2016), Cultural heritage e made in Italy. Casi ed esperienze di marketing internazionale, Napoli: Editoriale Scientifca. Napolitano, M.R., Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A. (2018), Heritage Marketing. Come aprire lo scrigno e trovare un tesoro, Napoli: Editoriale Scientifca. Narver, J.C., Slater, S.F. (1990), “The efect of market orientation on business proftability”, Journal of Marketing, 54, 4: 20–35. Pearce, S.M. (1998a), “The construction of heritage: The domestic context and its implications”, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 4, 2: 86–102. Pearce, S.M. (1998b), “The construction and analysis of the cultural heritage: Some thoughts”, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 4, 1: 1–9. Pine, B.J., Gilmore, J.H. (1998), “Welcome to the experience economy”, Harvard Business Review, 76: 97–105. Rifkin, J. (2000), The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism, New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2016), “‘Il tempo è lo specchio dell’eternità’. Strategie e strumenti di heritage marketing nelle imprese longeve italiane”/“‘Time is the mirror of eternity’. Heritage marketing strategies and tools In Italian long-lived frms”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, 13: 497–523. Riviezzo, A., Skippari, M., Garofano, A. (2015), “Who wants to live forever: Exploring 30 years of research on business longevity”, Business History, 57, 7: 970–87. Rizzo, I., Throsby, D. (2006), “Cultural heritage: Economic analysis and public policy”, Handbook of the Economics of Art and Culture, 1: 983–1016. Schein, E.H. (1984), “Coming to a new awareness of organizational culture”, Sloan Management Review, 25, 2: 3–16. Schmitt, B. (1999), “Experiential marketing”, Journal of Marketing Management, 15, 1–3: 53–67. Schmitt, B., Simonson, A. (1997), Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity, and Image, New York: Free Press. Stuart, A., Whetten, D.A. (1985), “Organizational identity”, Research in Organizational Behavior, 7: 263–95. Throsby, D. (2001), Economics and Culture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Throsby, D. (2007), “Regional aspects of heritage economics: Analytical and policy issues”, Australasian Journal of Regional Studies, 13, 1: 21–30. Timothy, D.J., Boyd, S.W. (2007), Heritage e turismo, Milano: Hoepli. Tofer, A. (1980), The Third Wave, New York: Morrow. UNESCO. (1972), Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by the General Conference at its seventeenth session, Paris, 16th November 1972.

14 A strategy of stakeholder engagement UNESCO. (1982), World Conference on Cultural Policies, 2nd, Mexico City, 1982: Final Report, Paris: UNESCO. UNESCO. (2003), Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted by the General Conference at its thirty-second session, Paris, 29th September–17th October 2003. Urde, M., Greyser, S.A., Balmer, J.M.T. (2007), “Corporate brands with a heritage”, Journal of Brand Management, 15, 1: 4–19. Venice Charter. (1964), International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, approved at the Second International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historical Monuments, Venice, 25th–31th May 1964. Wexler, M.N. (2002), “Organizational memory and intellectual capital”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 3, 4: 393–414.

2

Heritage marketing A dual analytical perspective

2.1

Introduction

Heritage marketing involves the managerial process of discovering, activating and communicating the company’s historic patrimony and value system. When designed with strategic care, such process can provide efective responses to the radical and rapidly changing socio-economic challenges faced by both companies and consumers. Beginning from its heritage assets the company applies a research and decision-making process for identifcation and development of its core elements, and so diferentiates itself from others. The company gains new abilities to respond to the needs and desires of individuals, themselves faced with the complexities and instabilities of the new millennium, and opens up perspectives for action that afrm the uniqueness of products and services in the eyes of increasingly demanding customers and stakeholders (Napolitano et al., 2018). Companies are moving towards strategies aimed at creating economic and social value, capable of integrating economic and income objectives with social and environmental ones. The success of these strategies depends on the involvement of multiple stakeholders in the decision-making processes (Freeman, 1984). In the logic of creating shared value (Porter and Kramer, 2006, 2011), the company connects business success to social progress, using diferent means to ofer value to an increasingly wide and non-traditional range of stakeholders. The afrmation of socially responsible business practices generates new means of dialoguing with stakeholders, aimed at the creation of shared values: new conceptions of products and markets, but above all, new models of value creation centred on social aims, innovation and productivity. Companies systematically pursue sophisticated engagement strategies, aimed at strengthening their reputation and trust with core audiences, at development of collaborative relationships and shared responsibilities, at expansion of strategic capabilities, and at increasing internal practices of innovation and learning (Andriof et al., 2002). The investments in social responsibility develop organisational identity, engage processes fundamental to development of a shared corporate culture, and consolidate the company reputation. It is precisely in relation to the broad system of stakeholders that heritage marketing reveals the breadth of its horizons, still not fully explored. Heritage

16 A dual analytical perspective

marketing is an encompassing strategy, capable of producing new languages for involving external stakeholders and internal staf, managers and owners. The history of the organisation is the foundation of its identity and culture, and provides the core structure for processes of stakeholder engagement and social responsibility. Starting from these general considerations, and continuing from our previous contributions (Napolitano et  al., 2018), this chapter advances two analytical perspectives on heritage marketing: the external one, focused on the creation of market links, and the internal one, focused on building and strengthening the organisational identity and culture. In the fnal paragraph, this chapter highlights the role and the power of organisational narrative and storytelling in such process of stakeholder engagement.

2.2

Heritage marketing as response to new market challenges

The search for new forms of satisfaction, self-realisation, pleasure and entertainment, the centrality of emotional aspects, the recovery of the past and the demand for authenticity, the need for new forms of aggregation and sharing, and the trend towards ethical considerations in choice are the main dimensions characterising consumption in the postmodern economy. As we will see, these aspects relate closely to the distinctive features of successful heritage marketing strategies. The brand cultural–historic patrimony serves as a relational fulcrum for customers in search of authentic emotional connections, and permits numerous and various forms of integration with diferent communities, fully realised in the company’s own rediscovery of the past. Heritage marketing is based on the company’s entire experience and is aimed above all at further developing its identity. The corporate patrimony is exploited as the foundation for constructing broad strategies centred on the power of experiences, authenticity, sharing and personal involvement through imagination and stimulation of self-realisation (Napolitano et al., 2018). 2.2.1

The experiential and aesthetic dimensions

As explained by Schmitt (1999), “experiential marketing” responds to the current phenomena of weakening causal links between need and consumption and the corresponding development of values obtained directly from the consumption experience. Experiential marketing recognises the emergence of the hedonistic spirit, the pursuit of well-being, pleasure and sensory satisfaction, and the growing importance of emotions in consumption. It responds to the higher cognitive capacities of the consumer, drawing them into the processes of creation and redistribution of values (Pine and Gilmore, 1998). It enables the consumer to participate in the co-creation of value, within personal environments that present a multitude of other potential co-creation experiences (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004).

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17

In the postmodern economy, individuals no longer buy products or services, but rather meanings and symbolic results related to personal values. Shopping becomes an experience and markets become “places of conversation” where the consumer seeks emotions and experiential stimuli. Consumption is seen as an opportunity for personal and subjective experiences, sought within environments ofering multitudes of relational stimuli. In the economy of experiences, consumption ofers the attainment of value through totality of the senses (Fabris, 2009). In this context, products then compete within emotional and relational spheres, where their success depends on the linked ofer of suggestions and sensory contents that engage both hearts and minds. The infltration of experience in the consumption scenario demands that companies now consider “individuals” rather than “the market.” Although richly informed, they operate in “hyper-choice” environments, as nomads in search of themselves within a globally uncertain context. Within this, they seek and communicate their identity through choices in consumption. Experiences thus ofer added value to the presentation of products and services, and promote a multitude of customer and stakeholder reactions through company interactions (Lasalle and Britton, 2003). Companies use their products and services as the context for engaging the individual emotionally, intellectually and socially, opening a multitude of paths to value creation. As Pine and Gilmore (1998) argue, the company can “ing the thing” for any good or service – selling a car becomes the sale of a “driving experience,” literature becomes a “reading experience,” even a chair can be a “sitting experience,” and purchases in general become shopping experiences. The corporate task is, above all, to develop the brand and position it within this general semiotic universe so that it serves as a generator of sensations (Fabris, 2009). Although there is broad acceptance of the centrality of the emotional aspects in consumption, postmodern marketing is still experimenting in how to attain total involvement of the senses. Alongside sight and hearing, goods and services must somehow also engage the senses of taste, smell and touch (Fabris, 2009). “Aesthetic marketing” mobilises all the senses in consumer experiences, communicating the dimension of beauty (Schmitt and Simonson, 1997). Beauty becomes a factor of choice, and facilitated by the senses, contributes to the consumer experience. Companies defne and enrich their brand identity and develop quality in their goods and services through the provision of aesthetic experiences. The aestheticisation of daily life erases the boundaries between art and life, and aesthetics become a source of consumer sense and meaning (Featherstone, 1991). Given this overall postmodern consumer context, it becomes clear that the company can use its heritage as an identifying dimension. The organisation can develop its patrimony of knowledge, skills, values and beliefs in ways that involve the totality of the client’s senses, favour emotions and the discovery of personal ties, stimulate cognitive processes, permit self-realisation, and promote immersion and participation. Heritage marketing draws on the entirety of the company’s experiences, including the full history of products and services.

18 A dual analytical perspective

Because of this, it authentically stimulates the senses and the imagination, and can serve as the foundation in developing broadly experiential strategies. The company leverages the stories and images of its heritage, stimulating individuals to join in new relations, to participate in the creation and implementation of new directions. Individuals are drawn into the “collective fairy tale” of the history of the company, its personages, traditions of production, values and principles. The participatory and relational manner of the communication promotes feelings of security amidst global confusion, and generates sensations of belonging and bonding with the brand and products (Carù and Cova, 2007). As Pine and Gilmore have noted (1998), the growing demand for experiences favours the underlying products and services that are indeed capable of providing them. In the economy of experiences, companies must produce goods that generate reassurance, satisfy nostalgia and actively involve the consumer in creative processes, linking their personal consumption story to those of others and drawing them into the greater corporate narrative. One consumer’s personal story interrelates with those of other consumers, and all of these intertwine with the continuing story of the company and its products (Garofano et al., 2020). As we will see in subsequent chapters, the company can select among many potential tools for the development of its own “heritage marketing mix.” It uses these tools to create and communicate contents bearing symbolic and experiential values, capable of inspiring trust and empathy in the diferent stakeholder groups. Heritage builds relationships based on the distinctive character of the brand and products, conveyed through diferent vehicles of communication. The company analyses and “banks” its cultural–historic patrimony, using it to develop an ofer of heritage-based experiences that enrich customer relationships with emotion, empathy and sociality. The key element in the construction of the heritage-based experience is the reference to this patrimony, and the main lines of action in the heritage marketing strategy are those centred on the creation and sharing of experiences: through storytelling about the fundamental events in the company’s life, through the products and brands themselves, using websites, social media, videos and monographs, as well as through places – historic buildings, museums, archives, home territories – and through the celebration of organisational milestones. 2.2.2

The tribal dimension and the search for authenticity

The postmodern economy is characterised not only by the drive towards individualism, but also by the development of new forms of social living: “tribes” and entire economic communities are being born and continue to evolve (Fabris, 2009). The members of the new “open social aggregations” originate from multiple territories, adhere to diferent groups in the same moment, and can accumulate in vast numbers. Such informal groups share strong feelings and emotional experiences, but are also typically subject to high turnover. As Michel Mafesoli pointed out (1988), these aggregations take hold when individuals searching new forms of personal expression encounter new opportunities

A dual analytical perspective

19

for sociality. The double goal of “personally socialised” expression is realised through consumption, which is the engine of the individual’s construction of identity (Cova and Cova, 2002). Tribes can originate and consolidate in the experience of consumption related to a specifc company, and then continue to evolve through opportunities of interpersonal contact and social aggregation. The stronger the corporate brand, the better it can serve as a relational platform for development of open aggregations: these become meeting places for consumption, but more importantly for individuals who share inspirations, opinions and beliefs. Companies can exploit the tribal dimension by developing marketing strategies that both the brand identity and support sociocultural bonding. Individuals search product and brands for opportunities of encounter, in which they can share values, emotions and feelings. Marketing actions are thus directed at the construction, development and consolidation of bonds that unite the individuals around shared passions. The company ofers the meeting platform and the products and accessory services that build the brand and expand the culture among participants. Tribal marketing serves to interlink the brand, products and services, and so opens new horizons and innovative perspectives for value creation. Individuals respond to economic and social globalisation with a reactive search for rootedness and territorial identity. The sense of emptiness or overload in contemporary life leads to nostalgic searches for authenticity and traditional values. Individuals fnd the answers to these searches in retrofashions and in new products that stimulate the recall of personal memories, or more substantially in companies and products that retain and revive local cultures, ofer the rediscovery of authentic traditions, and reference localised events and places. Empirical data confrm that consumers seek originality, genuineness and authenticity of products and services, while rejecting cloned products, counterfeits and false promises. They maintain their distance from products that have lost contact with their places of origin and heritage, that no longer have natural connotations linked to a genius loci. The withdrawal from “unauthentic” products can also include negative ethical judgements (Fabris, 2009). From this overall context we can see that corporate heritage ofers a strategic basis for response to the demands and judgements of individuals as they search for identity and sociality. Heritage marketing aids in the development of ofers that involve the senses, touch the heart and stimulate the mind, and creates pleasant opportunities for socialisation and self-realisation. Companies that also base their research and development of products and services in the company history will be able to successfully ofer the related values of authenticity, transparency, integrity and ethics, and so construct truly rewarding experiences (Amatori, 2008). One of the trends in postmodern consumption is the “impetuous return of the past” (Fabris, 2009). The recreation and reissue of historic vehicles provide examples of successful response: the Fiat 500, Mini, New Beetle and Jeep Gladiator, for example. These historically branded products, revisited in new

20 A dual analytical perspective

technological forms, respond to modern lifestyle needs while still retaining long-standing emotions and connotations of sociality. Organic farming and businesses based on regional traditions of food and drink succeed through similar strategies: these again convey hedonistic, experiential connotations and ofer a socialising aspect. “Retromarketing” refers to a particular socio-experiential strategy of value ofers in nostalgia, and in identifcation with places and times (Brown, 2001). Through the revival of cult brands and products, retromarketing aims to construct, strengthen and develop tribal links between individuals, places, stories and objects (Cova and Cova, 2002). The focus of the retrobranding strategy is the nostalgia efect, pursued through associations with a specifc era. The implementing actions involve the revival and/or constant revision of historic brands and icons in a manner providing interrelation with contemporary consumer needs and tastes (Brown et al., 2003; Cova and Cova, 2002). Heritage becomes a strategic basis for the development of brand identity, a resource enabling privileged dialogues with the postmodern consumer, so that they can satisfy their truly existent needs and desires. In a later chapter we will see that one of the ways of accomplishing this is through welcoming them to the company’s physical places. Companies in wide-ranging sectors and with different competitive positioning have found that they can engage with customers and stakeholders not only at points of sale, but also very efectively in specifcally developed museums, in the original factories, headquarters and workshops, or even in the residences of founding families and workers. Through these places the company can ofer immersive experiences that contribute to feelings of participation and of sharing in long-standing cultures. Historic collections and specifcally created museums or archives become precious places for welcoming people. Through these facilities the company gains moments of focused stakeholder attention. They assemble people in a place where they can hear and share in memories and gain entry into traditions specifc to the one company. Equal or greater to the places of the physical world, there are also the virtual Internet and social media “places,” which we have all seen can gather massive assemblies: here the frontiers of interactive heritage storytelling are still opening up and remain largely unexplored. 2.2.3

The ethical dimension of consumption

Companies are increasingly developing strategies of CSR in response to demands for authenticity, transparency and integrity, and due to ethical considerations on both the consumer and entrepreneurial sides. CSR responds to the economic, legal and ethical expectations of society (Carroll, 1979) and ofers the company strategic levers for increased competitiveness (Porter and Kramer, 2006). Taking a CSR orientation, companies are able to position products and services distinctly in the market, strengthening their reputation, and consolidate customer trust. The company incorporates ethics and sustainability in a strategy of choices, which are made following coherently structured paths and involve internal and external sharing (Fabris, 2009). The decision-making

A dual analytical perspective

21

process improves both internal coherence and external communications, and so enhances the economic and fnancial performances. The implementation of the choices is managed through multiple steps, both internal and external to the organisation – from adhering to codes of ethics and seeking environmental certifcations, to developing internal human resources and external stakeholder involvement. In this context, marketing becomes a strategic support – a process of coordinated, coherent and shared actions aimed not only at economic or business results, but frst of all at satisfaction of ethical responsibilities. Marketing enters into the overall company role, described as “societing,” or ensuring “the widespread social nature of the value creation processes [. . .] The company must ‘make itself society’: it must truly contribute to the process of collective value creation, working together with its stakeholders for an objective common good” (Arvidsson and Giordano, 2013).1 From these comments, we can begin to understand how the design of the heritage marketing strategy must contribute to the aims of ethical marketing, and more in general to CSR. In the coming sections we will also see how heritage marketing is ideally suited to these aims, owing to its basis in the history of productive traditions, in specifc localities and communities, and in the entrepreneurs and workers who have brought the company forward through time. Managers and entrepreneurs are increasingly attending to the dimension of authenticity – in products and services themselves, but also in the producer’s intentions, where authenticity is equally expected (Cova and Cova, 2002). Heritage marketing is not solely an appeal to nostalgia, but rather an expression of deeply authentic respect for the past – of rediscovery, maintenance and further development of economically and socially meaningful traditions. As Gilmore and Pine (2007) stress in Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want, the investment in these critical success factors supports the ofer of products and services with truly distinctive identity. Heritage marketing creates visibility for the authentic traits of an organisation’s past, for its inheritance of values, traditions and knowledge. The search for authenticity and meaning is fulflled not only on the consumption side, but also on the corporate side of the relationship. The example of terroir for wine illustrates the particular efect of linking products and brands with the culture of the past, with timeless source materials and with local origins (Riviezzo et al., 2017). The continuous examination and development of brand history serve not only in constructing authentic consumer experiences, but also in exploration of social and ethical concepts on the part of the company, together with its stakeholders. The evocation of history is valid when it demonstrates the true continuity of production traditions, originality of the product itself, sourcing of raw materials, and the knowledge, skills and crafts applied in the production processes. The tools used in support of heritage marketing strategies derive from true organisational “biographies” (Czarniawska, 2004), from the company’s actual physical places, its original packaging and advertising materials, images and

22 A dual analytical perspective

drawings, the flms and videos produced over the years, and the brand image itself. The company’s documentary and audiovisual archives, collections of original machinery and oral histories provide the authentic basis for dissemination of the business memory in beneft of present and future generations (Niebuhr Eulenberg, 1984). The entire heritage marketing strategy must be designed to preserve, enhance and transmit the true entrepreneurial culture and the social values of the business activities. The actions using these tools strengthen the corporate image among the various stakeholders and can enhance the cultural and economic heritage of the entire territory of origin. In later sections we will see how the 20 companies examined have been particularly successful in developing their heritage not only for their internal resources, but in a manner that also considers the socio-economic beneft of their larger communities of operation.

2.3

Heritage marketing as afrmation of organisational identity and culture

The postmodern frm faces the challenges of involving stakeholders in decisionmaking processes, implementing economic and social value creation processes, and seeking out the values and knowledge that defne an organisational culture and identity. These three areas – of stakeholder engagement, shared value creation, and the strategic use of the organisation’s memory and history – are also the hallmarks of a successful heritage marketing strategy. Companies that enter in heritage-based strategies do so because they perceive the organisational history frstly as essential in understanding their present realities, and secondly as key to their future directions (Napolitano et al., 2018). For these companies, it is the past that reveals the organisational raison d’être, identity and culture, and so supports the identifcation of directions in value creation and external relations. 2.3.1

History and memory: sourced in the past

Scholars have long understood that memory and history are delicately interwoven, yet still distinct. Although the two identifying terms arise from a common matrix they superimpose only partially. According to Pierre Nora (1989, p. 8), “memory is life, borne by living societies founded in its name. [. . .] History, on the other hand, is the reconstruction, always problematic and incomplete, of what is no longer. Memory is a perpetually actual phenomenon, a bond tying us to the eternal present; history is a representation of the past.” Memory is subject to a constant dialectic of recollection and forgetfulness, and so continuously evolves. It is elaborated and staged in symbolic places or “lieux de mémoire,” and in events, celebrations and all occasions designed to re-read the past in function of the present. History and memory are therefore “tools” operating through (re)possession, sourced in the past and serving to build the future. They allow us to look at times gone by and use these views to build a series of representations that reconstruct the meanings for our present. When the reconstruction develops

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from a shared past then memory serves as a process of social construction. Both memory and history go beyond the faithful photography of events, instead reorganising the information, loading it with a symbolic value, evoking membership in a specifc group and attaining continuity for the collective identity. In the specifc case of heritage marketing, the research and writing of history renders visible the often hidden traces of the corporate past, revealing inherited values, traditions and knowledge, and revisiting the places of the company’s memory, often forgotten even by key organisational members. In adopting the heritage lens, the company activates memory as a strategic resource, evoking the past to (re)construct a contemporary identity, and developing that identity for the future together with the company’s internal stakeholders (Martino, 2013). Memory therefore plays a vital role in the defnition and protection of the corporate identity, ensuring its consistency and continuity through time. The company’s heritage assets are thus resources of high strategic value. 2.3.2

From past to future: culture and identity

The organisation develops and retains awareness of its past experience through theoretical refection and empirical research. The knowledge of these experiences, properly balanced with openness to change and innovation, is key to facing future challenges. Empirical research shows that organisational members tend to reinterpret their past in the light of desired and expected futures (Gioia et al., 2002). For the company, the aim is that its member individuals capture the links between past events and present in vivid and applicable forms. The cognitive processes are infuenced by the organisational culture, meaning the perceptual processes and behaviours of the whole and its members. Organisational culture is a set of powerful and often unconscious forces that determine individual and collective behaviour and modes of perception. Culture is shared thought patterns and values, assimilated throughout company history and elaborated at diferent levels (Schein, 1984). As Edgar Schein (1984) suggests, the culture of a particular frm is best grasped and expressed by thinking of the organisation from a historical perspective, and identifying the values, beliefs and assumptions learned together over time. The organisational values are the idealisation of successful collective experiences in the exercise of a competence, and as the emotional transfguration of the accumulated experiences (Gagliardi, 1995). These contribute to the company identity, guide management behaviour and choices, form the basis for distinctive positioning, and suggest the essential promises to diverse stakeholders. Closely associated with culture, the company’s identity is what distinguishes it, makes it unique and verifable to external audiences, and makes it diferent from all competitors. The organisational identity arises from the subset of cultural beliefs, values and objectives that meet specifc criteria of centrality, distinctiveness and durability (Stuart and Whetten, 1985). The values that defne an identity are thus the ones central to the nature and life of the very

24 A dual analytical perspective

organisation. These serve as the starting point for building relations with the outside world. They distinguish the organisation from others, and remain constant through time. A cohesive and shared identity is a source of competitive advantage, because it improves the company’s image and consolidates its reputation, promotes internal cohesion, increases staf motivation, generates trust, and serves in generating lasting relationships with stakeholders (Melewar, 2008). From this reasoning we can see that heritage marketing, due to its process of exploration, recovery and reference to the past, is strategic in defning and conveying the corporate culture (Schein, 1984). Heritage marketing is indeed not only directed externally, but is also essential to the delicate process of identity building among internal stakeholders, enabling them to understand the meaning of their activities as part of the one organisation. The “corporate heritage identity” is the set of indelible attributes that unite past, present and future of the organisation, and it serves in promoting both continuity and change (Balmer, 2011).

2.4

The power of narrative in constructing organisational identity

Narration is a powerful tool, endowing events with names and meanings. The narrative process is the crucible for the formation of identities, the way of both knowing the organisation internally and communicating it externally (Czarniawska, 2004). Organisational narratives occur in three ways: as remembered and known tales of the feld, through collecting and documenting new stories in the feld, and fnally through the creation of stories, taking an interpretative approach (Van Maanen, 1988). Managerial studies have more thoroughly consolidated the conceptions of the frst two forms, while the third – which conceptualises organisational life as the creation of a story (Czarniawska, 2004) – gains increasing importance in the case of heritage marketing strategies. The collection of stories is highly useful in understanding an organisation’s sociality. In the anthropological and ethnographical approaches, the collected stories are examined as distinctive elements of the organisational culture. Business stories are “instrumental rationalisations of the past” that provide an explanation of organisational events and serve in claiming collective uniqueness (Martin et al., 1983). The stories are an expression of organisational culture, transmitting values and behavioural patterns, and generating and refecting organisational changes. As Karl Weick (1995) suggests, stories postulate a rational organisational history and ofer behavioural guidance. They are crucial for “sense-making,” meaning the processes of understanding and creating meaning in the face of the current context. They enable analysis, interpretation, and even activation of the environments of contemporary complex events, and so are essential to the frameworks for corporate decision-making. The stories transmit shared values and experiences that provide powerful energies in support of sense-making and orientation of choices. As highlighted by Wilkins (1984), stories facilitate

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the recall to memory, not just of events and specifc information, but of entire values and principles; they also tend to generate shared beliefs; furthermore, they appeal to personally held senses of legitimacy and in doing so stimulate commitment. A good narrative can retrieve personal experiences, share and transmit values, and construct meaning. Ultimately, it can develop understanding of the traits characterising the corporate culture, increase sharing of the most signifcant organisational principles, and support ongoing assessments of needs and processes. Telling stories is therefore an active component in the construction of meaning, not just a passive restitution of what happened (Czarniawska, 2010). As Karl Weick (1995) reminds us, organisations are the result of individuals operating in interactive sense-making and learning dynamics. In this context, stories serve in developing retrospectives, constructing identity, and enacting environments of sense that are continuously responsive to social contexts. They are successful in this because they focus on messages both plausible in the current moment and accurate with respect to the past (Weick, 1995). Indeed, all storytelling is inevitably based in the past, applying memory and history in the manner discussed in previous sections. As we will see in more detail in our case studies, heritage-based narrative processes are central to overall corporate strategies, because they imbue the organisation’s aims and objectives with emotions, values and experiences, capable of motivating and involving the internal and external stakeholders in the company project. The storytelling process opens up and shares the process of identity development, founded in the past. Drawing on memory and history, the company develops diferent forms and methods of storytelling, designed to stimulate understanding and interrelation between stakeholders, consumers and the company, including in the collective dimension of consumption (Carù and Cova, 2007). All of these results serve to advance brand image and performance. In our analyses of 20 Italian companies we fnd that all of them take a strategic approach to narrating virtuous storylines – constantly applying a mix of tools and actions that go far beyond any casual or sporadic level – and that this is the key to successful heritage marketing, preventing the company’s memory from receding into oblivion and instead capitalising on it in research and development of new directions.

Note 1 Translated from the original in Italian, pp. 11, 16.

References Amatori, F. (2008), La storia d’impresa come professione, Venezia: Marsilio Editori. Andriof, J., Waddock, S., Rahman, S.S. (Eds.) (2002), Unfolding Stakeholder Thinking: Theory, Responsibility and Engagement, London: Greenleaf Publishing. Arvidsson, A., Giordano, A. (2013), Societing Reloaded: pubblici produttivi e innovazione sociale, Milano: Egea.

26 A dual analytical perspective Balmer, J.M.T. (2011), “Corporate heritage identities, corporate heritage brands and the multiple heritage identities of the British Monarchy”, European Journal of Marketing, 45, 9/10: 1380–98. Brown, S. (2001), Marketing: The Retro Revolution, London: Sage Publishing. Brown, S., Kozinets, R.V., Sherry Jr, J.F. (2003), “Teaching old brands new tricks: Retro branding and the revival of brand meaning”, Journal of Marketing, 67, 3: 19–33. Carroll, A.B. (1979), “A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance”, Academy of Management Review, 4, 4: 497–505. Carù, A., Cova, B. (Eds.) (2007), Consuming Experience, Abingdon: Routledge. Cova, B., Cova, V. (2002), “Tribal marketing”, European Journal of Marketing, 36, 5–6: 595–620. Czarniawska, B. (2004), Narratives in Social Science Research, London: Sage Publishing. Czarniawska, B. (2010), “The uses of narratology in social and policy studies”, Critical Policy Studies, 4, 1: 58–76. Fabris, G. (2009), Societing. Il marketing nella società postmoderna, Milano: Egea. Featherstone, M. (1991), Consumer Culture & Postmodernism, London: Sage Publishing. Freeman, R.E. (1984), Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Boston: Pitman. Gagliardi, P. (1995), Le Imprese come culture: nuove prospettive di analisi organizzativa, Torino: UTET Libreria. Garofano, A., Riviezzo, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2020), “Una storia, tanti modi di raccontarla. Una nuova proposta di defnizione dell’heritage marketing mix”/“One story, so many ways to narrate it. A new proposal for the defnition of the heritage marketing mix”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, Supplementi 10, 2020: 125–46. Gilmore, J.H., Pine, B.J. (2007), Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want, Brighton: Harvard Business Press. Gioia, D.A., Corley, K.G., Fabbri, T. (2002), “Revising the past (while thinking in the future perfect tense)”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15, 6: 622–35. Lasalle, D., Britton, T.A. (2003), Priceless: Turning Ordinary Products into Extraordinary Experiences, Brighton: Harvard Business Press. Mafesoli, M. (1988), The Time of the Tribes: The Decline of Individualism in Mass Society, London: Sage Publishing. Martin, J., Feldman, M.S., Hatch, M.J., Sitkin, S.B. (1983), “The uniqueness paradox in organizational stories”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, 3: 438–53. Martino, V. (2013), Dalle storie alla storia d’impresa. Memoria, comunicazione, heritage, Acireale: Bonanno Editore. Melewar, T.C. (Ed.) (2008), Facets of Corporate Identity, Communication and Reputation, Abingdon: Routledge. Napolitano, M.R., Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A. (2018), Heritage Marketing. Come aprire lo scrigno e trovare un tesoro, Napoli: Editoriale Scientifca. Niebuhr Eulenberg, J. (1984), “The corporate archives: Management tool and historical resource”, The Public Historian, 6, 1: 20–37. Nora, P. (1989), “Between memory and history: Les lieux de mémoire”, Representations, 26: 7–24. Pine, B.J., Gilmore, J.H. (1998), “Welcome to the experience economy”, Harvard Business Review, 76: 97–105. Porter, M.E., Kramer, M.R. (2006), “The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility”, Harvard Business Review, 84, 12: 78–92. Porter, M.E., Kramer, M.R. (2011), “Creating shared value”, Harvard Business Review, 89, 1–2: 62–77. Prahalad, C.K., Ramaswamy, V. (2004), The Future of Competition. Co-Creating Unique Value with Customers, Brighton: Harvard Business School Press.

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Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A., Granata, J., Kakavand, S. (2017), “Using terroir to exploit local identity and cultural heritage in marketing strategies: An exploratory study among Italian and French wine producers”, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 13, 2: 136–49. Schein, E.H. (1984), “Coming to a new awareness of organizational culture”, Sloan Management Review, 25, 2: 3–16. Schmitt, B. (1999), “Experiential marketing”, Journal of Marketing Management,  15, 1–3: 53–67. Schmitt, B., Simonson, A. (1997), Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity, and Image, New York: Free Press. Stuart, A., Whetten, D.A. (1985), “Organizational identity”, Research in Organizational Behavior, 7: 263–95. Van Maanen, J. (1988), Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography, Chicago: University of Chicago. Weick, K.E. (1995), Sensemaking in Organizations, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publishing. Wilkins, A.L. (1984), “The creation of company cultures: The role of stories and human resource systems”, Human Resource Management, 23, 1: 41–60.

3

3.1

The strategic process of heritage marketing

Introduction

As we have seen, heritage marketing leverages the symbolic and emotional elements within the organisational past, and using the power of storytelling, conveys its culture and identity to the diferent stakeholders, and the experiences and events that have made its brands and products unique. To achieve these results the organisation must invest consciously in the enhancement of its historic and cultural patrimony, elevating it to a strategic asset. In this way the concept of heritage takes on an extremely dynamic meaning: the past is interpreted in an evolutionary perspective, looking to the future. Although all companies and all brands have a history – more or less long – it is necessary to strategically enhance their path to be able to boast a heritage (Urde et al., 2007; Riviezzo et al., 2016; Napolitano et al., 2018; Garofano et al., 2020). Indeed, even the most recently formed companies and brands have a background of experiences that can serve in the enhancement of their competitive position. However, the passage from experience to heritage strategy is not a given, not spontaneous, but instead requires refection and then carefully thought-out action. Without determined and planned investment, their cultural–historic patrimony remains a latent asset, unable to produce its full fruits. In this chapter we explain heritage marketing from a process view, as an integrated set of activities starting from a stage of analysing the potentials with respect to the stakeholders and ending in the choice of tools that can communicate the historic and cultural patrimony. The whole process serves in developing heritage as a key component of identity, positioning and future directions. The managerial process is complex, both at the strategic and operational levels, and requires heterogeneous and specialised skills that may not be fully available within the organisation. The methods typical to business management and marketing must be enriched with those deriving from other disciplines. Archival operations, for example, are indispensable in rediscovering, maintaining and exploiting the company’s heritage resources, for purposes of building the narrative system and in working towards new directions (Napolitano et al., 2018).

The strategic process of heritage marketing

29

Heritage marketing should therefore be understood as a social and managerial process, of medium to long term, integrated with the company’s wider competitive and marketing strategy. A narrow operational interpretation, limited to the sphere of commonly used communication tools, will not be functional. The organisations that achieve true value from their past experiences do so not by simply adding a timeline to the corporate website, or opting for retrobranding, or even opening a museum or publishing a company biography, valid as each of these actions might be. Instead, it is the identifcation of an overall vision and the development of a strategic design behind such actions that makes the diference. When designed in consideration of the specifc internal and external stakeholders, the project will achieve relationships of empathy, trust and complete identifcation and so achieve broad returns on the investments. The objective of this chapter is to draw out and illustrate the strategic process of heritage marketing in terms of four main phases, using the case studies of 20 historic Italian companies. We divide the overall process into phases as an analytical aid in extracting and understanding a complex of activities. In reality each company carries out the process uniquely, in relation to their specifc context and not necessarily in the order indicated. The process is iterative in nature, never the same, making it difcult to “crystallise” in terms of individual phases. However, we believe that the schematisation we ofer serves well in refecting the scope and implications of the many activities involved in heritage marketing.

3.2

The heritage marketing process

Our analysis of heritage marketing serves to identify the organisational behaviours involved in rediscovering, deepening and enhancing the system of corporate values, skills and experiences that are at the basis of identity, around which to build a distinctive position. We apply a strategic perspective, which we believe should be useful to other scholars attempting to model the process, and to entrepreneurs and managers engaged in planning and implementation. In the light of our investigation of 20 companies, we propose a model for the development and implementation of the heritage marketing strategy (Figure 3.1) consisting of four procedural phases: •

Auditing – In-depth analysis of the company’s identity, for purposes of evaluating the potential elements of the narrative system and selecting those with the greatest symbolic value for conveyance of the heritage patrimony to the various stakeholders. The analysis is conducted from the perspective of the stakeholders, whose perceptions of the company’s history, reliability, skills and brands, and the distinctive characteristics of its products and services, are themselves key potential elements for enhancement through the marketing strategy.

30 The strategic process of heritage marketing

•

•

•

Visioning – Elaboration of a shared vision of the role for the organisational heritage within the overall competitive and marketing strategy and for construction of the public identity. Once the vision is defned then the company can begin to the precise and quantifable objectives, including identifcation of the specifc target audiences and the relative narratives. Managing – Development of the managerial, organisational and fnancial aspects of the strategy. This phase requires the involvement of internal and external actors in the processes of surveying and reassembling the material and immaterial traces of the organisation’s experience (objects, documents, images, multimedia, frst-person accounts, memories, etc.). The strategy must identify the organisational structure that will best protect and enhance the collected material. Finally, it must identify the set of “narrative” tools (heritage marketing mix) for activation of the strategy, consistent with the objectives and target audiences. Controlling – Monitoring of results in relation to the objectives. This requires identifcation of a system of key performance indicators – quantitative, fnancial, and relational – making it possible to observe the efectiveness of the actions taken and plan any corrective actions where the results are unsatisfactory or misaligned in relation to the objectives.

As mentioned, the breakdown of the strategic processes into phases serves for modelling purposes. In our observation of the 20 companies we see that the steps of analysing the heritage identity and cataloguing and organising the resources often overlap, and at the same time condition the visioning phase. In some cases, the process has gotten under way because of an initial decision to recount a narrative on the occasion of an important anniversary, for example through publication of a company biography. The tasks of identifying, gathering and organising all the materials necessary for reconstructing the history then lead to a realisation of the underlying potentials – the vision – and so stimulate a return to more strategic analysis. The company then takes a more global approach to heritage development, pursuing specifc lines of stakeholder communication and using a broad mix of tools.

Auditing

Visioning

Managing

•Identi˘ication of heritage factors

•De˘inition of narrative obejctives

•Scrutiny of evidence from the past

•Stakeholder analysis

•Identi˘ication of target audience

•Coordinated management of the heritage marketing mix

Figure 3.1 The phases of the heritage marketing process

Controlling

•Evaluation of results, using a system of indicators •Planning of corrective actions

The strategic process of heritage marketing

31

The following subsections provide an in-depth exploration of the four phases of the heritage marketing process.

3.3

Auditing: identifying the main narrative themes

The strategic process of heritage marketing starts with a preliminary survey of data and information on the organisational experiences, leading to identifcation of the elements with core value, around which to build the narrative system. The aim of the research is to explore the foundations of the company or brand identity: the historic and cultural development, value system, distinctive skills, and characteristics of the products and services that have achieved its past and current successes. The analysis aims at identifying all the conditions that have marked development in the past, and which could contribute to determining present and future success. The systematic identifcation and assessment of the heritage compositional factors and potentials (Urde et al., 2007) leads to the identifcation of the main heritage themes, and serves in individual elements that can support the design of engaging narratives (Martino, 2013). Looking at the narratives used by the 20 companies we investigated, we can observe a typology of elements with substantial evocative power. Longevity is undoubtedly one of the most frequently cited aspects. As noted by Maurizio Marinella, CEO of the company E. Marinella, a symbol of Neapolitan tailoring tradition and Italian style in the world, in an era like the present one in which “the world is thirsty for stories, when you start telling 100 years of history you’re almost assured to win the customer over, both heart and mind.” Similarly, Mario Pelino, President of Confetti Pelino, one of the oldest confectionery companies operating internationally, noted: “Whoever doesn’t have a story creates one. It’s clear that those who have one, like us, use it! [. . .] Our packages are headed to the shelves in mass retail trade, but they’re labelled to show more than two hundred years of history [. . .] That’s our main marketing.” The marketing manager for Strega Alberti, with its world-famous liqueur and confectionery products, ofered similar observations: “Our competitive advantage lies in our history. We’ve been making our liqueurs for 150 years and it’s obvious that’s the frst thing we communicate.” Many of the companies add stories of their long and constant faith to the intrinsic characteristics of their original products and services, processing techniques, craftsmanship and traditions, identifying this loyalty as part of their core values. For example, Strega Alberti defnes itself as “an artisanal operation, a family tradition, handed down and continuously renewed” whose products “are the result of passion, meticulous attention to detail, ancient industries and careful selection of raw materials.” This is a company where, six generations later, ownership and management remain frmly in the hands of the same family. Through all this time, the production techniques and raw materials, even some of the machinery, are still those used at the origins. The marketing manager

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emphasises the traditions in regards to quality: “None of us ever wanted to change the process. All the generations always cared about ofering a healthy, quality product, but a lot of companies didn’t remain true to that. Our company always aims to ofer the same high quality, maintain high standards.” Similarly, according to the company president: “We start from raw organic materials. We don’t use any added favourings or preparations, we don’t use colorants, we don’t use preservatives. Our product is made the way it always was and that’s how it should always be made.” To maintain the same production processes the company has also had to maintain its internal human resources and skills at levels which would be extremely difcult for any new company to develop. In fact, some employees are now from the third family generation, still with the Strega Alberti. The company communicates the idea of the secret recipe for Strega liqueur as an almost mystical symbol of respect for tradition, jealously guarded by the family since 1860, the year in which the founder Giuseppe Alberti invented the herbal product. The core theme proposed by Fratelli Branca Distillerie is similar. Here too, the Fernet-Branca product has been made since 1845, according to a secret formula still known only to the current president, a member of the ffth family generation. In other cases, the companies link the authenticity of their product to its origins in the traditions of a specifc territory. Returning to the example of Confetti Pelino, the narrative places heavy emphasis on the identifcation of the product with its place of origin, in Sulmona, a small city in the relatively isolated region of Abruzzo. The company describes the locality as the homeland of the confectionary speciality of confetti, given that the documentary evidence for production dates to 1492. By the early 19th century there were at least 20 confetti shops operating in the community, and Sulmona was surrounded by the almond groves producing the raw material at the heart of the confection. Few of these businesses now survive, and of these Pelino is certainly the best known. Pelino boasts its complete respect of the ancient confectionary processes, “using only pure sugar, without starch,” and the fact that it carries these out without ever having fully industrialised. A visit to the factory confrms the narrative proposed: the operations still use the 19th century boilers and the same kinds of craft tools that have always served in preparation of the sugared almonds. The Filippo Catarzi, Poli Distillerie, Ascione and Albergian companies also aim to exploit their core territorial heritage. The story of the Filippo Catarzi company speaks to the history of an entire Italian region, and within this to a particular cluster of communities. The production of articles in straw was known throughout the Italian peninsula since antiquity; however, beginning in about the 14th century the production of straw hats was concentrated in Tuscany, with a particular focus at the town of Signa, very near Florence. The craft industry grew dramatically in the 18th century. A particular advance was the identifcation of a type of wheat and a process of cultivation, no longer for the grain, but rather for straw of a colour

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and fexibility particularly suited to processing. This, together with the skills of the local craftsmen and women, permitted a quality of hat production “like nowhere else,” and resulted as an engine of development for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. At the end of the 19th century, over 100,000 individuals were employed in a vast and ramifed economic sector, by now of semi-industrial character, making a signifcant contribution to Italian exports. The Catarzi company recounts this entire narrative, stressing that its own company has always been one of the greatest expressions of these local economic traditions and remains as one of a very few survivors. The company, handed down through the generations, celebrated its frst hundred years in 2010. It chooses to place the authenticity of its products at the centre of its narrative, expressing the craftsmanship of the territory where it has always operated. The strategy of Poli Distillerie is to express themselves not only as custodians of the Schiavon family business, but of the entire tradition of the exclusively Italian distillate of grappa, concentrated in the Veneto region of the country. The frst part of the story is that of the wandering individual grappaiolo, carrying his still behind him. From this ancient artisanal tradition, the family progressed through repeated innovations of new distilling equipment, cleverly adapting the ancient techniques to larger volumes while still maintaining the purity of the product. The narration also recounts the role of the company within the surrounding community as a main employer and economic stalwart, even in moments of severe retraction and sufering. The intention is not only to demonstrate their own family and entrepreneurial history, but to use their story to lend prestige to Italian grappa distilling in general, building relations with a broader group of stakeholders. By promoting the specifc sector of artisanal distilling, they reveal their own company as one of the greatest leaders. The Ascione family company originated over 160 years ago in Torre del Greco, on the Bay of Naples. As early as the 1400s, the “corralers” composing part of the local fshing industry began to push into other harvesting areas of Italy and the larger Mediterranean. They carried the material back to their home village for processing into jewellery. Such was the importance of the Torre del Greco coral industry that by the mid-1700s, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon would refer to the locality as the “golden sponge” of his kingdom. The Ascione company was a particular innovator in the areas of design, semiindustrialisation, and marketing and commercialisation, emerging as one of the best-known frms at the international level. The modern company recounts this tradition as fundamental to its core identity. The narrative always discusses not only the history of the company, but of the region, the industry in general, the town of Torre del Greco and the nearby city of Naples. Perhaps a still stronger example of local tradition in narration is ofered by Albergian, the food company founded in a mountain locality of Piedmont: still there 100 years later, and still producing regional specialities with “the homemade taste.” The company selects only natural ingredients from the Piedmontese valleys, and pursues only artisanal methods in preparing what has grown into an extensive range of products. The company extols its philosophy

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of scrupulous attention to the quality of materials and deep respect for nature. The selection of supplies only from local farms, the strict observance of the seasonality of production, and the processing of ingredients within 48 hours of harvesting, are fxed points of the company storyboard. According to the company president, “We basically make very simple products, everything that until a few years ago would have been done by a home producer . . . If we didn’t value this in our operations and presentation, we’d just be one of many.” In other cases, rather than the territorial roots, the analytical phase of the strategic process reveals the company’s long history of innovation, constantly responding to diferent historic contexts, and identifes this as key to the corporate identity and culture. In efect, the company promotes its “tradition of innovation” (Riviezzo et al., 2015). This is the case for Pirelli: this company, one of the earliest Italian-based multinationals, “broke the mould” from the very beginning, given the founder’s vision of investing in the sector of rubber – completely unknown in Italy and still new at the global level. Initially producing just a few types of objects for industrial applications, the company soon exploited the versatility of the material in continuous processes of innovating new products – toys, raincoats, swimwear, gas masks, rubber fooring and carpets, surgical materials, gloves, shoe soles, boots, erasers, tennis balls, soccer balls, diving masks, hot water bags and many others. The innovation with truly decisive consequences was that of rubber-insulated telegraphic cables, a sector pioneered by Pirelli amongst a few international competitors. Having entered the international level, the company then began a story of radical technological advances, soon becoming a global leader in electrical cables, then in tires. The revolutionary innovativeness of its products has been the key to success of the company. The company recognises all this narrative as core to its identity and exploits it as a main theme for the entire multinational group. The emphasis is not on innovation per se, but on innovation that somehow relates to what has gone before. According to the corporate reputation ofcer: “We draw regularly on our archives to show how all our new products continuously relate to existing ones, how they always apply all of our accumulated know-how. Each introduction is related as another advancement, demonstrating our core of innovation.” Communications “must always be consistent with the past, show how the diferent products resonate with our past.” The Fondazione Banco di Napoli narrates heritage itself as its core identity, intertwined with themes of innovation. The storytelling system promotes the glorious social role and revolutionary fnancial functions of the Banco di Napoli, for centuries one of the main credit institutions of southern Italy. The foundation itself is now independently incorporated as the body responsible for the preservation of the historical archives Archivio Storico del Banco di Napoli, and otherwise pursues exclusively social aims. The main narrative theme is thus the exaltation of the bank’s exceptional historic and cultural patrimony, and the involvement of the original institution in the birth and development of the entire modern banking system. The foundation president describes the

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archives as a “treasure chest of memory. Our holdings bear witness to how modern banking activity, founded on paper currency and securities, was born in Naples towards the end of the 15th century. The frst document of banking relying on paper currency originated with the Banco dell’Annunziata in 1463. That bank went on to become part of the Banco di Napoli . . . and that date is nine years before 1472, the famous founding date long claimed by Monte dei Paschi di Siena as making it the oldest bank in the world. After we brought this document to light, Monte dei Paschi had to change its tag line – to only ‘banking since 1472’.” Fabbri and Guzzini are other companies presenting narratives that claim a pioneering identity, a history of ingenuity and entrepreneurial skills that go beyond the sectoral norms. Fabbri describes itself as a global success in Italian confectionery, with a history of innovating new products that have then led to development of entire market sectors. Among other innovations the company launched cremolato, in the years immediately following World War II. A cremolato is a semi-fnished gelato, complete with fruit, favours and dairy content, that transforms into the fnal product with the addition of milk. The company backed the launch of these new products with a campaign of educating master ice-cream makers in using them to produce the fnished artisanal products. This created a niche market in which the company is still the undisputed global leader. The company management also recounts their historic marketing campaigns, contributing “to the recognition of gelato as a true food product, and no longer as a sugar treat or ‘extra,’ used as a reward for children.” The company repeats the stories of these innovations and communications as core elements of a broader narrative. As the CEO pointed out, “We were the inventors of what came to be called semi-fnished products for ice cream and pastry making. We cannot fail to take this into account, cannot fail to communicate it to our customers – because we believe that what makes all of our products is this combination of innovation and experience.” Through several generations, the Guzzini family has nurtured a vision of innovation and beauty as the heart of the company’s identity and growth. The truth of this identity is testifed by a history of constant engagement in research, development, and collaboration with designers and architects active on the international scene. The company was founded as a simple workshop for production in ox horn, an ancient tradition limited to a small Italian territory. In less than 30 years the founders had shifted into production in completely new materials, in particular methyl methacrylate polymer, commonly known as Plexiglas. Acrylic polymers had been used in a few aeronautical applications but Guzzini was one of the frst to experiment with new applications, and certainly the frst to use the material in the production of household objects. The company narrative goes on to describe a history of uninterrupted innovation, not only in design and production, but also in areas of ethics and social responsibility. These aspects were expressed very early in the “Design Memorandum” promoted by Fratelli Guzzini in 1987, aimed at raising the awareness of theorists

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and practitioners on the theme of industrial ethics as an essential condition of development. The premise of the document, signed by the design associations of diferent countries reads: “The environment is unique and one. Men have the moral responsibility for the efects that their actions produce on the environment.” The Guzzini narrative continues to claim the values as standards that mark the development of all its group companies. Another narrative approach with strong evocative power is the exaltation of an “iconic product,” representing a total break with previous traditions, and charged with values and emotions that provide an ideal of company identity. The Vespa, of Piaggio Group, provides an excellent example. Around the world, the simple word Vespa is already enough to conjure up visions of freedom and a carefree life: of movie stars in unforgettable scenes, of the Italian dolce vita, of times in the post-war boom economy, of the freewheeling British mod scene of the 1970s. The message in Italy is particularly profound. Although a few scooters had existed previously, they remained cumbersome, unattractive, impractical and commercially unsuccessful. The Vespa, now nearly 80 years old, was a uniquely new invention. Moreover, it was developed immediately following the nightmare of World War II, and was instrumental in regaining freedom of movement for millions of citizens. Piaggio had existed since the late 19th century, gradually growing into one of the country’s biggest corporations in the areas of rail carriage and shipbuilding, even more so in development and manufacturing of aircraft. With their factories destroyed and at a time of almost total despair, the Piaggio family seized on innovation, deploying their remaining professional skills and fnancial resources for the launch of an entirely new product. Through great difculty, the company emerged in the new postwar economy as one of the great leaders. The Vespa is thus associated with the intensely personal history of countless Italian families. No single object better represents a long period of happier national history. Obviously, Piaggio is not just the “buzz” of a Vespa, nor is the communication of the scooter done to emphasise only “fun.” The Italian group also has other iconic brands, and for all of these it also emphasises practicality, reliability and technical innovation, such as with the Ape, the three-wheeled mini-truck and taxi, widely used in Europe and Asia. Besides these there are the Gilera brand, acquired in 1969, and those of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi: all historic champions in the world of motorcycles, competing at global level, and always with a vision of profound tradition and continuous technical innovation. But it is inevitable that in designing the group’s narrative as a whole, much revolves around the Vespa: enhancing this particular element of historic patrimony means emphasising the spontaneity, freedom, quality of innovative engineering, and Italian style associated with that product, for the entire group and its future. Fabbri ofers a similar case. In the 1920s, this company launched what would become the company’s iconic product, a cherry fruit preserve identifed by the slogan “the amarena with fruit.” The preserves were inspired by a recipe from Gennaro Fabbri’s wife – the now legendary Rachele. The product was initially packed in glass demijohns, but very soon the Fabbris commissioned a ceramic

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artist from the nearby city of Bologna for the design of a new container. The ceramic jar, similar to the Coca Cola bottle on the American scene, resulted as functional, stylish and immediately recognisable, but also reusable as a practical container. In this manner it remained in the household, permanently conveying feelings of trust, reliability and quality – the same ones that are core to the family’s business vision. Although Amarena Fabbri is the company’s oldest, best known, symbolic product, the heritage narrative centred on this product incorporates more than the one element. As we saw with the example of the cremolato, this is the same company that also pursues “innovation” as a key narrative element. In this regard, the CEO noted: “We produce a thousand three hundred diferent products, so it’s not useful just to tell the story of Amarena. At the same time no one would listen to the story of a thousand products, so we have to do this through the story of the company as a whole. That’s why we include innovation aspects, but always taking inspiration from the iconic product. It’s not the protagonist of our story, but it is the mentor, the companion, the reference point, the inspirer of much more.” Among the 20 companies examined, another element used to centre the narration is often the image of the founder or the entrepreneurial family. In the case of Tela Umbra, the entire narrative system revolves around the fgures of the founders, Alice Hallgarten and Leopoldo Franchetti, united by love but also by a true spirit of social solidarity, leading them to serve as the protagonists in a unique page in the history of the town of Città di Castello and of the entire region of Umbria. The story recounts the miraculous meeting between Baron Franchetti, deputy and later senator of the Kingdom of Italy, and the youthful Alice, born in New York to a wealthy Jewish-German family. After their marriage, the two united resources, ideas and energy to enact practical contributions towards development of a just society. Their own story is intertwined with that of Maria Montessori, Alice’s friend. The intertwining story of all of these personages incorporates more fundamental messages of the role of the women’s cooperative in promoting the wellbeing of the local community, and of preserving an entire tradition of fne decorative arts. The memory of the visionary founding couple thus provides a compelling and constructive core element for the narrative, extending into other parts of the organisational identity. Guzzini takes the approach of narrating the entrepreneurial family, rather than specifc individuals. In this case, the success story undoubtedly has some peculiarities: not only are there the features of entrepreneurial vigour, the drive to remain at the forefront, to anticipate times and market trends, which we see in other companies, but also the story of the family’s continuous investments in entirely new activities and business areas. This narrative theme is rendered possible in part because of the tranquillity in relationships, contrasting with those of some other companies where deeper research reveals that over time there were discords and divisions between family members. Instead, the successive generations of Guzzinis have shared a unity of intent and views, jointly implemented through informal and formal agreements. The family grew over time, but the diferent members were supported in undertaking innovative new directions,

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enabling both continuity of the core business and entrepreneurial freedom to all the members. Some continued in the main company, others preferred to set of in new directions, establishing more or less independent businesses. The mapping of all the entrepreneurial initiatives through time and family relations is complex. The heart of the group is Fratelli Guzzini, or Guzzini Brothers, the 1940s successor to the original company, founded in 1912 by the father, Enrico Guzzini. This core company specialises in the design and production of quality household articles, particularly in acrylic. In 1958, six of the grandchildren founded Guzzini Illuminazione, at frst making lighting fxtures in acrylic, then growing to an international operation in the design of complex lighting systems for entire architectural and construction projects. In 1972, members of the fourth generation founded Teuco, operating in the manufacture of whirlpool tubs and shower cabins. In the 1980s, three of the core families founded an equal number of allied holding companies. Each of these led to the founding of further sub-companies and to diversifcation by family members into new business areas. Teuco was eventually sold to a German investor; however, all the companies continue to cooperate, maintaining autonomy and covering diferent market sectors, and all sharing the heritage of the innovative use of materials. From the Guzzini case, we see that the overall company narrative can develop core threads, potentially relating to diferent stakeholders. The brief stories recounted thus illustrate how the Guzzini identity involves a spirit of “free cooperation,” the commitment to design with beauty and to innovation, particularly in the use of materials but also in areas of social responsibility. Another frequent element in the 20 company narratives is the inclusion of a well-known external person, whose fame evokes specifc connotations in regards to the product or service. A good example is Fratelli Branca Distillerie. The most-cited anecdote for this company concerns Brancamenta, a “revolutionary” mint-based digestive introduced in 1965. The story goes that opera singer Maria Callas would ask for a standard Fernet-Branca with ice and fresh mint before her concerts. In her expert opinion, the chill cooled her throat, the mint served as a disinfectant, and the myrrh of the Fernet relaxed the diaphragm, all of this contributing to her famous performances. It was this information that stimulated the study and development of the drink “with a shiver of pleasure,” which immediately met with fan appreciation. Also common is the citation of prestigious awards and recognitions received through the company’s history. This is the case for both Strega Alberti and Ascione, each citing their appointments as ofcial suppliers to the royal houses of Europe, and for Martini & Rossi, selected as a supplier to the Emperor of Japan in 1922. Numerous companies systematically identify the awards received in international competitions and exhibitions. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, manufacturers of all kinds continuously exploited the great expositions and trade fairs as precious occasions for public recognition. These events, and the accompanying awards, were also moments for the further development of distribution networks. The

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frms still their long ago citations and medals as a source of pride and identity. The case of Confetti Pelino is illustrative: the company tells how it holds not only 48 grand prizes and gold medals awarded in the exhibitions of past centuries, but a further 18 of more recent years, up to the Gold Taste Award received in London in 2012. The references to these awards contribute to the external brand image, but also the internal identity, particularly as concern’s the company’s, determined drives for quality and marketing success. As noted, the aim of auditing phase is to identify the heritage elements with core value to the company, and which could serve as the main themes in leveraging a narrative that involves the stakeholders (Napolitano and Riviezzo, 2019). The auditing must identify objective, externally verifable data, but also subjective aspects that could relate to diferent stakeholder perceptions. The aim is not simply to identify archival documents or objects that would reconstruct and certify the main historic stages, leading to a sterile chronology of facts. The deeper aim is to analyse the personal experiences and perceptions expressed by ownership, management, historic partners, other key fgures and the broader societal audiences. Each internal historic event must be evaluated for its importance and signifcance in the eyes of the various stakeholders (Urde et al., 2007; Napolitano et al., 2018). The audit must identify the most appreciated characteristics of its products/services, based on historic and contemporary evaluations and on the opinions of its current customers and intermediaries. Using our case studies, we have already developed a modest typology of diferent kinds of core elements that can be communicated through heritage marketing: longevity; faithfulness to original techniques, craftsmanship and traditions; associations with a particular territory or community; a history of innovation; the role of the company towards in general socio-economic advancement; the pioneering of production sectors; individual iconic products; the image of the founder or family; associations with famous personages; awards and citations. These are just examples of the kinds of elements that have to be evaluated for their potential weight in the organisation’s current internal dynamics and in the collective imagination of the stakeholder groups. It is essential that the auditing phase includes planned opportunities for listening to the main stakeholders, prior to formulation and implementation of the heritage marketing strategy. The listening process detects the ideas, feelings, emotions and attitudes of the potential narrative targets, and reveals the strengths and weaknesses to be managed in the next phase of formulation. Only after this crucial analysis is it possible to lay out a shared, feasible and coherent path, focused on the stakeholders’ perceptions of elements that distinguish the organisational experience. The aim of this frst step in the heritage marketing process is to identify core heritage elements with diferent potentials for exploitation. The audit assesses the presence of more or less evocative and symbolic elements, which could possibly represent the organisational identity. However, as noted by Urde et al. (2007, p. 8), “having a heritage does not in itself create value, only the opportunity to do so.” The next phase is thus to activate a conscious path of

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protection, extraction and enlightened management of these elements, transforming the simple facts of the heritage into real assets, actively using for the creation of value.

3.4

Visioning: defning narrative targets and objectives

The company must not only audit the past, but also continue its constant process of assessing contemporary strengths, weaknesses, challenges and risks. The strategic approach to heritage management requires refection on the future, for identifcation of compatible actions and projects. Only under these conditions, and after having identifed the elements with the greatest evocative and symbolic power in terms of its organisational identity, can the company take the next steps towards formulation of the strategy: defning a shared vision of the role for heritage within the wider strategic management process, and specifcally in construction of the public image. As discussed in the previous chapters, heritage serves as a relational platform facilitating engagement processes and creation and strengthening of links with all the organisation’s internal and external stakeholders. The company can engage its cultural–historic patrimony on diferent communicative levels: choosing between communication concerning the brand, the organisation or its products, and aiming at internal or external stakeholders. First then, the company must identify the intended levels for exploiting this relational potential, somewhere on a continuum between two extremes: heritage as an essential and unique component of the entire identity, to be conveyed to all potential recipients, using multiple objectives and tools; heritage serving in the communication of specifc values with only a few stakeholder categories, through tightly focused objectives and tools. The defnition of the heritage vision, thus, also involves identifcation of the specifc target audiences and the related strategic objectives. The company must identify to whom it will be telling its stories, and why: the narrative function and the deep motivations of the appeal (Urde et al., 2007; Burghausen and Balmer, 2014; Napolitano et al., 2018). The company, for example, could exploit its heritage with the specifc aim of connecting to the local and regional stakeholders. The company’s communications would aim at creating and managing the public image and community reputation, crediting its legitimacy as an integral part of the sociocultural and economic fabric. In all the cases investigated where one of the main narrative elements concerns the traditions of the home territory, the company is also pursuing these kinds of objectives of social, cultural and economic legitimation. For Tela Umbra, the narrative recounts the socio-economic initiative of the young Alice Hallgarten, who dreamed of recovering the authentic expression of Umbrian craft traditions in the service of disadvantaged families, and in particular the women of local communities. The patrimony in discussion is the Umbrian loom, or tela, and the weavings produced from this device. The production of characteristic cloths, meticulously worked in white and blue

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indigo, is documented from at least the 11th and 12th centuries. By the 14th and 15th centuries, the production had achieved remarkable socio-commercial status and difusion throughout Europe, appearing even in the works of great Renaissance painters. However, by the time of Hallgarten, the Umbrian craft tradition had virtually disappeared in the aftermath of the industrial revolution and its mechanical looms, while rural populations stagnated in situations of abject poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy. The formation of the Tela Umbra women’s cooperative snatched the renaissance art from defnitive loss, protected its cultural and economic values for the local and regional communities, and transmitted these to the subsequent generations. All of these aims and functions are still represented in the current women’s cooperative and its corporate activities. The communication of this story plays frst of all to the stakeholders of the local community and government, then to the institutions of the Italian region of Umbria, and from there to the larger audience and market. Filippo Catarzi, the fashion hatmaker, also chooses to emphasise its role as a bastion of craftsmanship, rediscovering and preserving the skills rooted in regional traditions, and communicating these through worldwide marketing. In doing so, the company aims not only to enhance its own legacy, but to extend the gains to the entire community. Once again, we see a narrative with aspects of regional legitimation. The managing director says: “Our company holds the Certifcate of Master Craftsmanship issued by the Italian Artisanal Federation. Also the Florence Chamber of Commerce recognises our activity as one of ‘high traditional artistic value’, handed down from generation to generation. Our view is that these kinds of recognitions show us an exemplary model to other companies. We’re active in promoting craft traditions, and with other companies in supporting the entire enterprise tradition of our region.” Confetti Pelino, Poli Distillerie, Ascione and Albergian also have heritage strategies that include a component of social legitimation and responsibility. In some cases, the company has identifed this as the clearly dominant objective under the heritage vision. Among the group of 20 investigated companies, this is the case for the two fnancial sector institutions: Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni and Fondazione Banco di Napoli. The directorate of Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, the largest Italian mutual insurance society, promotes the memory of its role in crucial economic and social events, not only for the region of Piedmont but in the progress of the entire state. The company was active in the movements that led to the formation of the modern nation, supported war eforts and returning veterans, and acted in post-war recoveries. The continuous investment in the enhancement of the company heritage leverages these values with the community and with stakeholders at large. From the outset in the 19th century, the company has embodied a model of aggregation, solidarity and sharing, extending beyond the members of the mutual society, particularly in moments of need. The company pursues its founding values of responsibility, integrity, innovation, cohesion and centrality of the person, and uses its heritage to communicate these. The company also cites this heritage in regards to the internal

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stakeholders of its line management and staf, in particular as a historic stimulus towards favourable labour relations. Similarly, the heritage vision of Fondazione Banco di Napoli is to assert its values of social responsibility in respect of the Neapolitan region and all of southern Italy. In exploring its own history, the foundation communicates the centrality and relevance of the entire southern Italian region, recalling facts, events, episodes and experiences over the course of almost fve centuries. The intention is to communicate the identity of bank and its foundation, intertwined with that of the community. The director of the Historical Archives comments: “We would like the city and visitors, both virtual and real, to realise the immense heritage of knowledge we represent. Our own history, in banking, becomes social history.” As discussed in the previous chapter, heritage can promote socialisation with the company and identifcation with its culture on the part of the internal stakeholders – employees, managers and various agents. Internal heritage communication can be used to pursue diferent objectives, with diferent audiences at diferent times. For example, the communication of the organisation’s experience can be used with new hires, to generate a sense of pride and prestige during induction and initial training, with long-term employees, to improve motivation and retention of human resources, and with potential employees, to increase recruiting capacity. The companies examined illustrate the potentials for supporting objectives of afrmation and transmission of organisational culture and values. Pirelli operates a week-long induction programme for new employees called P-Lunga: the frst day is held at the headquarters of the Pirelli Foundation, responsible for the group’s archival operations. The group also chooses the foundation as the venue for coordination meetings, for special events, and as the facility for meetings with the internal community, including managers from beyond Italy. The idea is to promote understanding of the foundation, the group companies and their history, and to communicate to internal stakeholders the potential of the archives and the group heritage in fulflling any imaginable need. Birra Peroni also uses heritage in the induction of new employees. All recruits are presented with a “welcome book” on the history of the company, and are taken for visits to the plants and the museum, because “history is the frst thing they have to know.” The company uses the museum as the venue for internal seminars and courses, with the objective of imprinting past glories and successes on the organisation’s current protagonists. iGuzzini, the largest of the Guzzini Group, is particularly active in using heritage at the internal level. According to the director responsible for organisational heritage, “At iGuzzini we emphasise the transmission of cultural values more at the internal level, so that our people can graft onto the culture, our way of doing and thinking. We have a history and we’re committed to continuing it in certain directions. So we want everyone to be involved in the company culture, especially new employees and young people.” The company views this

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kind of heritage indoctrination as particularly important in consideration of the dispersed company structure: operating with over 1000 employees in the worldwide architectural and engineering markets. Especially with foreign subsidiaries, this makes it necessary to strongly afrm and socialise new staf in the identity and values that have shaped the company’s birth and development. New hires everywhere are provided with a monograph that reconstructs the history of the entrepreneurial activities and their relations with the Guzzini “families” of persons and companies. The training sessions for new employees use multimedia and interactive presentations on the history of the group’s companies, with particular emphasis on the evolution of ethics and values. Casa Martini, the Martini & Rossi museum, operates from the 19th century Rossi family home, very near the company’s operational and administrative headquarters, all in the original factory town of Pessione, near Turin. The “Martini induction,” specifcally for new hires, consists of a full day of educational sessions conducted in the museum and in visits to all parts of the production plant, including areas only open on specifc permission from management. Diferent company departments use the museum facilities regularly as the basis for visits and events involving internal stakeholders and partners, continually returning them to the brand history and values. The target stakeholders of these actions are not only new personnel, but also long-term employees, for motivation and sustenance of their sense of belonging. The directorate of Fratelli Branca Distillerie chose to develop the company museum and collections with the aim of sharing the company’s history, frst of all with those who live it on a daily basis. The employees were invited to participate in the project, from selecting materials, tools and devices, to restoring them, up to the fnal set-up. The company installed the museum in former warehouse spaces in Milan, still also the site of the head ofces and main production, meaning that anyone on staf can walk through the exhibition of what the Distilleries have been and still are. Guided visits are provided not just by the curatorial staf, but also the employees at large, considered the company’s “frst ambassadors,” and given that many are now the third or fourth of the family generations. Another project for sharing organisational values and culture took place in 2015, the 170th anniversary year, with the restyling of the original factory chimney (55 metres long), a visual beacon to the entire city quarter. The company invited local street artists to design a repainting: included at the bottom was a tree, covering the chimney foundations as they enter the ground. Here, every employee was invited to sign the painted “roots,” as a testament to their importance, interdependence and cooperation, in the sense of the company as a living organism, sharing in its advancement and values. At Amarelli, the museum “was born from the idea of remembering what we have and telling our stories frst of all to ourselves, preserving this for the generations that come later, including for the employees who work in this reality. We’re the fourth generation of employees [. . .] We too feel part of this story; it’s also us who built it. All this still means prestige and dignity, including for those who work here. [. . .] We celebrate our heritage with our external

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collaborators too. We want them to feel internal, like ‘owners’, we know that they’re part of our success.” The target stakeholders extend beyond employees, to management. A few sentences from the CEO of Fabbri describe the company’s physical headquarters, and this again ofers a glimpse of historic vision: “This isn’t a castle in the Loire, but we’ve shown that even an old villa like this, just with a small attached factory, can move out into 100 countries, can become a world leader in product areas that we’ve practically invented. My great-grandfather Gennaro was a poor man. This was just one hectare of countryside when he bought it, and he never would have thought one day we could open international ofces. You can learn from this, you can understand it by being here, and I think is really a nice feeling for anyone to take home.” In fact, Fabbri is exceptionally strong in afrming and transmitting the family culture and values to management, integrating these fully into the organisational structure, in alignment with the company’s guiding philosophy. The CEO recounted a more recent, revealing anecdote: “We recently brought in a lot of new personnel, especially at managerial level, all from multinationals in this sector [. . .] When they arrived here they were amazed by such a strong family presence.” The need to communicate the family approach is one of the reasons for keeping the headquarters in Borgo Panigale, where the company also operates its museum, also in the original buildings. In almost all the cases of companies that still remained under true family management, the heritage vision included the aim of conveying the historic and cultural patrimony to the new generations, with the objective of making them “aware” and increasing their sense of responsibility. As one of the managing directors noted: “When you think of fve or six generations that came before you at the company helm, you feel very responsible not to be the one that could ever bring all that to an end. In fact, you feel driven to go even further than the ones who came before, to do your best with every choice.” Amarelli, Filippo Catarzi, and even Birra Peroni, although now part of a massive multinational, share this objective of transmitting the company values and culture to the new generations. Amarelli exists as a company since at least 1730, although the tradition of liquorice production in Calabria dates to the Roman era. This is a region where the traditions of family responsibilities maintain exceptionally deep meaning. The company management is now in its 11th generation and so the heritage marketing strategy is charged with a deep sense of responsibility, not only to the family but also to the local and regional communities. As the CEO states: “Our family traces its history back even further than the company, so we have a kind of ‘professional distortion’ on our world view, that we have to preserve and catalogue the family history frst, then the company history and for work here in the region. We’re all used to handing down history [. . .], that things are passed on to children, [. . .] we’re used to preserving and enhancing the past.” The Amarelli heritage strategy has great internal value: the frst aim is to strengthen the joint family and company identity, to transmit culture and values through the generations, and then to others that can participate in the company successes.

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In the case of Filippo Catarzi, one of the declared objectives of the heritage marketing strategy is the transmission of corporate values to future family generations. Especially nearing the 100th year of operation, there was a growing sense of a need to recognise the accomplishments of the previous generations, as an act of respect and gratitude to those who had started the story and towards its future development. The directors consider it essential that the new generations acquire full awareness of the accumulated heritage, even among those not directly involved in managing the business, since the patrimony belongs to the whole family and then to the community at large. At Birra Peroni, the strategy of enhancing heritage was born in the period of family ownership. The initial sentiment was that of safeguarding the family history, intertwined with that of the company’s, but there was no particular intention of developing it as a communications asset. The museum began as an informal structure accepting the memories and objects of family members and staf, for personal and internal enjoyment. It was only later that it evolved into a formally organised department. The museum curator observes, “Once we set it up formally the museum immediately became an ideal ‘hospitality space’ for important visiting stakeholders. But the family owners had clearly long nurtured a dream of preservation, demonstrated for example by the way they saved machines and objects that had survived the destruction of the war era – even a telephone, keys and shoes [. . .]. The attention to family history, almost a kind of hagiography, was always part of the company DNA, but really the museum is still not aimed at external communication. So much so that it has never been ofcially opened to the public. [. . .] Without the family this museum would never have been started, but our idea is still not to completely open up the collections. The physical space remains mostly for our closest stakeholders.” The cultural–historic assets are also vital in strategies for organisational revision and development, especially when these involve intervention on the company structure. During changes in ownership or top management, extraordinary operations of mergers or acquisitions or moments of economic crisis, strong links with the past can serve as confdence-building guarantees of future directions and performance and facilitate acceptance of the necessary changes in the organisational community. In moments such as these, the exploration of the company’s heritage can stimulate new growth. The reference to the far-sightedness, ingeniousness and skills demonstrated in past developments promotes ambition and respect for contemporary innovation and strength of character, and generally encourages behaviour aimed at corporate entrepreneurship (Guth and Ginsberg, 1990; Zahra and Covin, 1995; Riviezzo, 2017). All the members of the organisation tend to assume the perception that they can and should continue in tradition and advancement. In our case studies we found numerous examples where the conscious attention to heritage originated precisely in times of major change or crisis. For the Guzzini Group, the attention to past experiences developed at a time of change and refection on potential future paths. The director responsible for organisational heritage recounts: “In the mid-1990s our management

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realised that our companies were facing a situation of broad transition between the old and the new generations [. . .] We decided to place the history of the family and companies ‘in safeguard’ – the memory of the work done by parents and grandparents, even by the people currently running the companies.” It was around this time that the companies founded the iGuzzini Research and Study Centre, along with the historical archives Archivio-Galleria Guzzini. One of the objectives was to ensure the material survival of the family history: to collect documents, accounts, objects and facts before it was too late, to ensure that the heritage could be passed on to subsequent generations. But it was also an opportunity to identify the pivotal decisions that had ensured the continuity of the businesses, viewed by the directorship as essential in also defning the future lines of group development. The introduction to the monograph published in the 100th year of Fratelli Guzzini comments: “The future is not easy to read, still more difcult to understand. [. . .] So how do we go ahead? More than ever we have to look to our memory, but not with rhetoric or nostalgia for experiences that would be impossible to repeat. How, then? By looking back analytically, with judgement, identifying desires, personal points of view, directions that responded realistically to the civic community of which we are all part. Our responsibility is to also carry these views ahead, aiming for a realistic future.” For iGuzzini, the core aim of the heritage strategy is clearly to transfer a legacy of business values to new internal stakeholders: to new generations of family, incoming partners and employees. Piaggio also views the past as a necessary inspiration for innovation, new products, and the future in general. In the 1990s, Japanese and Korean motorcycle manufacturers who had long watched the world leader from the sidelines suddenly swooped in, and the company sufered from the increasingly ferce competition. The new entrants ofered attractive prices, and in some cases new directions in development, rapidly undermining the Vespa as the undisputed queen of the road. An important aspect of Piaggio’s response was to look back, to consider the immense intangible heritage, going far beyond the functional and performance content of the products, and to open the brand treasure chest in this sense. The company realised the obligation of continuous technological and industrial innovation, but also the necessity of doing this with respect for tradition: the need to create new models with the “classic” heart, reaching new technological frontiers while still presenting the charm of the original fagship products. The marketing and communications director summarises the evolution: “Recently, Piaggio rediscovered the importance of its historic patrimony. For a while it had been let slide. In the 1990s the ownership went through a series of changes and some things got lost. With the new ownership, the strong interest from our chairman, also other new people including me, we’ve rediscovered these assets [. . .] People took on a new willingness.” The company now pays much more attention to past experiences in developing and presenting new products. The marketing director describes the strategy as a delicate balancing act: “Don’t focus too much on the past, but don’t detach from it [. . .] One of our concepts is that we’ll aim to put extremely futuristic technology inside a

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form that looks like the past; highly advanced engines, safety, computerised systems, wireless connectivity – in a container that still refers strongly to our past.” In addition to Piaggio, others among the 20 companies had also realised the criticality of heritage development after a change of ownership or governance. In recent decades, both Martini & Rossi and Birra Peroni have evolved from family, locally owned businesses to new corporate structures, as subsidiaries within supranational groups. However, within the two multinationals there is a realisation of the importance of respecting their subsidiaries’ histories, in particular in maintaining the “Made in Italy” heritage and identities of the two beverage companies. For Martini & Rossi, now part of the Bacardi–Martini Group, a priority objective is to make their history known to the internal stakeholders, to encourage continuous rediscovery of the roots and strengthen the sense of belonging, ensuring that the Italian identity is preserved with the global dimension. In fact, across the entire Bacardi–Martini Group, all the companies are united in preserving and advancing their individual origins, a strategy viewed as essential for successful processes of integration. Development continues, without sacrifcing the individual identities and organisational cultures. However, it should be noted that at the time of the Bacardi–Martini merger there were important similarities in the cultures and histories of the two companies. Bacardi, in the Caribbean, and Martini-Rossi, in Italy, both had histories of strong territorial associations and family identities, leading to deeply rooted and quite similar guiding principles. At the moment of entering the new shared path, both sides were therefore able to rediscover and enhance their own brand’s core values, at the same time fnding stimuli for new ways of strengthening and communicating their respective images. The Martini–Bacardi vision is emblematic: “Honouring the past, looking to the future.” This vision is expressed concretely in the creation of a specifc organisational structure called the “Bacardi Global Heritage Team.” The Heritage Team functions in part through a section on the group intranet, providing constant access to the history of each of the individual brands to all international personnel. Under the team umbrella are the individual archives and museums for Martini & Rossi, Bombay Gin, the Whisky Archives (Dewar’s, William Lawson, others, all in Scotland), and the French brands Bénédictin, Noilly Prat, Otard and Grey Goose. At the organisational level, each of these units is mandated with specifc management, communications and curatorship roles, including networking with external stakeholders, technical tasks, and the general aim of “reinforcing heritage visibility as a strategic asset.” At Birra Peroni, respect for tradition is an essential element of distinctiveness and competitiveness. But the activation of this principle has meant diferent things in the company’s history. During the long period of family ownership, maintaining tradition was understood primarily as a commitment to maintaining the quality of the product, and in turn the market reputation. The core identity and communications strategies had little to do with exploiting company heritage. Instead, this kind of marketing entered as a corporate priority in more recent times, when Birra Peroni was absorbed by the SAB Miller Group

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in 2003 and then by Asahi in 2016, and defnitively projected into the global competitive arena, where its patrimony now represented a unique calling card both for the markets and within the multi-corporate group. Earlier, the family owners had “preserved the past” in a safe place, jealously guarding it, but without specifc aims of sharing or communications. Only in more recent years has the company put its immense historic and cultural patrimony at the centre of targeted actions. Heritage is increasingly the protagonist of communications, at both the product and corporate levels. The Peroni communications manager comments: “It’s only in recent years that we’ve told the stories. We bring out specifc narrative strands in our social media, in exhibitions and conferences dedicated to the company’s heritage.” History serves in communication of the company as a whole, and is central for the market presentation of the individual products and brands, usages that were almost unheard of under family ownership. The phase of family to multinational evolution thus revealed the need for a “glue” that could bind the company with its past, maintaining solidity of both the institution and its products, in a context where even the individual beer consumers now make their choices with a subliminal awareness of global context. Heritage can also play a decisive role in building the company’s reputation with external stakeholders – customers, suppliers, intermediaries, partners and fnanciers – by certifying the reliability, solidity and transparency of the company, proven through time. The precise objectives will vary with the company, the type of stakeholder and the specifc strategic moment. As discussed in Chapter 2, the aim in regards to clients could be to develop and manage a distinct position for a product or brand, by communicating the aspects of patrimony that convey diferentiating experiences, aesthetics, and connotations of prestige, authenticity and ethics. The aim is to leverage the corporate patrimony and underlying identity to infuence consumer awareness and loyalty towards the brand, to establish lasting relationships of empathy and trust. Demonstrating heritage experience to potential investors or shareholders, at the other end of the shareholder spectrum, can instead facilitate access to resources, in particular when the company faces moments of difculty or crisis. Among suppliers and distributors, the legacy of prestige and reputation can be translated into more selective access to partners, increased bargaining power in the relationships and can be used to communicate behavioural expectations. In all the cases we examine, the aims of heritage development include enhancement of consumer awareness and loyalty, towards the company, brand, and products and services. According to the CEO, for Amarelli heritage development adds unique and evocative content to the brand and its products, achieving a strongly distinctive market position. In Internet, in its museum, in constant messaging, in the products itself, the company communicates where liquorice comes from and how it is made, and its own role as one of the oldest liquorice companies in the world, in a specifc Italian region producing the best of all raw materials. The aim is to create awareness of the values represented, and create an allure

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that invites the customer to participate in the national, regional and family traditions. Visitors to the company can literally immerse themselves in a unique experience, where the company museum, historic structures, machinery and lands retain entire past environments. In the words of the marketing manager: “The customer is driven to think ‘I won’t just buy liquorice, I’ll buy Amarelli, that place, that oasis, that family, that world, that style.’ We’re something diferent from our competitors. We do this to create that gap.” At Ascione, the managing director notes how important it is to “stand out, so as not to become extinct. The very fact of writing ‘1855’ makes us unique. On the market, we communicate that we make new jewellery, new accessories, but always linked with the design of creations from the past.” The business of coral jewellery and accessories is clearly a restricted niche, within the extremely challenging luxury sector populated by a myriad of companies. One of the responses from the Ascione family has been to proudly identify continuity with the company history. These are the reasons for establishing the company museum, at the business headquarters in Naples, and the development of other heritage marketing tools that pursue specifc objectives of positioning. “Globalisation threatens to erase the importance of where and how things are made. We have to stand out on the market by communicating the culture of our products.” Beginning in the late 20th century, Filippo Catarzi encountered a series of circumstances that stimulated revision of the organisation and its strategies: generational change in the family ownership; the decline of the head-wears industry following a century of almost constant growth; most recently, the entry of Asian manufacturers on the market. In this phase, when everything seemed insecure, the family owners recognised the importance of re-evaluating the company patrimony, both for internal purposes and as a core asset that could diferentiate it from competitors. The rediscovery of the organisational heritage responds to the need to ensure distinct brand awareness and to enrich the products with uniquely evocative content. The company identifed the need to make consumers more aware of the products ofered for purchase: how these are made and how they relate to Italian traditions. According to the marketing director, “If we communicate our processes, our values, through things like referencing the painstaking steps of hand fabrication, then the buyer understands the diference between our hats, between all our products from Italy, and the ones from the East. Our aim is to cultivate passion about this, for what we produce.” Fabbri, the confectioner and food specialist, markets both consumable and semi-prepared products at the global level, obligating relations with diferent kinds of stakeholders and targets. Given the presence of the company in at least 100 national markets, and the two-tiered B2C and B2B clientele, the company directorate aims for an approach achieving the same emotional and psychological reaction in individual consumers and with its industrial–commercial clients, both in Italy and abroad. According to the CEO, this requires constant reexamination of the company history, and its tangible and intangible patrimony.

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The company identifes the core aim of its heritage marketing strategy as the afrmation of a clear identity for the brand, serving as an umbrella for all the product lines. Heritage is seen as the common thread, capable of drawing the products together, obtaining a unifed emotional response. A complicating aspect for the company is its extremely wide range of products, the result of continuous experimentation and innovation, in some cases opening up entirely new business areas in which Fabbri is now the global leader. The company deals with a wide range of potential listeners, with completely diferent points of view, expectations and needs. The CEO commented, “It’s one thing to talk to a mom, shopping for drink preparations for the kids, or with ideas about making a dessert. It’s another to deal with a Michelin-star chef, who needs a product as the basis for a dish selling at 50 euros a plate.” In view of these multiple contexts, the company has a long history of devising diferent communicative tools, each making the most of diferent expressive possibilities to reach diferent targets: the very early print marketing slogan “the amarena with the fruit”; the many extrapolations of the unique ceramic container; very early use of animated and “cinematic” television advertising; the long history of associations with artisans, the fne arts and related gala events. Every company will have a range of diferent target audiences and strategic objectives for heritage marketing. As we can see from all the above, these must be precisely identifed, so as to defne the organisational solutions and operational tools that can best leverage the historic and cultural assets.

3.5

Managing: narrative development and management

Following the identifcation of the vision and its translation into objectives, targeted at specifc audiences, the company must design and develop an organisational and fnancial strategy for their achievement. Managing the strategy requires a strong organisational system of skills and competences, entrusted with defned tasks, comprising the overall set of actions. The frst task assigned will be to search out, gather and analyse all the tangible traces and intangible memories of the organisation’s experience – a stage quite possibly involving specifcally trained heritage professionals. The development of the organisational narrative obviously requires involvement of the senior levels, but will be limited to what can be constructed from the collected assets. Once the narrative system is developed, the responsibilities for its implementation will be widely difused, and the mix of tools for conveying it will fow relatively naturally. In other words, already at this stage, the company must identify and assign precise responsibilities for gathering and controlling the heritage assets, identifying the narratives, and then communicating them on the basis of the collected resources. The starting point is to call on both internal and external personnel to search out, document and recover all of the traces of the organisation’s experience: objects, documents, photos, memories, personal testimonies and factual fndings. The explorations for historic evidence must push well beyond the

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company’s current organisational and geographic boundaries, because in reality, historicity exists everywhere. Rather than in one narrative document, it will be found in the archives, in “dead storage,” in press reviews, among photographs, and above all in the memories of faithful and veteran employees. Those with the responsibilities for this stage must leverage the social networks of the organisation, drawing in a mix of participants, including former employees, historic clients, business partners, professional collaborators, collectors, cultural and local institutions, experts of diferent kinds. Almost all companies, even the most modern, will fnd that they hold historically valuable information in the form of paper-based and computerised materials, including graphic materials with strong narrative capacities, beginning from the most recent business records: drawings, designs and plans, photographs, sales promotional materials and, particularly in the case of older companies, print materials such as postcards, posters, advertisements and press articles. In the case of companies of very long standing, it will be more difcult to fnd the tools, machinery, prototypes, models, packaging and product samples that could tangibly demonstrate the stages of evolution. Instead, these might be found in private collections, or a local museum. Similarly, for long-standing companies, the current leaders are unlikely to have a complete view of the succession of historical events, but the memories of these could be recovered from veteran employees, business partners and other key stakeholders. Ofcial documents recording the company foundation and key transitional moments could be found in the archives of regulatory authorities, chambers of commerce and trade associations. The core principle is always that of enlarging the circle of participants and co-actors, to solicit as many memories, facts and tangible materials as possible (Napolitano et al., 2018). In what follows, we will see that among the 20 companies examined, there has been wide variation in the methods of gathering the tangible and intangible evidence necessary for constructing the narrative. In some cases, such as Amarelli, Birra Peroni, Confetti Pelino and Pirelli, the previous generations of managers had preserved documentary records and objects with the specifc aim of perpetuating the company or family memory, thereby ensuring a rich initial basis of knowledge and tangible resources. In discussing the family story, the current Amarelli CEO recounted that “The generation of the 1970s was the kind that collected everything, stashing it away, and then say we had a ‘museum’. It was a hodge-podge. But really everything we’re doing now wouldn’t have been possible without that attitude.” One of the family collectors was Giorgio Amarelli, who began a project then taken up by his sister and brothers and now continued by the current generation. As Franco Amarelli recall: “Giorgio started collecting old machines, photographs, documents, historic products, and so on, and put these in a loft. There wasn’t a clear plan really, more a dream, with the sign ‘museum’ attached to the door. He was trying to interpret these ideas for the business, to do something new. When he died, looking at these things, I realised we could tell a good story, a true story. One of the things we needed to do was create a proper space at ground

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level, so we took a derelict warehouse, we called in architects, we devoted ourselves to designing something completely, we renovated that, and we started using that to tell the story with what Giorgio had left us.” As the marketing manager summed up, “The spark was Uncle Giorgio’s collection of materials. Then Uncle Franco, Auntie Pina and Dad continued, investing in the strategy, starting to build the story, not just with the museum. Now we’ve brought all of this into all our communications, in business relationships, in web marketing, in packaging, in everything that came out later.” Likewise, as already described in the case of Birra Peroni, the project to enhance the heritage grew from the availability of materials and memories handed down from generation to generation, including documents, photos, machinery and objects saved from the aftermath of World War II, when the area of the main Rome brewery was subject to bombardment. The Peroni family, as well as individual staf members, had prized the company history and traditions, and this drove them to preserve obsolete memorabilia, tucked away in a variety of locations. Flanking these random materials were the orderly collections of company records. When the company became part of a multinational corporation, and realised the importance of its historic identity within the global context, this was what facilitated the reconstruction of the entire heritage and the development of the related strategy. The current President of Confetti Pelino observes: “My Uncle had a fascination with history, with our past. He was a great collector, someone who’d never thrown anything out, and Grandpa was too. [. . .] When we looked at all that it led us to thinking of how we could use the materials. And so we decided we’d try to acquire the building next to the factory. We thought we could annex that to the main structure and use it to found a museum. That’s how the ‘Museum of Confetti Art and Technology’ got started, 29 years ago.” The collections passed down include rare example of the specialised tools of the trade, highly specifc machines, key company documents, all “set aside” and treasured by the diferent ancestors. The management invested funds, but also great thought and energy in the museum. The succession of the necessary developmental steps drew in the local community, stimulating greater appreciation not only of this one company, but also of the broader potentials represented by the local artisanal and commercial traditions. The president’s comments reveal the museum founding as a turning point in building on the organisational heritage, responsible for implanting the culture of memory even more strongly in the current generation: “I was born here, in the apartment above, and this company has always felt like home. But it was this historical vision, so strong in my uncle and my grandfather, that really struck me, and this to me is one of the ways we can continue, the way we can ensure there’s no end.” Pirelli is almost certainly one of the frst companies in the world to have ever developed its own museum. In 1922, in celebration of its frst 50 years, the company called on the entire staf to voluntarily participate in the establishment of the Historical Museum of Pirelli Industries, in a historic villa acquired near

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the company headquarters. The frst displays included photographs, product catalogues and documents, backed by large placards bearing statistics and views of the diferent plants, tracing the growth of the group since the 19th century. In 1942, the 70th anniversary year, management ordered the extraction of the most important documents from the company records, for the protection of a core testament to Pirelli history. Considering the almost total political and corporate concentration on wartime production and the chaos of the historic moment, the fact that management would order this visionary precaution says much about the company’s attitude to heritage. In fact, very soon after the precautionary steps, in 1943, almost all of the remaining Pirelli records were lost under Allied bombing. The preservation of the core documentation ensured that the company had the basis for what has since developed as the Archivio Storico Pirelli (literally “Pirelli Historical Archives”), operating under clearly stated policies and procedures, with dedicated management and personnel, integrated in the overall company strategies. Given its collections policies and organisational basis, the company can successfully control its documentary memory in support of any future action. In the cases of Filippo Catarzi and the Guzzini Group, the previous generations had not expressed the culture of memory, and the more recent management had to explore diferent sources to fnd tangible and intangible documentation. The development of Filippo Catarzi’s heritage marketing strategy was not without difculties, beginning with the search for information and material evidence. According to the ofcer responsible for heritage development, “We had a lot of difculty in fnding historic material because before there wasn’t any kind of ‘culture of memory’. The ones who came before us didn’t have this vision. Each generation worked in the present, without thinking much about past or the future, probably because things naturally evolved.” It was only in the face of a series of market problems that the directorate decided to deeply analyse and assess the corporate history, with the aim of identifying the basis for sustainable diferentiation. There was no business archive other than the recent records, and the family owned very few historic documents. Moreover, all the documentation that would normally have been held in the archives of the Florence Chamber of Commerce had been lost in the great food of 1966. When the company launched its research project, only one original document could be found attesting to the foundation in 1910. The researchers contacted other families and private collectors and searched the archives of the main media, gradually developing an archive of corporate imagery with photographs and depictions of historic products. The researchers also interviewed people who had been active in the industry, including some who could still recall the founder. In all this work, the company received important support from the Museo della Paglia e dell’Intreccio (literally “Museum of Straw and Weaving”), founded by an association of companies in the Signa locality in celebration of the entire straw production chain, including the woven hats that were the core of the Catarzi operation.

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The founding director of the iGuzzini Research and Study Centre reported: “What we could get was mostly oral history, so we did a lot of video interviews to gather the story of the businesses. [. . .] We interviewed with videos because we wanted to make the material accessible on the web [. . .] the entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, department heads, senior sales managers level, anyone holding a role that meant they’d know part of the story. Then we intersected, compared, cross-checked these because often the dates wouldn’t line up or they weren’t precise – just ‘when so and so got married’ or ‘when he left for the military’, and so on. So we had to check and compare the data between the diferent interviews.” The laborious steps of gathering the information, cross-checking and flling in the gaps were assigned to a specifc staf person. After reconstructing the histories of the personages and companies, the next stage was to start collecting documentary material and objects. Again, from the director of the Study Centre: “We started rummaging through storage areas, old cabinets, looking for photographs and other documents. [. . .] not so much about administrative documents, more on product development – sketches, designs, technical drawings, prototypes and so on. Also communications – catalogues, advertising materials and documents on campaigns, promotional activities with clients, fairs and so on. [. . .] We systematically searched out and bought up old products. We found machinery, moulds, other physical material. We organised proper collections of drawings, technical images with specifcations; communication material, both paper and video; photographs that the company had kept, also from the private collections of collaborating designers, from people and families who worked in the companies.” Gathering the documentation on product development was particularly complicated, because “until the late 1960s there were few technical drawings. It was a craft company, so a prototype was made with the designer and then the workers developed the production pieces and systems directly from the prototypes. So there were no technical designs, only sketches and drawings.” From these descriptions we can understand that the company embarked on its heritage strategy with very few tangible or intangible resources, but rapidly developed devoted staf positions and specifc methodologies. Since then the company has made some of these methods standard procedures – for example, all retirees are invited to an “exit” video interview, prompted by structured questioning. The companies now also have an archives and records procedure for documentation of new products, including selection and preservation of sample pieces. An important aspect emerging from these and other examples is the need to draw on specialist skills and professions, such as social and economic historians, business archivists and museum specialists, in the phase of systematically collecting evidence. These profles are not typically available within most companies; however, the rigorous methodologies of such disciplines are essential for designing and executing the research, as well as for managing the tangible and intangible materials recovered, leading to the construction of the heritage management system (Napolitano et al., 2018).

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These last considerations will play into other fundamental decisions concerning the design of the organisational structure for managing heritage marketing. The company management must identify the roles and responsibilities for researching and organising the material collected, and fnally conveying the narrative to the targets through the most appropriate tools. The possibilities can be envisioned as lying on a continuum between two extremes. One of these is that all research, collection and management of historic and cultural patrimony is assigned to existing organisational units and staf (e.g. marketing, institutional afairs, public relations) or, in smaller companies, is carried out by senior management. The other extreme is that all tasks are carried out by newly created organisational units, staf or consultant positions (e.g. records and archives manager, heritage development ofcer, museum with dedicated professionals). In all cases, there must be precise defnition of responsibilities and levels of autonomy. Among the cases analysed, the choice of using existing staf is typical of the smaller ones (e.g. Albergian, Confetti Pelino, Montegrappa, Ascione) or in any case with a strong family control (Strega Alberti, Fabbri or Fratelli Branca Distillerie), where the project of heritage development originated from the will of the original owners. The choice of creating specifc organisational units, with specialised professionals, is more typical of the larger companies, no longer under family control (e.g. Pirelli, Martini & Rossi, Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, Fondazione Banco di Napoli). In 2008, Pirelli created the Pirelli Foundation, with its own management, fnancial autonomy, and a staf of more than ten, including archivists and business historians. The foundation is strongly supported by the directorate and management of the Pirelli companies, including Marco Tronchetti Provera, CEO and a Pirelli family member, as the nexus of all initiatives for the safeguard and development the group’s historic and cultural patrimony. The mandate of the foundation is to “preserve the documentation on the history of the company, dating to its foundation in 1872 [. . .], to promote the company’s legacy, editing publications and organising exhibitions and conferences [.  .  .] to carry out research activities, assisting both company departments and Italian and international scholars [. . .] The Foundation also works with the national administration for education and with individual schools and secondary institutions of all types and levels, with the aim of [. . .] teaching the fundamental values of the group’s corporate culture.” The foundation receives thousands of visitors per year, and also collaborates with other cultural institutions. Collezione Branca, the Fratelli Branca Distillerie museum, was instead organised and developed entirely by existing staf. The strategy has been guided by senior management without development of new organisational units. Instead, the existing employees participated directly in selecting the materials and carried out the restorations of certain pieces. The company drew on its existing specialists for the design of the spaces and exhibitions. The director of communications gradually assumed the role of museum curator. Other personnel, particularly with marketing and public relations functions, are frequently

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involved as tour guides. The special publication issued on the occasion of the 170th anniversary of founding was edited by the current company president. The intermediate solutions between these two extremes are highly varied. Some companies have entered into more or less lasting relationships with external professionals. Others have created new positions, but operating under existing managers or divisions. In some cases, the strategies are enacted almost entirely by the company owners with very limited outside consulting or professional services, particularly when the tools of communication are limited to one or two. Amarelli employs up to seven specialised staf for its museum, including interns in the summer period. However, the museum was largely developed by the family management and remains under its direct control. The Piaggio Foundation was established in 1994 under separate articles of incorporation, with a mandate including the responsibilities for the Museo e Archivio Storico Piaggio. However, since the change in ownership of the Piaggio Group in 2003, the choice has been made to integrate the Foundation’s activities with the marketing functions of the group itself. The aim is to better integrate the heritage knowledge between those directly responsible for its preservation and communication and those who can apply it in new lines of corporate research, development and marketing. According to the group’s marketing manager, this joint exploitation of the heritage resources is one of the “secrets” of the group’s successes over the past 20 years. In fact, among all the companies currently under examination, Piaggio provides a striking case of the strategic leverage of its heritage assets at the global level. For Birra Peroni, the initial strategic actions for development of the vast cultural–historical patrimony took hold following an external stimulus. The company president, observing that an academic had written a brief essay on the history of the company, asked the researcher to deepen her work for development of a special publication celebrating the company’s 150th anniversary. The research for the volume revealed substantial fonts of information that deserved better arrangement and development. This led to a management decision to establish a company archive, charged with inventorying and managing the immense documentary heritage. The researcher who had written the original essay was assumed as the consultant for coordination of the project. The archives continued to develop, and a museum was added, with a specifc mandate for communications. The company now draws regularly on these internal units for materials in support of internal and external communications. A decisive moment was the integration of the position of curator of the historical archive and the museum as a permanent staf member within the institutional afairs division, refecting the company’s new approach of simultaneously developing the organisational heritage as part of the overall corporate strategy. As noted by the corporate communications manager: “By integrating the consultant into the company structure, we make our heritage more fully available for communications. All our stories can now be part of our institutional strategy.” Summing up, the case is one of progressive absorption of external professionals into the

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company structure, while maintaining the heritage programmes and staf within a pre-existing organisational unit. The choice of the organisational model is also obviously infuenced by the availability of fnancial resources for this specifc area of investment. Some relevant variables are immediately apparent (Riviezzo et al., 2016), among others: competitive characteristics of the business sector; the organisational dimensions (e.g. turnover, number of employees, geographic distribution); longevity (also considering that focused investment often coincides with milestone anniversaries). It should be noted that apart from the company’s own direct fnancing, in recent years there has been a considerable increase in availability of public resources for heritage projects of broader social value, such as through participation in European Community and national programmes and through local governments. Once the scrutiny and organisation of the tangible and intangible resources have been engaged, and the organisational responsibilities and budget lines have been defned, the company will be ready to implement the operational tools – the “heritage marketing mix” – through which to achieve the objectives. The defnition of the mix is a consequence of all the choices made in the previous strategic phases: the vision for the company heritage, the consideration of heritage elements from the stakeholders’ viewpoints, the objectives and targets identifed, the types of materials and testimonies composing the historic and cultural patrimony, and the narrative stories desired. In the next section we describe “controlling,” the last phase of the overall strategic process, and then in the fnal chapter we return to the discussion of the multiplicity of tools available to the organisation in planning the heritage marketing mix.

3.6

Controlling: evaluating narrative results

The last phase of the heritage marketing process consists in monitoring the results achieved and evaluating the efectiveness, meaning the results from the narrative and the yield on investments. The results can be monitored through collection of primary and secondary data. Direct surveys of stakeholders can be used to assess the impact of the initiatives on perceptions, degree of knowledge and attitudes towards the company, brand, products and services. Performance in the area of secondary variables can also be highly informative, for example in economic–fnancial indexes, assessments of opinions in social media, attendance at company sites and events. Theoretically, the company should be able to identify a system of key performance indicators, enabling systematic and continuous monitoring of a few signifcant variables. Evaluation based on these indicators also enables prompt identifcation of negative signals or poor yields on the investments, as well as appropriate corrective actions. The trends suggested by the indicators must always be backed by qualitative evaluations, using observation and direct interaction with the recipients of the actions. The choice of specifc indicators depends on the combinations of stakeholders and objectives identifed under

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the heritage marketing strategy, the specifc tools used for these, and the desired cognitive, afective and behavioural responses. In Pirelli’s case, for internal stakeholders, the efectiveness of the strategy is assessed by observation of the weight given to the company’s heritage: the extent and level of collaborations between the company departments and the Pirelli Foundation, and the extent to which foundation acts in supporting the group’s broader strategic objectives. One of the specifc indicators is the frequency of the departments’ drawing on known or newly researched stories from the archives, in a manner demonstrating the roots of the group’s activities or contributing to new product planning. With reference to external stakeholders, the quantitative indicators concern the numbers of visits to museum exhibitions, participation of school groups in education workshops, numbers of visits and patterns of navigation on the foundation website and Pirelli social media. However, the company does not consider it possible to truly categorise internal and external efectiveness, and is not interested in limiting the evaluation to mere numerical indicators. The director of the foundation mentions such nuanced considerations as the level of contribution to sociocultural development: “We believe that our company’s immense cultural patrimony, both historic and contemporary, represents an important piece of the Italian national mosaic. Our initiatives are therefore aimed not only at safeguarding and protecting the cultural heritage, but also at promoting new forms of communication and creative expression in general.” Fratelli Branca Distillerie supports its evaluation of heritage actions using multiple indicators. The general aim is to develop a community of internal stakeholders, external professionals and consumers who have a feeling of participation and passion for Branca and its products. The evaluations must therefore examine both the growth and relational qualities of the network. For this, the company uses quantitative indicators such as the numbers of visitors to the museum and copies of the company publications distributed, the trafc patterns on social media, and the level of participation in events in Italy and abroad. At the same time, the company considers qualitative information, such as from visitor reactions, comments on the social media, and the comments and coverage from external media. The Poli Distillerie and Amarelli managers are justly proud of the numbers achieved by their heritage operations, but also consider more qualitative information. Poli Distillerie operates two museum locations: the main one in the locality of Schiavon (population 2,600) and a smaller one with associated sales shop in the historic centre of Bassano (population 43,000). These two locations respectively receive 15,000 and 160,000 visitors. The company considers the importance of these numbers both for itself and the local economy. Company managers also consider external evaluations of the quality of their heritage ofer, for example, the designation for an Italian industrial tourism award and an indication by Lonely Planet Guide 2017 as a top ten worldwide experience for visiting distilleries. The museum projects are the most obvious elements of

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an overall company strategy placing massive emphasis on heritage aspects, with designated management positions and activities extending to practical actions such as rentals of the historic spaces for conference, catering and cultural events. The visits to the museum locations and to a third shop in Venice naturally lead to customer purchases. But even before the fgures on numbers of visitors, sales and facilities bookings, management is more interested in the positive impact of the museum and the heritage strategy in enhancing the company image and the overall art of Italian grappa distilling. From the managing director: “You ask me how much the museum contributes commercially but the answer isn’t really all in the numbers. Given our location in Bassano I think we could also be successful there without the museum installations. But I’m convinced that when visitors come in they really appreciate all this heritage whether they purchase or not, and that our people are there to welcome and to communicate about our traditions. They respect that the company has dedicated most of the space to cultural aspects. What that gains in sales I can’t really measure and we also have more than that one aim.” In Amarelli’s case, the numbers clearly indicate substantial contributions from the heritage strategy to the business income. Once again, the company is small and operating in a relatively remote territory – an agricultural municipality of only 75,000 persons. Yet with the annual numbers of about 40,000 visitors, the Amarelli site certainly ranks among the best known and most visited business museums of Italy. The museum balance sheet, despite free admission, is in constant surplus. The Museo della Liquirizia Giorgio Amarelli, including shop operations, operates with a permanent staf of seven plus summer trainees. The company observes that the sales turnover more than covers the operational and structural costs. However, the evaluation of the heritage strategy takes a broader view, including the return in market image and customer loyalty. In particular, the company observes excellent feedback from a broad range of market and institutional stakeholders. The marketing manager noted: “All this came out very spontaneously at frst, and then we really sought after it. We never thought of investing in ‘classic’ advertising, and in fact we don’t: not in radio, print, television. We communicate directly with our public, plus this has come from all kinds of media who were then curious about what the company was doing, about the awards we got, even looking at our ‘relational skills’ and so on. Anyway, all this is linked to what we see as essential, which is historical and cultural development, and this kind of communication is what really works for that.” The evaluation concerns the range of stakeholders reached, the quantities of related media coverage, as well as the numbers of physical and Internet visitors. However, the company also considers the quality and cognitive-afective results of the message. From the CEO: “We replace traditional communication, maybe fve seconds of television advertising, with a total immersion in our world. With all our visitors and all the media, we’re showing what our product is and how it’s made. We tell our story. With the on-site visitors we’re really trying to indoctrinate them. Once we’ve done this they’ll have a more aware vision and they’re happy to pay for that and we can see that in our results: in fact, our

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product sells more than our competitors even though it also costs a bit more, and we can also market exclusive boutique products.” Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, Martini & Rossi, Piaggio Group and Birra Peroni also collect quantitative data on museum visits and interactions on social channels. The manager responsible for the Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni Historical Museum noted, “In the frst 24 months since opening we’ve had more than 8,000 visitors [. . .] Considering we’re so new, with such a specifc theme, for us that’s a great result. Here in Turin we’ve got world-class competitors – the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of Cinema . . . But they’re like us, in the sense of aiming frst for quality before quantity, and for us we’re really satisfed that we take the same kind of approach.” Apart from the numbers, the company assesses their results on the basis of the relationships established with visitors, the participation achieved, the subsequent positive word of mouth, confrmed by monitoring social networks. As with Amarelli and Poli Distillerie, the manager also commented that the company considers the value of museum attendance and communication in the sense of contributions to the entire city and region. At Martini & Rossi, the numbers from the Casa Martini museum and visitor centre are measures used to assess the heritage contribution to company image. In 2015, the facility hosted over 8,000 individual visits and the trend was increasing; 40 external companies booked the spaces and services to organise meetings and employee events. Figures are also collected on bookings for noncorporate private events. Access to the Casa Martini dedicated web area is by registration only and this represents a further very important source of diferent kinds of evaluation data. In the case of the Piaggio Group, management reported extraordinary visitor levels since the museum opening in 2000: averaging 35,000 annually over the frst 15 years of operation and reaching a maximum of 56,000 visitors in 2016. These attendance numbers place Piaggio among fve top business museums in Italy. Like Poli Distillerie, Piaggio also cited external evaluations as an important consideration: the company won “Best Museum and Archives” in the 2003 edition of Italian Business and Culture Awards, and in 2016, it received the international Corporate Art Award for “Best involvement of stakeholders through social media.” The Birra Peroni museum receives around 3,000 visitors per year, a relevant number if we consider that these are almost all invited guests and that the very large share are opinion leaders and intermediate business collaborators. Physical visitation is inhibited by the current location, inside the industrial brewery, and above all by the laws on communications which prevent museum access to school groups and families with children. To overcome these problems, the “Tradition” section of the company website now leads to a virtual museum visit. The curator-archivist reported that “In the frst two months after launching the virtual visit we had an average of 1,500 visitors [. . .] The museum pages can also be accessed directly from our social network platforms [e.g. Twitter, YouTube] and of all the company communications materials these have been

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the ones that are most shared [. . .] For us this is very important.” The company also launched Internet access to the archives, with possibilities of basic searches and thematically designed virtual visits. The company monitors visitor numbers for all of these services, as well as to of-site exhibitions and heritage-related events and the level of press, radio and TV coverage, and then estimates the impact in terms of useful contacts. Apart from these numerical indicators, the company also considers qualitative and relational aspects, such as the content of media coverage and comments in social media. More in general “We see that inside the company, heritage is now permanently incorporated in all our major communication plans [. . .] and that externally our heritage representatives are increasingly called to participate in seminars, conferences, university events and professional networks.” These results are considered as evidence of success in achieving commitment to heritage from internal stakeholders and, at the same time, external recognition of the quality of eforts. In other cases, the evaluations are primarily qualitative, based largely on comments of intermediaries and consumers collected during direct contact with company staf and on social channels. For Strega Alberti, the liqueurs and confectionary specialist, the company uses this kind of feedback to evaluate the efectiveness of their design and communications actions in infuencing perceptions of the brand, products and market positioning. The company does have a museum, but does not systematically monitor entries. Instead, it is more interested in assessing the quality of contacts achieved through observation of visitor reactions. According to management, what is most important is that they confrm the customers’ involvement, from an experiential and emotional point of view. Ultimately, according to the marketing and heritage director, “What we want to see is not just about the museum. It’s about all our places, all our events, our in-store experiences. What we’re trying to confrm is that everyone who meets us, anywhere, has ‘breathed the Strega air’.” Similarly, Fabbri, the semi-fnished and consumer foods producer, places heavy emphasis on direct personal feedback. An anecdote recounted by the managing director is indicative: “At an event I met the CEO of Möet & Chandon. We were talking about our Amarena, and he told me we were an example, that people should see ‘how we keep a modern image with such a traditional product’. To me, a comment like that means we’re doing well.” Internally, the company constantly reviews the design and retrobranding aspects of their communications, seeking efectiveness in terms of impressions of whether the imagery is “fresh and friendly.” The company monitors the results in terms of the numbers on their Facebook pages and YouTube channels, attendance at events and quantities of media coverage, but more so in the mood of the comments in these areas, and in particular through constant contacts with business partners and major customers. The organisational responsibility for monitoring the heritage strategy generally lies with the unit most responsible for its management. The tasks must not be limited to simply verifying the marketing results, but also that there

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is general “heritage brand stewardship” (Urde et  al., 2007; Burghausen and Balmer, 2015), including protection of the cultural–historic patrimony from external abuse, and that a heritage-oriented mentality is difused through the entire organisation.

References Burghausen, M., Balmer, J.M.T. (2014), “Repertoires of the corporate past: Explanation and framework. Introducing an integrated and dynamic perspective”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19, 4: 384–402. Burghausen, M., Balmer, J.M.T. (2015), “Corporate heritage identity stewardship: A corporate marketing perspective”, European Journal of Marketing, 49, 1/2: 22–61. Garofano, A., Riviezzo, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2020), “Una storia, tanti modi di raccontarla. Una nuova proposta di defnizione dell’heritage marketing mix”/“One story, so many ways to narrate it. A new proposal for the defnition of the heritage marketing mix”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, Supplementi 10, 2020: 125–46. Guth, W.D., Ginsberg, A. (1990), “Guest editors’ introduction: Corporate entrepreneurship”, Strategic Management Journal, 11, 1: 5–15. Martino, V. (2013), Dalle storie alla storia d’impresa. Memoria, comunicazione, heritage, Acireale: Bonanno Editore. Napolitano, M.R., Riviezzo, A. (2019), “Stakeholder engagement e Marketing: una sfda da cogliere o già vinta?”, Micro&Macro Marketing, XXVIII, 3: 401–6. Napolitano, M.R., Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A. (2018), Heritage Marketing. Come aprire lo scrigno e trovare un tesoro, Napoli: Editoriale Scientifca. Riviezzo, A. (2017), “Assembling the puzzle: The need to assess both the internal and external side of corporate entrepreneurship”, In: Santos, S.C., Caetano, A., Mitchell, C., Landstrom, H., Fayolle, A. (Eds.), The Emergence of Entrepreneurial Behaviour: Intention, Education and Orientation: 199–222, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2016), “‘Il tempo è lo specchio dell’eternità’. Strategie e strumenti di heritage marketing nelle imprese longeve italiane”/“‘Time is the mirror of eternity’. Heritage marketing strategies and tools in Italian long-lived frms”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, 13: 497–523. Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A., Napolitano, M.R., Marino, V. (2015), “Moving forward or running to stand still? Exploring the nature and the role of family frms’ strategic orientation”, Journal of Family Business Strategy, 6, 3: 190–205. Urde, M., Greyser, S.A., Balmer, J.M.T. (2007), “Corporate brands with a heritage”, Journal of Brand Management, 15, 1: 4–19. Zahra, S.A., Covin, J.G. (1995), “Contextual infuences on the corporate entrepreneurshipperformance relationship: A longitudinal analysis”, Journal of Business Venturing,  10, 1: 43–58.

4

4.1

The tools of heritage marketing

Introduction

As discussed extensively in the previous chapter, the managerial and social process of heritage marketing is aimed at developing the organisation’s cultural– historic patrimony and the relative corporate identity. The planning and operational levels of this process often involve the use of specialist skills, not necessarily available within the organisation, and of a heterogeneous mix of tools. Heritage marketing presents opportunities for sustainable diferentiation and for innovative dialogue with stakeholders. The activities are planned, organised and controlled, based on the initial phases of auditing, analysis of potentials, and the vision of the cultural–historic patrimony within the company’s overall identity and competitive positioning. The recipients, strategic objectives, and therefore actions, will be varied. The precise identifcation of the objectives is essential for efective identifcation of the potential actions and operational tools, as well as the organisational solutions that can back these up and more generally protect and enhance the historic and cultural patrimony. The operational management of heritage marketing begins with the phase of survey and assembly of all the materials serving in the narrative. Once that has been done, the company would theoretically be able to use any tools and activities that function in storytelling, as already described in the literature (e.g. Salmon, 2008; Fontana, 2013): packaging, paper-based texts and images, “broadcast” and computer media, relational situations, etc. As Invernizzi and Romenti illustrate (2015), stories are “trans-medial,” meaning they can be elaborated in diferent ways and conveyed through diferent tools, as long as the heart of the message is preserved. The company can use multiple narrative tools to leverage the heritage assets, and in this way better convey the multidimensional nature of the corporate identity with diferent stakeholders (Napolitano et al., 2018; Burghausen and Balmer, 2014). The objective of this chapter is to propose a categorisation of the multiple tools available to companies for conveying their cultural–historic patrimony to diferent target audiences, from highly traditional to recently innovated. The “heritage marketing mix” chosen by the company is the consequence of all the choices made in the previous strategic phases: the richness of heritage identifed by the audit, the stakeholders’ perceptions of heritage elements, the internal

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vision, the objectives for specifc target audiences, and the types of tangible and intangible heritage actually collected, all enter into the fnal defnition of the narrative and the tools used to transmit it.

4.2

The heritage marketing mix

The preceding chapters have carefully illustrated the phases of the heritage marketing process. Once the precise examination and cataloguing of the tangible and intangible legacy are well advanced, and the budget and organisational responsibilities have been defned, the company can begin to select its mix of operational tools for achievement of the heritage development objectives. As argued in the introductory theoretical chapters, the company’s history becomes a factor of diferentiation, a source of competitive advantage and a powerful tool for stakeholder engagement. In operational terms, the narrative, recounted through storytelling, is the key to distinguishing and communicating the organisational identity and then continuing the paths and experiences that make the ofer of products and services unique. As Burghausen and Balmer (2014) have pointed out, companies can draw on many diferent tools to involve the diferent types of stakeholders and develop the multidimensional nature of the identity contained in their heritage. Drawing on our previous works (Riviezzo et al., 2015; Riviezzo et al., 2016; Napolitano et al., 2018; Garofano et al., 2020) and from the current observations of the 20 historic frms, we propose a classifcation of potential tools (Figure 4.1), reducing the heritage marketing “kit” to four essential categories: •

•

•

•

Narrating through words, images, sounds: includes all tools and activities where the story is expressed through words, images and sounds, regardless of the medium, for example, from the most traditional “paper-based” media to those using computerised technologies, such as websites and social networks. Narrating through products and brands: all activities carried out to position and communicate the brand and/or the product through its heritage, particularly by leveraging evocative and emotional elements – such as historically symbolic brands, aspects of product design, other elements that contribute to retrobranding and the revival or continuation of historic products. Narrating through places: this category refers to all the places and structures serving to preserve, enhance and transmit the company’s historical memory, such as the original factories, headquarters and plant systems, but also newly founded corporate museums and archives, as well as points of sale. Narrating through celebrations and relationships: this category includes events, celebrations of the important stages, milestones and personalities, and participation in associations and networking of historic companies at national and international levels.

In reality many of the actions used to develop the cultural–historic patrimony of companies would ft in more than one of the above categories. For example,

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Narrating through words, images, sounds

65

Narrating through products and brands

Companies monographs Special occasions and thematic pubblications

Heritage production processes

Lea lets, brochures, handouts

Original raw materials

House newsletters and magazines

Distinctive skills

Collection, reprint and re-release of historic media coverage Re-use of historic advertising

Iconic products

Corporate videos

Retrobranding

Historic ilm and video clips

Limited editions

Feature-lenght documentaries and ilms Websites

Heritage branding Visual identity

Packaging Merchandising materials

Social networks Blogs, Forums, online communities

Narrating through places

Narrating through celebrations and relationships

Archives

Anniversary events

Museums

Temporary exhibitions, displays

Foundations

Conventions, workshops

Factory tours

Other cultural events

Industrial archaeology

Participation in events organised by others

Sales points

Sponsorships

Historic headquarters, factories, plants

Participation in associations

Other associated lands, structures and properties

Figure 4.1 A classifcation of the main heritage marketing tools

the implementation of a museum would involve written and probably audiovisual material, as well as communication of brands. Likewise, the organisation of celebratory events would draw on materials from the company archives. The categorisation we provide is exemplary and not exhaustive, since the range of potential tools is infnite and subject to continuing innovation and development. The purpose of the framework is therefore to organise study and management tasks within comprehensible perimeters, and to stimulate greater abundance and richness of developments by providing a diferentiated starting framework.

4.3

Narrating through words, images and sound

The most common narrative tool at the moment is probably that of using words and images on the company website to retrace the signifcant stages, in a sort of “time-machine” presentation of capsule summaries. However, looking at

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our 20 cases, we can begin to conceive of the potential breadth and variety of tools using images and words to develop the organisational patrimony, particularly concerning products. Looking at just four companies – Poli Distillerie, Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza, Tela Umbra and Albergian – we already see social media, corporate videos, broadcast commercials, exhibitions and thematic publications, plus more. Poli Distillerie uses an extremely wide range of tools to narrate its identity and its values. The most broadly accessible would be the company website, hosting a large section dedicated to the company’s roots and providing access to many documents scanned from the company’s archive, as well as videos illustrating the company’s historic path. The two Poli museums also use videos, accompanying the visits and explanations ofered by on-site staf. The company identifes budget lines and staf time for management of an “e-newsletter” and two social media platforms. The company also uses more traditional paper tools: brochures, mini-catalogues and product information available in the shops and museums or included with product shipments, also the full-length book Grappa: Spirito Italiano/Italian Spirit, written by Jacopo Poli, conveying the love and dedication for the product expressed by the family over more than a century of history. Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza, the fashion company, also narrates heritage using a wide range of tools. The most traditional is the entrepreneurial biography issued in 2011, called Una famiglia tra il Risorgimento e l’Europa. However, the company also continues to explore and invest diligently in Internet tools, beginning from a website full of graphics that constantly link to the company’s cultural–historic patrimony. The platform contains a dedicated section on the company history, itself divided into six subsections, fully illustrated and with devices for visitor interaction. The images, words and interactions convey the traditional skills of working wool, the company’s industrial innovation and fashion leadership, its history of international social involvement, and the roles of the diferent family members, on up to the modern technologies and fashions. The company’s continuous exploration of new potential tools emerges in its increasing use of social networks such as Facebook and Instagram, the latter of which is particularly rich with heritage images. The Tela Umbra cooperative weaves the two stories of their ancient art and the famous founders into every. The website is heavily weighted to illustrating the patrimony of the current commercial ofer, also appearing in the museum brochures. The company tells its historic past through endless stories of Alice Hallgarten and Baron Leopoldo Franchetti, running through a series of pages on the Internet site and in paper-based publications. A press clippings section of the website leads to further links, announcing historic-themed theatre events, salons, community meals, other academic, fashion and social events, all linking patrimony with modern production. Many of these events are documented in videos that can be opened through the website links. Albergian, the Piedmontese speciality foods company, unites past and present through multiple tools. The company history is detailed in the

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website and can be accessed by linking to a QR code placed on the products. A short video is distributed via YouTube and used in points of sale. However, the most passionate storytelling is clearly by Adriano Tillino, in the 400-page book Sogni e fatiche del Cit. Il mio mondo, la mia famiglia, il mio paese, published in 2013 and dedicated to his son Giacomo. In this book, the author intertwines family memories with the story of the company, the village of Pragelato and the home Piedmontese valley, but also with the main historic events since the late 19th century extending to Italy, France and the global context. The publication of a “business biography” serves as a particularly efective way of telling the narrative, strengthening the company identity and communicating its guiding values. The substantial dimension and scope of these works make it possible to conduct and present in-depth research into all the stages of an organisation’s journey, celebrating the most important actors. The traditional printed book is now accompanied or even replaced by distribution of all or parts of the story on the Internet. The research and writing of the monograph can be entrusted to internal personnel or contracted to professionals and publishing houses. The latter approach can also lead to wider channels of communication and distribution. Despite their value, research on a signifcant sample1 shows that only 17% of historic Italian frms have published a company biography (Napolitano et al., 2018), although for medium-to-large sized companies2 the frequency becomes 38% (Riviezzo et al., 2016). Among the 20 companies investigated here, a substantial share has used the institutional biography, often published on the anniversary of a founding event, as the frst approach to implementing a heritage strategy. Fabbri, the food products company, places heavy emphasis on the richly illustrated book in Italian and English Cento Anni Fabbri/Fabbri, 100 Years, as part of its complex mix of heritage marketing tools. The archival and oral history research for this book led to the recovery of anecdotes that contribute a very personal feel. The book reproduces posters and advertisements dating to the early 1900s, continues with images from the very early forays into television advertising, and on up to the most recent campaigns, as well as tracing the evolution of the famous blue vase containing the trademark Amarena cherry preserves. The company also carried the Cento Anni Fabbri title over in related special events and presentations – most notably a curated group exhibition of 26 artists, all working on the theme of the vase. The Birra Peroni journey is recounted in a book published in 1996, celebrating 150 years since the company’s founding. This, the frst ever investment targeted at developing the Peroni historic patrimony, was produced in unabridged and summary editions. The author of both the books related that “This was for diferent audiences. We immediately sent the full version to all the national media and big Italian companies. Newspapers and magazines excerpted a lot and ran full stories and whole spreads on the company. [. . .] Years later we still present the big volume to visitors, and we can see it makes a good impression [. . .] we keep a fle of compliments and thanks from politicians,

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famous journalists, politicians. [. . .] The short version we use more in day-today public relations with customers, intermediaries, at events.” Other companies have also designed diferent publications for diferent audiences: for internal use, for presentation to important strategic contacts, for direct marketing in the book trade. In almost all cases, these publications are rich in photographs, advertising art, and other historic and contemporary graphics. The scope of contents and design makes them uniquely complete and in-depth tools for conveying the image, philosophy and history of the company, compared to what is possible via Internet, for example. In Guzzini’s case, the copious material collected by the iGuzzini Study Centre for the creation of the company archive was used for several richly illustrated publications. Among these: Cultura di una regione italiana. Le Marche, i Guzzini e il Design, published in 2002 and written by Augusto Morello, one of the leading theorists and practitioners in the feld of Italian industrial design. The book La famiglia come valore imprenditoriale was published in 2009, on the 50th anniversary of iGuzzini Illuminazione. The director of the Study Centre reports that this particular publication was conceived as a tool for strengthening the organisational identity and the sense of belonging, and that it is given to all employees as soon as they join the Guzzini world. The book Infnito design italiano came out during the centenary of parent Guzzini company in 2012, and provides a historic recounting through alternating commentaries by family members and personalities from Italian design. This volume, unlike the previous one, immediately entered wide commercial distribution, with the aim of strengthening the company and product image among its end customers. In addition to the celebration of an anniversary, companies have also published their stories at the moment of inaugurating new operations and spaces, and at other calculated moments in the company’s organisational evolution. Montegrappa commissioned the biography of Gianfranco Aquila in 2011, as the 100th anniversary of the company founding was approaching; however, this was also seen as a strategic means of re-establishing the corporate identity following on a series of strategic and ownership changes over the previous 10 years. The book Il Signore delle Penne is a testimony not only to the fgure of the long-time president, but more generally to the company’s deep continuing commitment to his principles. The organisational story, told from the point of view of its leading personality, pays tribute to all the family members, business partners, celebrities and skilled employees, past and present, who have built the business and its traditions. Above all, it reveals the personal characteristics and entrepreneurial values of this family business. As with other companies the issue of this new publication was used as the focus of special events and communications in the local, national and international communities. For Filippo Catarzi, the publication of the institutional biography again came as the 100th anniversary approached and subsequent to important developments for the family company and the market sector. The book Intrecci da Capogiro (literally “Weaving to Make Your Head Spin”) was a key early step

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in the heritage marketing strategy for a company that in the era of the woven “boater” hat had been a dominant player. The company commissioned the regional Museo della Paglia e dell’Intreccio (literally “Museum of Straw and Weaving”) for the necessary research and editorial work. The book is conceived and structured in a manner that explores the history of Catarzi as representative of the more general history of the area and its community. The development of the book represented a signifcant investment for the company, and was one of a number of special events and media actions aimed at the specifc objective of reintegrating and socialising with the entire community, through celebration of a long and economically important tradition. As with other companies, Catarzi continues to draw on the materials and knowledge developed for the publication in further marketing actions, including on Internet. The frst illustrated history of Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni was published in 1928, the company’s centennial year, and is now quoted on the collectors’ market. In the last two decades there have been at least four major publications, of which the most recent is REALE è la nostra storia. Each publication examines diferent themes and presents the company narrative from the view of a diferent historiographic moment. However, a consistent aspect is the linkage of the company with the great personages and events of Italian and European sociopolitical history, always conveying the message that this corporate patrimony relates to the preservation of the personal patrimony of all the company’s clients. The companies examined also use other print instruments alongside the institutional biography, such as publications on a specifc product line, general brochures and booklets accompanying single products. A few of the companies have issued monograph series and periodicals for general distribution. House newsletters, distributed on paper or particularly on Internet, are generally designed to reach beyond the internal stakeholders. In all of these vehicles, the company is able to draw on its entire archive of previous word and image materials, back to the earliest days: advertising posters, press clippings and ads, postcards, photographs, copies of correspondence and administrative records, early television advertisements and other multimedia materials. Fratelli Branca Distillerie narrates the company story in the 2015 publication Branca. Sulle ali dell’eccellenza (literally “Branca. On the Wings of Excellence”). The title is a reference to the company brand showing an eagle with outspread wings descending on the planetary globe. The book explores the company’s frst 170 years through the phases of international development, the origins of its many brands, its history of graphic arts and advertising, and includes an entertaining section on cocktail recipes. The company also uses printed materials produced specifcally for the Collezione Branca museum. Another “niche” publication was developed for the inauguration of the newly restored Torre Branca, a Modernist steel tower originally built for the Fifth Milan Triennial, in 1933. The company then draws on the text and illustrations researched for these publications for the design and operation of the company website. In all these materials, the narration of the company identity

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and evolution is fanked by illustrations of events and people, distinctive design elements, iconic brands and logos. Pirelli has put out numerous publications describing the overall story and specifc aspects of the group’s evolution and cultural–historic patrimony. Among the more specifc is the photographic work Pirelli. Cent’anni per lo sport, published in 2007 on the 100th anniversary of the frst sponsorship of sports events, and La Pubblicità con la P maiuscola, dedicated to a series of famous print and marketing campaigns beginning in the 1970s. The more general business and social history volumes include Pirelli. Racconti di lavoro. Uomini, machine, idee, published in 2009 and concentrating on the history of Pirelli labour and the factory foor, with illustrations drawn from the archives; Progetto Bicocca, dealing more with company protagonists, and fnally the biographical Leopoldo Pirelli. Valori e passioni di un uomo d’impresa, published in 2011. As with other companies, Piaggio has drawn on authors of established expertise for the preparation of important publications. Tommaso Fanfani, professor of economic history at the University of Pisa, prepared the work Una leggenda verso il futuro: 110 anni di storia della Piaggio. One of the most recent publications comes from Piaggo FastForward, a subsidiary company focused on multidisciplinary innovation in the area of light transport and robotics. The prestigious and attractive publication “FuturPiaggo: 6 Italian Lessons on Mobility and Modern Life” is written by Jefrey Schnapp, designer, historian and founder of the Stanford Humanities Lab. In addition to these works on organisational history, there are countless publications on the diva of the company, the Vespa scooter, and on the other vehicle and motorcycle brands forming part of the group: Ape, Gilera, Moto Guzzi. Although the large share of these publications is produced by external authors and publishers, Piaggio is more than willing to share archival information to bring them to reality. In this section, we also provide brief consideration of tools using images and sound, apart from primarily text-based narratives: historic television commercials and sponsored series, flm documentaries, newly produced videos and images circulated in social media, etc. Italy is particularly rich in archival holdings of industrial and business documentaries starting from the 1930s, particularly useful for tracing links with national, economic and social history. In some cases, the companies themselves engaged important directors to prepare a version of the company story or produce specifc advertising spots. In our previous more extensive survey of Italian historic companies (Napolitano et al., 2018), we found that 16% were using videos and related media as vehicles of institutional presentation or celebration of events, with the share rising to 38% in the population limited to medium to large companies. Among the current 20 case studies, Filippo Catarzi and E. Marinella, both in the clothing accessories sector, Strega Alberti and Fabbri, in food and drink, and Pirelli have all made substantial investments in producing videos. Pirelli makes extensive use of new multimedia tools to promote the organisational heritage: on the corporate website and through social networks such

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as YouTube and Instagram. On the Pirelli Foundation archive and museum site, we can fnd interactive visits, page through historic advertising art, view specially produced historic vignettes, and link outward into the social networks. On the corporate website the video series “Pirelli: an Italian in the World” reconstructs key stages in the group’s history through a series of vignettes. In 2017, the foundation commissioned the production of the documentary “Leopoldo Pirelli – Industrial commitment and civic culture,” distributed by Sky media group. In the 1920s, Gennaro Fabbri commissioned Ceramica Gatti of Faenza for the design and production of the frst of the vases that became the company symbol. From the outset, Fabbri collaborated with graphic artists, and the family was among the frst to promote the company image through radio advertising and the new medium of television. On its YouTube channel, the modern company provides the full series of vignettes recounted by the Fabbri cartoon character “Pirate Salomone,” from the popular 1950s and 1960s television show Carosello. Also promoted are a series of 1950s vignettes showing contemporary artists at work, likewise from the Carosello show, consistently concluding with the artist enjoying a toast of a Fabbri liqueur. Other companies among our group of 20 have also revived brief clips of scenes from early television and flm media that include their brand signage and products, some instantly associated with famous actors and directors. The aim is to show how the brand has been integral to sociocultural trends through all the decades. These appearances were almost always the result of independent choices by the producers and directors with the aim of exploiting the cultural meaning of the product as part of the setting or narrative, not at all like modern agreements for product placements in flms and video games. Strega Alberti places heavy emphasis on communicating its brand heritage through the products themselves, but also using words and images. The company frequently posts images and details from historic posters, photos and advertising cards on the company social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube). This is one of the companies that also insert historic video clips on their YouTube channel, reproducing TV advertisements and clips from fction flms featuring brand signage and appearances of the liqueur in its characteristic bottle, from as early as the 1940s and 1950s. All of the Guzzini Group companies have had product appearances in flm and TV. The director of the iGuzzini Study Centre reported “Virgilio Guzzini, founder of Teuco [1972, part of the group] had another company that made theatre and flm sets, and it was thanks to him that our products turned up in all sorts of places.” Virgilio’s companies were tied in with Cinecittà, the Rome studios responsible for the great cinema and TV productions of the post-war, and so there were many appearances of Fratelli Guzzini and iGuzzini products in the flms of the time. Within the company there is even a story that a soundproof transparent booth, produced by Teuco and used in a famous quiz show, was the inspiration for the introduction of the acrylic shower booth in the entire global market sector.

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For at least 70 years, an important part of Fabbri marketing has been its sponsorship of Italian cooking programmes, associated with famous chefs, professional culinary schools, scenic locations and other strategic themes. The Fabbri website and social media continue to feature a mixture of new videos and clips from the historic productions, always featuring set designs that draw on elements of the Fabbri white and blue vase. Poli Distillerie managed to convince RAI, the Italian public television network, to produce an entire mini-series, “From Father to Daughter,” using the company distilleries as the main setting. The drama centres on the emancipation of the daughters of Giovanni Franza, fctional father and grappa distiller, from the 1950s to the 1980s. Each episode, broadcast free to air in 2017, achieved between 6 and 7 million viewers. The series obviously attracted signifcant attention to Poli Distillerie, as well as communicating the traditions of the entire sphere of grappa production in the Veneto region. The most recent frontiers of word and image narrating lie on the Internet. Apart from all the dynamics possible on the institutional websites, these can also link to other tools – YouTube sites, Facebook, Instagram, blogs and other forms of online socialisation. As of 2016, 64% of Italian historic companies were using the company website to narrate their heritage, 87% in the case of 238 medium–large companies (Riviezzo et al., 2016; Napolitano et al., 2018). However, only 19% of historic companies (37% of the medium–large ones) were using social networks to tell their story in a more interactive way, and only 1% reported that they “regularly” used social networks to convey heritage messages. From our earlier broader investigations and the current focus on the cases of 20 companies, we are convinced of the importance of developing the company’s heritage through social media. Piaggio Group, Fabbri, Birra Peroni, Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, Ascione and Fondazione Banco di Napoli, for example, have all exploited the communicative potential of the Internet, in a manner linking heritage with feelings of innovation, tribal belonging, inclusion and direct communication. Piaggo Group makes intense and lively use of websites, video vignettes and social networks in its heritage marketing. Around the world, at any time, customers and other stakeholders can immediately interact with the history of the products, learning something of the links between the modern models and the storied products. All of these tools descend from a concept of sharing that the company has promoted since the days of the very frst Vespas in the 1950s. As soon as the then directors realised the possibilities, they began to actively promote contacts with the clubs of users and fans that sprang up. The modern Piaggio Group continues to support these clubs, linking them in with special events and supporting the publication of collector and classic Vespa publications. These groups are also linked via the social networks, drawing them in as ambassadors of the brand and its history. The Fabbri food products company is among those most active in using web-based media to convey its guiding heritage values. In addition to the main website, there are also investments in social networks, particularly on Facebook,

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where at the time of our current research, the three services – the company main page, Amarena Fabbri page and Fabbri YouTube TV channel – totalled about 100,000 friends. This community was fed with almost daily changes in content, as well as being able to access the complete series of Fabbri features from the Carosello TV shows of the late 20th century. Birra Peroni also makes calculated use of Internet to tell its story, beginning from the opening page of the company website and from there continuing through the “Tradition” pages, with the welcome to the archives, virtual museum tour, detailed storytelling and interactive pages, including historic flm and TV vignettes, and the possibility of user searches for specifc subjects in the photo collections. The company conveys the same centrality of heritage in social media. The Birra Peroni YouTube channel opens immediately with a video heavily weighted towards the theme of Peroni’s Italian heritage. The company’s LinkedIn page and @Birra-Peroni Twitter feed are equally designed to communicate the same heritage messages. Visitors to the general Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni website can also enter the museum area, where they will fnd a short video retracing company history since 1828 and introducing the exhibits and archival holdings. The video links outwards to the Reale Mutua Facebook page, where the company intermittently inserts more heritage related material. At the time of our research, Ascione had recently completed a redesign of its entire presentation, including a substantial Internet presence. The heritage message is more heavily conveyed by the visual design of the site, by texts evoking heritage links, by the power of images of the jewellery itself, all of these constantly referencing the innovations and traditions of Ascione design. From the main pages on the Casa and its collections, the visitor can then link through to the museum pages, with interactive timelines, photo albums, detailed stories and anecdotes. All of these pages also link outwards to YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, where followers fnd more up-to-date news, images and impromptu video clips. A constant theme of this social-network material is the heritage link with the local community of Napoli – itself representing one of the company’s core markets. Finally, the Fondazione Banco di Napoli museum and archives ilCartastorie (roughly translated as “PaperStories”) presents a particularly interesting case. In 2016, ilCartastorie opened the permanent project Kaleidos, designed by a team of historians, architects and specialists in cinematography, music and multimedia narration, coordinated by the Neapolitan artist Stefano Gargiulo. The museum visitor enters a labyrinth of rooms within the Foundation’s historic building, with images and sounds inserted in the archival stacks. Pausing at diferent viewing points, and using touch screens, the visitor enters into dimensions of time and space beyond the archival rooms, sampling the millions of stories contained within the documents. The Kaleidos project is part of a much broader policy of developing the company’s heritage experiences, involving programmes and activities ranging from guided visits to writing workshops, exhibitions, street theatre and apps for mobile devices.

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4.4

Narrating through products and brands

In most of the 20 cases investigated, the heritage marketing strategy is ultimately based on brand and product identity. The corporate heritage is developed through a series of communicative tools that enhance the longevity and history of the brand (Urde et al., 2007). The brand itself becomes a powerful means of communicating the company cultural–historic patrimony, diferentiating it from competitors, and establishing a privileged dialogue with customers based on the evocative power of memory (Riviezzo et al., 2016). Numerous scholars have analysed the historic dimension of the brand, proposing diferent interpretative keys and associated communicative values. Among the 20 companies investigated, Strega Alberti, Fratelli Branca Distillerie and Birra Peroni provide good examples of the breadth and variety of tools used to exploit organisational heritage through products and brands. Since the 1860s, when Giuseppe Alberti coined the “Strega” name, the trademark brand has been the company’s most important communications tool. The reference to the founding myth of the strega, or “witch” of Benevento, provided an immediate link with the territory and evocative suggestions of secrecy, exclusivity and rarity of ingredients. These traits immediately became part of the brand personality, and have always been maintained through its identifying symbols: the bottle shape, logo and label for the liqueur, and its brilliant safron colour. These distinctive elements are carried through in the preparation and packaging of the company’s other beverage and confectionary products and in all website and merchandising projects, including the design of the individual points of sale. The company still views the visual features of its products as the representative keys of its true identity. Retrobranding and heritage references are very frequent in numerous limited editions of products and packaging. Some of these are for special anniversaries, such as an edition of Strega liqueur for its 150th anniversary, or explore particular themes in the company’s art history: art nouveau, the romantic feminine imagery of the second post-war, or the company’s extensive association with Fortunato Depero, the artist famous for his Futurist work of the 1920s and 1930s. Visitors to the company website can download wallpapers, screensavers and e-cards featuring vintage posters. Finally, the company continues its decades-long tradition of packing its confectionaries in reusable tins, ornamented with images from the company’s advertising art. For Fratelli Branca Distillerie too, the heritage of brand image is a core thread of the marketing strategy. In 1895, the Branca brothers commissioned the Trieste-based artist Leopoldo Metlicovitz for the creation of its “globe” logo, with an eagle descending from above, a bottle of Fernet-Branca frmly grasped in its claws. This instantly recognisable graphic device continues unchanged, with the sole addition of the wording “since 1845.” Other continuing identifers used in all packaging and communications are the indication of the Milan headquarters in Italy, and the signature Fratelli Branca, conveying the family dimension. The marketing strategies include retrobranding operations, such as limited editions on important anniversaries and lines of merchandise

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featuring the company’s Art Nouveau and Modernist posters. There are also tribal competitions involving the logo as a tattoo and special-edition logo coin collecting, and special issues of logo shot glasses and t-shirts. Birra Peroni pursues heritage branding as a pillar of its corporate and product strategies. The main brands faithfully maintain label designs, bottle shapes and colours traceable through the decades, always with the prominent script “since 1846.” In 2016, the company created TV and Internet commercials extolling the use of the same brewing recipes, “with passion for 170 years.” The ad closed with the marketing image of six limited-edition bottles reproducing the main phases of the company’s graphic branding: from 1910, 1930, 1935, 1960, 1964 and 1980. Other classic retrobranding operations were the issue of limited-edition cans for the 170th anniversary, and bottles with labels dating to the 1950s in the 150th year of the founding of the modern Italian nation. In 2016, the company undertook another retrobranding operation of much wider scope, with the resumption of production at the historic Itala Pilsen brewery in the city of Padua, where the brand was born in 1919 before passing to the Peroni Group in the 1950s. As discussed in the previous sections, management of brand heritage requires vision and desire at the top management level, followed by the assessment of the potentials (Urde et al., 2007). Given the infnite choices available to consumers, companies with extensive assets of tradition and experience have a better basis for establishing relationships of trust and empathy. The development of brand heritage emphasises the aspects of reliable, authentic and legitimate relations between the company and its present and past stakeholders (Balmer, 2011; Balmer et al., 2006). Fondazione Banco di Napoli, Poli Distillerie and Albergian provide vivid examples of this kind of communication. The strategy of the Fondazione Banco di Napoli is fully expressed in the creation of ilCartastorie, a new brand identifying the entire heritage programme carried out by the parent foundation, but focused on the archives and museum. The name, roughly translatable as “PaperStories,” and the graphic design of the new brand provide a more dynamic version of the overall foundation logo. The director commented that “The aim was to build from the logo of the foundation: the four logos of the banks that long ago came together as the modern Bank of Naples. For ilCartastorie the individual coats of arms become simplifed coloured sectors in a dynamic shield design. Across this runs the archive’s most characteristic feature – traces of handwriting from our vast holdings of original documents. In fact, when you enter the archive the frst thing that strikes you is the massive presence of volumes ancient documents. In the ilCartastorie logo we have the part carta, or “paper”, in the colour of ancient parchment, and storie or “histories”, narratives, stories, in the colour of the coat of arms of the frst of the four founding banks, born in 1539.” The Poli Distillerie branding strategies refect the company’s heavy emphasis on heritage marketing. The company was founded in 1898 by GioBatta Poli. In recent decades the name was simplifed, removing the reference to “GioBatta,” and adding the slogan “Jacopo Poli, master grappa distiller in Schiavon,”

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later becoming “Poli, distillers since 1898,” and then simply “Poli 1898.” The bottle, label and container designs for all the individual products include elements referencing the brand. The heritage links are most strongly evidenced in an exclusive “Museum Poli” line of products. Under the current generation of owners, Albergian determined that its core marketing strategy would be “Speciality by Tradition.” Given this, the company has invested carefully in products and brand designs intended to express genuine territorial roots in the Italian Alps, and loyalty to ingredients, recipes and methods since 1908. The brand label contains multiple graphic and written messages to this efect: the dominant cursive script of “Albergian,” the subscripts Pragelato Piemonte 1908/Specialità per Tradizione; alongside this the image of a mountain maid, her apron full of fresh ingredients, with a mountain landscape and village in the distance, all surrounded by wreaths of fowers and fruit. Apart from the core brand, all of the products are equally dense with graphics, images and wording containing heritage messages. For example, the overall packages of the liqueurs Genepy, Antico Amaro di Pragelato and Elisir del Prete are clearly the products of 21st century design, but with details transporting the potential consumer to idealised times and places. Shop signage, staf clothing and details such as confection wrappers show solely the “Albergian” name, in the same cursive script and bold red as the core label. Albergian is not the only case where the visual communication of the brand identity is fanked by factual details of the narrative story: the year of foundation, place of origin, name of the family, the awards, prizes and so on. The brand identity is founded in historic memories, making it a credible promise of reliable and authentic relations. In many cases, the emotional bond also arises from a nostalgia efect, created through a series of associations with a specifc era. The “retrobranding” strategy is a specifc case, in which a contemporary product designed to meet current needs and tastes is continued or revived through references to a historic brand (Brown, 2001; Brown et al., 2003). Although retrobranding operations for the rediscovery and reissue of past products represent a useful tool for heritage marketing, only 4% of Italian historic companies report their use (Napolitano et al., 2018), with the share reaching 9% for medium–large companies (Riviezzo et al., 2016). However, in the 20 companies under investigation we can observe a number of cases of restyling historic products in a modern key. Piaggio ofers an excellent example, with their special versions of the Vespa PX, Vespa GTS and Vespa Primavera, marketed in the 70th anniversary of the group’s fagship Vespa scooter: new vehicles with technical characteristics at the forefront of the sector, but also featuring unmistakable references to their proud historic past, completely distinguishing them from the Asian competition. Other examples of retrobranding and restyling include Guzzini – with its vintage line, launched in 2002 to celebrate the company’s 90th anniversary; Amarelli  – with its Sassolini, or liquorice “Pebbles,” revived in the 1990s after a 40-year lapse; Pirelli, with technologically updated editions of the Cinturato, one of the world’s frst steel-belted radial tires. Here we very briefy discuss the cases

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of Fabbri in food products, and Filipppo Catarzi, originally the makers of straw hats. In addition to the immediate communication provided by the Fabbri 1905 brand, in blue and white graphics derived from the famous Amarena ceramic vase, the company engages in constant operations of product rediscoveries and retrobranding. Limited anniversary editions, packaging design and publications retracing history all serve to evoke the loyalties and emotional relations established in times past. The leading protagonist in all this is undoubtedly the Fabbri vase, appearing in countless forms and versions, constantly “redressed” in new looks for important anniversaries, referenced in the designs of all sales points, inserted in all commercial relations, subject even of curated art exhibitions, and fnally a focal point of the company museum opened in the 2005 centenary year. Filippo Catarzi includes the founding date, 1910, in the redesigned company brand and on every product tag and button. The company has invested heavily in retrobrand product design, taking the classic shapes of the original hat-making forms, jealously preserved in the company warehouses, and from these developing new inspirations of form, material and colour. The company website and trade activities, particularly for the top Catarzi 1910 line, refer to preserved traditions and convey a sense of vintage values rediscovered in exclusively innovative styles. From the cases cited earlier, it becomes clear that one of the most recurrent expressions of brand heritage is communication of the date of founding. In fact, 29% of historic companies indicate the year of origin in their brand, a share reaching 35% for medium–large companies (Riviezzo et  al., 2016). Among our 20 case studies, there is also frequent inclusion of a visual symbol, such as discussed in the cases of Fondazione Banco di Napoli (the coats of arms of founding banks) and Fratelli Branca Distillerie (the eagle and globe). In the 1960s, the original Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza (literally “Piacenza Brothers’ Woollen Mills”) was reformulated as simply Fratelli Piacenza. The logo design concentrates still further on the wording Piacenza Cashmere, placed above the date “1733,” in turn centred around a prominent thistle fower on a red background block. The executive director explains: “Thistle fowers have been used for millennia in the ‘teasing’ stage and for our fnest wool processing we still use them. It’s a traditional crop, available only from Spain. Thousands of the dried fowers are mounted in long brushes. The fabric passes under these and the spines tease out the flaments, making the softest, warmest product.” The company views the stylised thistle as the perfect symbol for the brand messages of tenacity, refnement and faithfulness to noble traditions, all designed to instil customer appeal and trust. As already noted, the Albergian logo is crammed with text references to company history and visual ones to the Piedmont Alps, including the mountain maid holding her overfowing basket of fruits and fowers. This current design is the result of profound research and consideration. Through the 20th century, the company had accumulated a proliferation of product names, labels

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and designs, often unrelated, on products ranging from jams, jellies, preserved fruits and biscuits to ancient formulas of medicinal bitters. The script chosen for the current brand is taken from the lettering of a 1940s logo. The girl in traditional dress stands against a background of a highland valley, with croplands disappearing in the distance; a distant eagle symbolises the majesty of the mountains, reigning over all; the bee buzzing over the wreaths of fowers reminds us of sweet honeys and liqueurs. Accompanying this detailed logo is a second simplifed version, limited to the characteristic script “Albergian” in the core red colour, used as a base identifer. In this manner, brands with a strong visual identity of their own, such as Elisir del Prete – which predates the company by 50 years and bears a portrait of the friendly priest, pouring himself a glass – can be tied into an overall company image, consistently celebrating heritage values. The current Fabbri company name follows on the previous “G. Fabbri Award-Winning Distillery,” which was itself the successor to several other names associated with diferent generational structures. Like Albergian, Fabbri had developed a wide range of logos used on disparately packaged products. With the last change of name, in 1999, the decision was made to gather all products under a sole logo derived from the elegant Belle Époque style of the early 20th century, frst applied in the decorative lettering of the famous white and blue vase. The “new” “Fabbri 1905” is designed to be simultaneously “robust, elegant and historically evocative.” Given its original sponsorship by the Royal House of Savoy, Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni has always maintained a suggestion of royal heraldry in its communications, even after the Kingdom of Italy was constitutionally extinguished in 1946. In a rebranding process in progress at the time of our research, the company had developed both a multifunctional logo emphasising the unifying word “REALE,” and a more detailed pictogram for specifc uses containing the coat of arms of Carlo Felice, King of Sardinia and Piedmont, the reigning monarch and frst policy holder at the time of the company’s foundation. In the preceding text, we have examined a series of tools communicating heritage through the brand and product: the forms, colour and designs of products; the design of the logo itself, including additional wording and fanking symbols; retrobranding, redesigns and other functional, visual and stylistic inspirations drawn from past products. In our previous research, we found that a small share of medium–large historic Italian companies had also launched a commercial programme aimed specifcally at merchandising products inspired by a heritage theme, but not part of the company’s core economic sector. Among the 20 cases investigated, Piaggio Group was clearly the most active in this area. The group marketing director reported that 80% of sales in merchandising consisted of heritage products: posters, postcards, games, decals, scale models, men’s and women’s bags, vintage helmets and scooter tail bags, watches and clocks, smartphone accessories, even “Vespa style” digital cameras and kitchen accessories, plus a vast clothing range from t-shirts to technical gear.

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A “Memorabilia” project, aimed at dealer outlets, ofers sales displays featuring vintage products, designed as a further emanation of the museum. As a fnal example of the detailed level of strategy: in 2016, the Museum arranged with the Italian Postal Service for a special philatelic cancellation, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Vespa, available only via the gift shop. In addition to all of these actions and tools exalting the distinctive characteristics of the brand and product, there are those that concern the production processes themselves: the raw materials, the unique skills and their territorial associations. Our cases include Confetti Pelino, Tela Umbra, Albergian and Amarelli. Confetti Pelino is particularly focused on conveying the handcrafted nature of the product, the territorial linkages, the scrupulous adherence to tradition and methods – all this “since 1783 in Sulmona,” clearly stated in the logo. The packaging and website presentation are clean and simple, almost always keeping the product directly in view through transparent materials, as a further communication of purity, simplicity and honesty. A rare exception would be the limited edition of Confetti di Ovidio, marking the bimillenium of the death of the poet Ovid, born in Sulmona. In this case, the front of the retrobrand box shows a detail from the statue of Ovid, the original of which is situated in one of town’s central plazas – but still with the transparent window on the back. The product name is in the style of carved stone lettering, and the text explains how these same confetti were appreciated by the ancient Romans. As we have seen, the social and corporate aim of Tela Umbra has always been the preservation of a territorial tradition and its benefts to the local community. Apart from the image of the founding couple of Baron and Alice Franchetti, the company’s Internet and point-of-sale presence constantly refers to the authentic territoriality of the products and traditions, the sourcing of pure silk and linen fbres, and the great Renaissance tradition of fne laces and fabrics in relation to the local community. The logo evokes these connections in the fgures of two women in historic dresses, one of them working on a handloom, backed by the words “Hand-Woven Linens Since 1908.” Albergian’s packaging consistently evokes the qualities and sensations of Piedmontese landscapes and natural foods. In the previous sections, we reviewed the extravagantly detailed imagery of the “mountain maid” label. On the lid of a 100th anniversary tin, we fnd the inspiration for the label – a reproduction of an early-20th century promotional postcard showing the family hotel in Pragelato, with girls in traditional dress standing in the village road, baskets laden with fowers and produce. Inside the tin is an 80-page commemorative booklet packed with more images and information on the company’s roots in Piedmont culture and history. The current Amarelli logo is directly derived from a version used in the 19th century, featuring the date of founding and company name in elaborate period script. The company’s e-merchandise page opens with the logo clearly in view, above a vast selection of retrobrand and modern versions of pocket-sized tins of pure liquorice wafers, known in the national and international trade as

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“medallions.” The original versions, now prized by collectors, were produced in designs appealing diferently to the English, French and Italian markets and to men, women and children. Alongside these retroproducts are new medallions commissioned from noted graphic artists, sometimes as part of fundraising initiatives for social initiatives.

4.5

Narrating through places

Another category of organisational narrative instrument is the “place of memory” or lieux de mémoire (Nora, 1989). The historic business ofces and production facilities and the contemporary structures of archives and museums are the tangible places where stakeholders can discover and access the company’s narrative base. In these places the company preserves the physical foundations that still support the organisational future. Among the 20 companies investigated, many use more than one place to preserve and develop their cultural–historic patrimony. For Martini & Rossi, the most important places are undoubtedly the historic factories in Pessione di Chieri, established in 1864 alongside rail lines just outside of Turin. The visitor passes under the original gates, emblazoned with the company name in massive letters, reproductions of the royal arms and golden trade medals. Inside the company compound they arrive at the newly designed structure of Casa Martini. Here they can interact with more than 150 years of company life. Casa Martini encompasses the combined operations of the “Martini Museum of Oenological History”, established on the 100th anniversary of the Italian state, the company archives, the original company laboratories, the “Martini Cocktail Terrace” (one of the few remaining from a series of worldwide structures, heavily promoted in the 1950s), the “Academy Bar,” a “Botanicals Room,” and a gift and book shop. The company’s expansion and growth in world markets is vividly encapsulated, in particular in the Mondo Martini gallery, showcasing the art and graphic design of its advertising posters. The Pirelli Foundation is based in “Building 134,” a relatively small structure erected in the 1930s as part of the sprawling Pirelli complex that occupied the Bicocca industrial district of Milan. The building houses the company archives, comprising 3.5 linear kilometres of records, as well as the private Pirelli family holdings and a technical–scientifc library. Only a small portion of these materials predate a collection assembled in 1922, the company’s 70th year. These core holdings were removed to a protective location, and thus survived the bombings that destroyed the bulk of records towards the close of World War II. Most of the archives are open to the community at large. The materials are used extensively by researchers, and the technical library and archives play roles in university education, staf induction and professional development programmes. The foundation also organises guided tours for the non-specialist public, travelling exhibitions, “storytelling” and interactive consultation through the company website. In recent decades the company has divested much of its Bicocca real estate holdings in the interests of urban revitalisation. However, its presence

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remains strong, including in the form of two 10-story headquarters buildings in steel and glass, one of which encases the original factory cooling tower. Inside these imposing architectural monuments are meeting and reception rooms used for administrative and public events. These two new buildings face the Bicocca degli Arcimboldi, a 15th-century country villa purchased by the Pirelli family in 1918. The villa was the frst site of the Pirelli Museum founded in 1922, and is now the group’s main reception centre. Another important storytelling place is the “Pirelli Skyscraper” in mid-city Milan, built in 1956 to the designs of Gio Ponti and Pier Luigi Nevi. The former headquarters building is historically designated as a key work of modern architecture, also valued for its symbolism of the city of Milan and the phenomenon of post-war recovery. The skyscraper is now the seat of the government of the Region of Lombardy but remains strongly associated with the Pirelli image. Clearly aware of the importance of heritage places, the group has also opened smaller museums in association with other national production plants. The company archive is the reservoir of information and tangible materials feeding all other heritage marketing tools. As with all archival institutions the aims are both preservation and access, but in this case in support of the company’s strategic and operational purposes (Niebuhr Eulenberg, 1984). For organisations with a long history of changing ownership and production eras the documentary record can be fragmented and difcult to reconstruct, making it essential to draw on the expertise of professionals in archival sciences. Although all companies are legally required to practice records management, the operation of a heritage strategy requires management of other materials, such as packaging and advertising, graphic designs, technical drawings, prototypes, images and videos, none of which would be required under legislation. Among the overall population of Italian historic businesses, 17% operate an archive, with the share rising to 31% among medium–large companies (Riviezzo et  al., 2016). Among the 20 companies investigated here, many have delegated the archival responsibilities to a permanent professional staf, among these Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, Pirelli, Amarelli and Piaggio Group. In particular, Birra Peroni and Fondazione Banco di Napoli have based their heritage marketing strategy on their archives. The business records held by Birra Peroni date to the 19th-century founding and total near 500 linear metres. The Peroni archive is thus one of the more chronologically deep and complete among the 20 companies examined, and is recognised by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities for its signifcant historic interest and standards of management. Although the holdings are primarily of interest to researchers, they have been open to the general public since the 1990s. From the Birra Peroni website: “In addition to paper documentation, our archives also record our story in motion pictures (over 1400 flms and videos deposited at the National Archive of Business Cinema) and photographs (more than 10,000 images, beginning 1880). The archives are also responsible for the museum collections of packaging, point of sale materials, machinery and tools, and a library of over 1,000 books focused on the subjects

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of beer and business history.” The website enables basic searches of the documentary holdings and consultation of a large selection of photographs. The Fondazione Banco di Napoli holdings include centuries-old registers of creditors and debtors, copies of administrative journals and correspondence, and records of personal and business accounts. Apart from day-to-day information, the records also document the main organisational events of the Banco di Napoli and its predecessor institutions dating to the 1700s. All of these materials are invaluable sources for scholars of economics and the sociopolitical sciences. Here, for example, historians can study early fnancial instruments, such as “credit notes,” an early form of paper currency, or pandette, a form of collective business debt, but also issues concerning the relations between fnancial institutions, governments and society. The holdings represent an important basis for research into the relations of the banks with the crown and state, the population and the economy at large. The storytelling power of the holdings is best represented in ilCartastorie, the brand for the Foundation’s museum and community heritage programmes. The ilCartastorie museum spaces and art gallery are all housed in the Palazzo di Mayo, built in the late 18th century but incorporating earlier Roman and medieval structures. Not limited to this one place, the Foundation extends its activities to the surrounding city through events involving street theatre, lyrical music and opera. The museum is a powerful vehicle for communicating the organisational values in government, company to company and social relations, and for the promotion of internal dialogue among departments and personnel. The museum performs the functions of preservation and education, but also serves in public enjoyment. As of 2016, only a 7% share of Italian historic frms had developed a museum, reaching 16% for medium–large companies. Among the 20 companies selected for the current study, those with museums include Fondazione Banco di Napoli, Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni, Strega Alberti, Tela Umbra, Confetti Pelino, E. Marinella, Fabbri and Ascione. In the following paragraphs, we note the Pirelli, Poli Distillerie and Amarelli cases. The ability of the museum to provide proper storytelling depends on the efectiveness of its collections management, orchestration of its exhibition spaces, and operation of its education and communications activities. Pirelli established the “Historical Museum of Pirelli Industries” in its 50th anniversary year, 1922 – making it one of the world’s frst corporate museums. For this purpose, the company acquired the historic Bicocca villa and set aside the entrance and ground foor areas. Company employees were encouraged to contribute fnancially and through submission of materials. Initially the museum exhibited catalogues, documents and photographs, backed by large text panels explaining the company’s development and global operations. It was only later that the institution gained the collections, management and education policies characteristic of a true museum. The current director of the Pirelli Foundation remarks: “A business museum serves to preserve, but more so to recount an evolution. The museum can’t be just a collection of relics. Like a factory,

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like any business activity, it has to be a witness of contemporaneity. We have to manage the past so that it serves the future.” For Poli Distillerie, the Museo della Grappa is at the heart of the heritage marketing strategy. It was inaugurated in 1993 in one of the original production buildings. In 2010, a second location was created in the town of Schiavon, combined with a point of sale. The museum displays, accompanied by the many branding and communications tools described in the previous sections of this volume, achieve the common goal of recounting not only the identity of the family company but also the northern Italian “culture of grappa.” The Amarelli museum is a professionally designed facility developed within one of the production buildings on the family landholdings. Attached to the museum is the archive, conserving documents dating to 1445, recognised by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage for its holdings and standards of management. The Museo della Liquirizia Giorgio Amarelli, according to the managing director, “is a living organisation . . . its own small cultural frm.” In 2016, the number of visitors, confrmed by the Italian Touring Club, was 40,000, making it one of the most visited corporate museums in Italy. The corporate museum is a symbolically prestigious instrument of communications, strengthening the image with a range of stakeholders. As Brunninge (2009) recommends, the integration of the museum in the corporate culture and communications strategy requires alignment of the storytelling with the organisational and marketing aims. The corporate museum typically serves not only in developing the company heritage, but also that of surrounding community. Ascione, Tela Umbra and Fratelli Branca Distillerie confrm this observation. The Ascione Coral Museum recounts not only the story of the family and company, but also the traditions of coral jewellery within the Mediterranean area. As the president states, “The objects on display are from our private collections, sometimes reacquired on the market, but they’re really the heritage of our territory. They express the sacrifce of the coral fsherman, the creativity of the artist, the skills of the artisans, the expertise of the goldsmith, the wisdom and knowledge of techniques developed through two centuries of tradition.” Visitors to the company ofces and point of sale can be taken on personal visits, transforming the sales encounter into a stimulating and engaging experience, and the customer into a committed stakeholder. The space is also designed to enable the hosting of small concerts, cultural meetings and charity events, once again inserting the company into the larger place of the community. Time seems to have stopped in the historic Alberti Tomassini villa, housing the Tela Umbra workshops and museum. The patrimony still expressed by the current weavers is shared through an itinerary winding through nine exhibition rooms, showing rare pieces of weaving, looms and tools, and explaining the role of the local industry in European society and economy. The museum attracts new visitors and convinces them of the social, cultural and artistic values represented in the production currently on sale.

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The historic Fratelli Branca Distillerie distillery occupies an entire city block in the southern part of Milan, signalled at a distance by the tall industrial chimney standing at the centre of the factory compound. Within one wing is the Collezione Branca museum, open to groups on invitation and request. The museum spaces integrate with the surrounding production areas and are in constant use for meetings and visits with business clients and key stakeholders, induction and development sessions, bartender training, and cultural and social events involving the community. The 170th anniversary publication, issued in 2015, comments: “There is no story without memory, and memory survives if it is cared for, practised and advanced.” According to the current management, Collezione Branca is “our frst and most important medium for storytelling.” In most cases, the business archives are managed primarily for aims of preservation and research, and are open to scholars and experts in the feld. A corporate museum is instead designed for broader appeal to a wider range of audiences and stakeholders, invited to enjoy and discover the cultural roots of the companies and their territories. The experiential sphere dominates, and the heritage buildings and collections are “manipulated” to stimulate multiple connections in the visitor. The corporate museum is thus a living place. Its creation and operation require the participation of diferent disciplines, including experts in business strategy, marketing, communications, architecture and technical design. The museum develops a virtuous circle between business and society, stimulating the production of new benefts. As in other cases, the archives of Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni are the sources of the core documentation, knowledge and materials that serve to develop the company museum. The archives hold business records and objects dating to the early 19th century. The museum, on the other hand, was only inaugurated in 2007. Realising the communicative value of this instrument, the company completely redesigned and expanded the space in 2013. Using documents, registers, plans, photographs and objects, it recounts the main stages of the company’s life, including its diferent roles in national, political and social history. The visitor is guided through eight rooms, using text panels, videos and light efects to obtain involvement, understanding and appreciation. The Spazio Strega museum space, inaugurated in the Strega Alberti 150th anniversary year, is integrated in the company headquarters and main plant. The visitor enters a new building, housing a large reception space, bar area and point of sale. This frst section includes exhibitions of advertising art, giving particular prominence to the Belle Époque and Modernist works of the late-19th to mid-20th centuries. From here visitors enter the historic production buildings, accompanied by guides. The displays present processing, distilling and laboratory equipment dating to the 19th century. The air is perfumed by the fragrant spices used in the famous recipe for Strega Alberti liqueur, spread on a massive processing table. The sensory experience continues through the historic cellars where the liqueurs are aged in oak vats. As the visitors return to the reception area and point of sale, they enter a fnal section illustrating the story of the Premio Strega, the national literary prize founded by the company in the 1950s. The

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reception area is designed to serve for additional uses in sales meetings, business seminars and conventions. The building also serves as the local headquarters of the Italian industrial association, meaning that this same structure sees a constant fow of stakeholders from the business, labour and government sectors. In Sections 4.3–4.5, we have noted some aspects of ilCartastorie, the interactive museum experience created by Fondazione Banco di Napoli within the historic Palazzo de Mayo. The coordinating artist Stefano Gargiulo describes it as: “a labyrinth of rooms, a maze of pathways of individual and collective memory [. . .] telling 500 years of history, visually and suggestively intertwined with the ancient calligraphy of the employees who once compiled the daily records.” For the foundation director, ilCartastorie is “the intangible equivalent of a permanent museum exhibition [. . .] a sensory experience through images and sounds, transforming the history contained in the writing of the banking records into personal stories.” The experience includes videos projected onto the stacks of historic records, activated by the visitor, in which historic protagonists recount their personal involvement in the institutional and community events. Two separate rooms are dedicated to the great era of Neapolitan lyrical music and theatre of the 18th and 19th centuries. ilCartastorie is also active in street theatre and other cultural events that bring the museum to life in other parts of the city. From the preceding excerpts, it becomes clear how company places serve in immersing the visitor in experiences. The visits to production places, in particular, communicate the secrets of technologies and skills and the company’s social and economic roles in the community and territory. Almost all of the companies examined have built new facilities or redesigned parts of the original structures for purposes of welcoming visitors and for social and business functions. The historic places become part of industrial tourism destinations, welcoming a growing number of visitors eager to enjoy the exploration of traditions (Otgaar et al., 2010; Garofano et al., 2017). The company gains advantage not only with its direct clientele, but also with the stakeholders of the local population, local government and the tourism sector, due its role as a visitor draw and cultural promoter. In this regard, we have already mentioned the importance of the Amarelli heritage tourism operations in the region of Calabria, the role of Confetti Pelino for the community of Sulmona in Abruzzo, and the partnership of Filippo Catarzi with the local museum of traditions in straw, in Signa, Tuscany. Alongside these are the equally valid experiences of Albergian, Poli Distillerie, Montegrappa and Tela Umbra. Albergian collaborates with the Turin Convention and Visitors Bureau for the ofer of factory tours under the bureau’s “Made in Turin” programme. The family business still includes the Albergian hotel in the village of Pragelato, the original company headquarters, with the bar now remodelled as a historical shop. The company also communicates efectively through themed merchandising displays, posters, and counter signs used in the Albergian stores in central Turin and other Piemontese cities.

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Poli Distillerie maintains regular hours and also ofers reserved, customisable services for visits to the Schiavon production facilities, passing through all the sectors until arriving at the cellars, housing over 4,000 barriques of maturing grappa. The visits conclude with a tasting of the company’s products. The pens and accessories created by Montegrappa are masterpieces of craftsmanship, maintained to the same standards over more than a century of production. All of these works emerge from the historic mill on the banks of the Brenta river, 200 metres from the village centre of Bassano del Grappa. The building is listed by the Region of Veneto as a site of industrial archaeological signifcance. Since 2009, part of the structure has been set aside as the company museum, celebrating the unique production and artistic qualities of Montegrappa pens. The museum integrates with the larger ofer of Renaissance, Medieval and modern attractions of the entire town and surroundings. For example, the villa situated next door to the factory once served as the headquarters of an American Red Cross unit during World War I, and it was here that Ernest Hemingway, a volunteer Red Cross ofcer, convalesced after an injury. Hemingway used these experiences as the basis for several of his works. True to its strategy, Montegrappa integrates these associations in its production of exclusive Hemingway products, in particular a memorial fountain pen priced at around $3000. Palazzo Alberti Tomassini, the villa housing the Tela Umbra workshops, is situated just of the main plaza of the village of Città di Castello. The interpretive spaces interweave the story of the cooperative with that of the famous fgures of Baron Tomassini, his American wife, their friend Maria Montessori, and the broader Umbrian community. The attraction of the museum and its workshops with weavers still operating the same 19th-century looms is integral to heritage and cultural tourism for the entire territory. The socio-economic importance of this industrial place and its sales point is clearly not lost on the municipal government, active participant in the recent restructuring of the company. Among the current sample of 20 companies, many have constituted a separate foundation as the core organisational structure for heritage preservation and development. The advantages of this approach are that it creates permanent organisational structure and spells out aims and responsibilities for activities concerning a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. Among all Italian historic companies, the use of the foundation is limited to only 2% of cases, or 7% among medium–large companies. In all instances, whether the foundation is associated with a multinational or a small family company, we see this strategy of cultivating constructive, sustainable relations with external stakeholders. Among the cases investigated, we have already discussed the Pirelli and Banco di Napoli foundations and the iGuzzini Institute. Others include the foundations of Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza, Piaggio and Tela Umbra. The Fondazione Famiglia Piacenza, founded in 1982, is essential to the stakeholder strategies for Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza. The act of formation states the main aims as protecting and enhancing the cultural–historic patrimony of

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the family, but also of woollen-mill arts and industries throughout the entire Biella region. The Foundation welcomes guests and researchers in a section of the massive 19th century Piacenza family villa in the town of Pollone, which also houses the archives. The foundation cooperates closely with local cultural agencies, such as the Biellese Regional Heritage Research Centre. One of the main initiatives in this area is the promotion of the “Wool Road” ecotourism route. The foundation organises and cooperates in the ofer of one-time events, exhibitions and conferences centring on the heritage of the wool industry. The foundation also celebrates the history of the Piacenza family. In the late 19th century, the family created a botanical park and nature preserve that now extends over 60 hectares of territory and represents one of the region’s main tourism draws. The park is separately incorporated under the authority of the Municipality of Biella; however, the family remains closely involved and so the foundation pursues related activities, such as programmes on mountaineering, botany, ethnography and landscape protection. From these details we can understand the role of the foundation as a source of identity for Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza and for positive, sustainable relations with the local and national economies. The Piaggio Foundation, separately established in 1994, pursues similar goals in terms of inspiring company identity and in developing lasting relations with diferent kinds of stakeholders. In this regard, it should be noted that the foundation is a separately incorporated structure, with the local Municipality of Pontedera as member, and that as with the Piacenza family, it again promotes a range of cultural, educational and technological initiatives in close synergy with government, educational and research institutions. At the death of Alice Hallgarten and Baron Franchetti, their assets were entrusted to the Franchetti Foundation, established under the broader structure of the Opera Pia Regina Margherita. The Franchetti Foundation has been fundamental in the stewardship and development of the Tela Umbra heritage, closely linked with that of the entire community of Città di Castello. The last type of “place” instrument we discuss is the point of sale. As is well known, the role of the point of sale is not only to present the product or service, but also to ensure the desired customer interaction, whether or not this results in an immediate purchase. The atmosphere and organisation of the point of sale ofer experiences and develop emotions that transmit the brand. The aim is to design and manage environments so that they create and consolidate successful relationships. In this, the cultural–historic patrimony can play a critical role. Among our 20 cases, we mention the specifc experiences of Strega Alberti and Piaggio. The Strega Alberti brand originated in the classic places of the family’s own cofee bar and café in central Benevento, and the company distilleries and shops near the Benevento rail station, but also in countless independent restaurants and cafés in Italy and around the world that featured the characteristic Strega signage. The most famous of these was Café Strega in Via Veneto, Rome, the heart of the dolce vita of the 1950s and 1960s. The Strega sign appeared in the

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background of countless photographs of flm stars and celebrities, and was even referenced in flms by Fellini. More recently the company has developed single-brand and pop-up shops in airports, train stations and shopping districts, all designed around the heritage experience of the brand and its products. The strategy is to intercept travellers and domestic customers, bringing them the “Strega world” with new style, colour and fashion communicated through the original products and high-quality design. The architecture, interiors and merchandising play on the brilliant yellow and red of the liqueurs and labels, the forms of the original bottles, the company’s history of Art Nouveau and Modernist advertising. Piaggio Group evokes the history of its Vespa and Ape vehicles and “tells” the company heritage in detail in the text and images of websites and printed materials. This kind of material is welcomed by the independent sales agents, given the prominent role of the company’s cultural–historic patrimony in the saleability of the vehicle products. From the multinational directorate to the individual merchandise point, the aim is therefore to continuously nurture and communicate the brand history through videos, photographs and celebratory products, always readapting the material in a manner that emphasises an eternally young and avant-garde image.

4.6

Narrating through celebrations and relationships

The company narrative and experience can be told through the purely relational tools of special events celebrating signifcant stages and related personalities. Approximately 30% of historic Italian companies (50% of medium–large historic companies) state that they have used celebratory events to enhance their cultural–historic patrimony, either organised on their own or involving cosponsorship and participation with other actors in the cultural or sports sectors. Of these, roughly half reported only a single event, most often on an anniversary or in connection with a production milestone (Riviezzo et al., 2016). Some of the companies had realised the substantial value of these celebrations for creation of a sense of community and involvement, for strengthening internal and external relations, attracting the participation of opinion leaders, media, regional and national actors. Often, after a frst milestone, the company had then entered into calculated plans of repeated celebratory events. Piaggio Group, in particular, uses a wide range of these kinds of tools. On the 60th and 75th anniversary of the Vespa, the company invested heavily in designing celebratory models and related merchandise, and then staged repeated events in diferent countries using the launch of these special products to attract attention to the entire line. On both occasions the company supported the issue of attractive publications for Vespa collectors and enthusiasts. On the 130th anniversary of Piaggio, the company organised prestigious events in Milan, with the participation of top executives and presentation of the limited edition FuturPiaggio book. The Piaggio Foundation cooperates with other institutions in organising thematic conferences and touring exhibitions that trace and

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celebrate the company evolution, for example, the “Vespa in Cinema” gallery exhibition with accompanying flm programmes. Every year the company participates with collector and club groups in supporting competitions, rallies and special events. For Pirelli, each anniversary date becomes the occasion for a yet another celebratory exploration of the vast archival holdings. For example, on the 60th anniversary of construction of the “Pirelli Skyscraper” the archives inaugurated a temporary exhibition in the building foyer. The location guaranteed media visibility and constant trafc by stakeholders, given that the Pirelli building is now the seat of the government of Lombardy. In 2011, the company called on the archives to prepare a multimedia exhibition at the Milan Triennial, tracing its history in all things related to fashion and introducing the newly created PZero clothing line. The archive also cooperates with other institutions in producing documentary flms and theatrical performances and organising conferences and seminars. One of the most recent examples was cooperation with the public library of the industrial city of Settimo Torinese for production of the photo exhibition: “Pirelli in 100 images: Beauty, Innovation, Production.” E. Marinella, the family-owned fashion company, used the 100th anniversary for a series of interconnected celebrations. The exhibition “100 Years of Style, A Century of History,” dealt with the events, places and personages of Italian arts, society and style, interwoven with the Marinella story. The company contacted its most faithful customers, asking them to search through closets and drawers for images, objects and memorabilia to include in the exhibition, in support of the main materials drawn from company and institutional archives. The exhibition was mounted in the Royal Bourbon Palace of Naples and the inaugural celebration, complete with specially produced video, was booked for the San Carlo Opera Theatre. The company commissioned two noted photographers for preparation of a centenary Napoli & Napoli cofee table book, celebrating the close ties between Marinella and their home city. The company also issued anniversary products, including a limited edition eau de toilette. In the case of Filippo Catarzi, the approach of the 100th anniversary was instrumental in stimulating the shift towards a heritage marketing strategy. As noted in Section 3.4, the company had experienced a series of difcult years stemming from changes in social and fashion customs, the rise of Asian producers, and internal generational changes. The processes of researching the celebratory book Intrecci di Capogiro and organising special events and flm productions led to the reconstruction of the family and company history and the deepening of its current community ties. This helped redefne a sense of common corporate purpose and contributed new visions for the future. Since the anniversary, the company has continued its cooperation with the regional museum of straw weaving and traditions and its participation with other stakeholders in the clothing and fashion sectors. One of the ways it does this is through its activities as a member of the Italian Union of Historic Companies. In the previous sections of this volume, we have discussed museums and archives as places of heritage marketing. These can be the scene for celebrations

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in the form of temporary exhibitions and cultural events. The knowledge developed by archives and museums serves in the development of publications, cinema and video productions, plays, readings and concerts. The choice and design of the diferent celebratory events depend on the target stakeholders. In the previous section, we noted the case of the street theatre events organised by Fondazione Banco di Napoli. The experience of E. Marinella with the special events in Naples led to the design of further celebrations at its Paris shop. Piaggio Group consistently designs its events in consideration of the broad audiences of the international motorcycle fairs. In the post-war decades, Martini & Rossi built on its corporate history through the glamour of events celebrated on the diferent national Martini Terraces. Some of these were linked with commissions for advertising art by celebrity artists such as Andy Warhol, Armando Testa and Marcello Dudovich. In 2013, the company collaborated with the Italian National Automobile Museum for a special exhibition on the Martini Racing teams. The Premio Strega was launched by Strega Alberti in the 1950s as the equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. The last stage of the competition is a gala evening with broadcast coverage of voting by a pool of celebrities, critics, schools, universities and reading clubs: an event achieving national communication of the company’s heritage and social values. The Premio Strega Mixology is a challenge event for Italy’s top bartenders using Strega liqueurs. Strega Alberti also designs events aimed at its international stakeholders, such as the exhibition “Italian Logos: Imaging Excellence through Art”, inaugurated in Rome and then circulated globally in cooperation with the Museimpresa (the national association of corporate museums), the Institute for Foreign Trade and the Italian Cultural Institutes. More recently, Strega Alberti joined in the exhibition “Corporate Art – The Company as an Object of Art’’, organised by the Italian Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, the LUISS Business University, and pptArt, an online communications agency specialising in linkages with the graphic arts. We can trace some of the celebratory events and actions developed by the Guzzini Group over the course of 25 years. The exhibition “Guzzini: Beauty and Use’’ was organised at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan in 1988, when the family was launching the iGuzzini Research and Study Centre. The group then brought this exhibition to the company hometown of Recanati, on the 200th anniversary year of the birth of the famed author Giacomo Leopardi, also a citizen of Recanati. Subsequently the group sponsored the development of an exhibition space in the neoclassical municipal building, renaming it “Guzzini Civic Gallery”. In 2005, the group played a leading role in establishing Il Paesaggio dell’Eccellenza (literally “Landscapes of Excellence”), an association for preservation and development of the industrial heritage of the provinces of Macerata and Ancona, involving local companies, governments and universities. Il Paesaggio dell’Eccellenza study centre is installed in spaces adjoining the Guzzini Gallery. The entire complex is now in constant use for permanent and temporary exhibitions, workshops, congresses, competitions and heritage tourism activities. In 2012, the 100th anniversary of the original

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Guzzini, the group organised a photographic exhibition and gala events in the gallery spaces. Over the entire 25-year period, iGuzzini has also participated in municipal programmes for landscape design and lighting of the historic buildings and streets of Recanati. The company includes these projects in its Internet pages, simultaneously demonstrating its avant-garde lighting design services and commitments to social sustainability. Like Guzzini, Birra Peroni aims to link the company with its community through events, exhibitions and conferences. In this case, we see more actions at the national and international levels. The storytelling design originates from the shared decisions of senior management and the marketing and archives sections. The company reported the example of a photographic exhibition in the south-eastern city of Bari, capital of the region of Puglia, for the 200th anniversary of the urban district of Borgo Nuovo. The exhibition celebrates the Peroni operation present here since 1924. For the 50th anniversary of the Nastro Azzurro brand, the company placed retrobrand products in themed displays and marketing points developed in cooperation with Eataly stores in diferent parts of the world. Fabbri organised gala events for the company centenary in 2005 and the Amarena product centenary in 2015. Some of these were in collaborative or supporting roles with leading cultural institutions, designed to leverage the artistic and creative associations of the company and its famous blue vase. Among these were celebrations linked with the Venice Film Festival, and participation in the “The Company as an Object of Art’’ exhibition with the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. In 2010, the company reached out to international stakeholders, inaugurating the Premio Fabbri, “for the international promotion of emerging art and contemporary photographic research.” The annual exhibition of selected works is organised in diferent cities. All such special events are coordinated through the Fabbri Foundation, established in 2001 and based in the town Pieve di Soligo in the region of Veneto. The headquarters are in manor, a farmhouse, with additional spaces for artists in residence, workshops and congresses, and the foundation also operates an exhibition space in a Renaissance building in collaboration with the municipal council. Finally, we included in this category of tools those associations created with the aim of celebrating corporate heritage and advocating excellence in development. Several examples drawn from the analysis of the cases investigated show the importance of comparison and collaboration in the promotion of corporate culture and values. Of the members of the Unioncamere register, 6% of the companies (16% of medium–large ones) are registered with specialised associations of long-term historic companies (Napolitano et  al., 2018). One of these is Museimpresa, the national association of corporate museums and archives. Among the 20 companies examined here, the membership includes Birra Peroni, Guzzini Group, Amarelli, Fratelli Branca Distillerie, Pirelli, Piaggio Group, Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni and Strega Alberti, many of which also serve in executive positions. Museimpresa aims to promote and develop

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the quality and social roles of corporate museums through the coordination of national public events, professional development activities, technical standards, and advocacy with governments and major cultural–historic institutions. Like Museimpresa, the Unione Imprese Centenarie Italiane (literally “Union of Italian Centenary Companies”) takes on an advocacy role, serving for cultural and communications aims, and for awareness among institutions and the citizenry concerning the heritage of companies and their linkages to Italian history. The main aim of this association is to promote initiatives, debates, conferences, investigations, publications, funding for research, and other actions in support of the culture of the history of companies and in favour of its safeguard. Some of the companies examined in the current volume also belong to other associations: Les Hénokiens, an international association of bicentenary family companies based in France; I Centenari, an association of historic family companies of the region of Campania, and fnally the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Many of the 20 companies investigated in this volume have been particularly active in the formation and activities of these diferent associations. Pina Amarelli of Amarelli was a founding member of the Unione Imprese Centenarie Italiane, has served in the executive of Les Hénokiens, and is an honorary member of Museimpresa and of I Centenari. The family owners of Poli Distillerie have played key roles in Museimpresa and in the Unione Imprese Centenarie Italiane, and are also active in the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Birra Peroni and Fondazione Pirelli have been particularly active in the development of Museimpresa and representatives of both companies have served in the executive. The chief archivist of Birra Peroni commented on the value of these associations for facilitating professional exchange among the companies, on approaches to heritage conservation, communications, and technical issues in collections cataloguing, archival management software and exhibit design. She observed that in her own decades of experience there has been a phenomenal growth in attention to corporate heritage in Italy, that “it was not nearly so much talked about as now,” and that there has been great growth in expertise. Even among competitors in a specifc sector, she noted, there is a willingness to share. The representatives of Guzzini Group commented on the value of Museimpresa for professional exchanges, for ideas and support in the development of technical operations, including through visits to the archives and museums of other companies. In particular, Guzzini reported that their membership in Museimpresa was indispensable in the process of establishing their regional Il Paesaggio dell’Eccellenza (literally “Landscapes of Excellence”). Strega Alberti reported on the wealth of information and sense of community support gained by joining Museimpresa. Similarly, the curator of the museum of Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni commented on their support of the values and mission of the national network and the importance of recognition as part of the “elite of Italian historic businesses.”

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Notes 1 In a previous study, we identifed and assessed the use of a broad range of heritage marketing tools by long-standing Italian companies, drawing on the Italian Register of Historical Companies, operated by the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trades and Agriculture (Unioncamere). The register is open to any company of any legal form, operating in a specifc economic sector without interruption for at least 100 years. In 2011, we consulted the register for selection of all listed joint-stock companies, totalling 1,235. Our aim was to explore if and in what way these long-standing companies pursued strategic development based on historical experience. To do this, we frst conducted an exhaustive desk research of secondary sources for purposes of identifying all the potential kinds of heritage marketing tools and activities, and assigned these to four categories of the “heritage marketing mix” (see Section 4.2). Under each category, we drew up a full list of all the kinds of actions found to be in use, and then applied a standard research protocol to verify the presence or absence of each of the identifed actions in each of the 1,235 Italian joint-stock companies (Napolitano et al., 2018). 2 In-depth information was collected on the use of heritage marketing tools by 238 medium and large frms registered in the Italian Register of Historical Companies (Riviezzo et al., 2016).

References Balmer, J.M.T. (2011), “Corporate heritage identities, corporate heritage brands and the multiple heritage identities of the British Monarchy”, European Journal of Marketing, 45, 9/10: 1380–98. Balmer, J.M.T., Greyser, S.A., Urde, M. (2006), “The Crown as a corporate brand: Insights from monarchies”, Journal of Brand Management, 14, 1/2: 137–61. Brown, S. (2001), Marketing: The Retro Revolution, London: Sage Publishing. Brown, S., Kozinets, R.V., Sherry Jr, J.F. (2003), “Teaching old brands new tricks: Retro branding and the revival of brand meaning”, Journal of Marketing, 67, 3: 19–33. Brunninge, O. (2009), “Using history in organizations: How managers make purposeful reference to history in strategy processes”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 22, 1: 8–26. Burghausen, M., Balmer, J.M.T. (2014), “Repertoires of the corporate past: Explanation and framework. Introducing an integrated and dynamic perspective”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19, 4: 384–402. Fontana, A. (2013), Manuale di Storytelling: Raccontare con efcacia prodotti, marchi e identità d’impresa, Milano: Etas. Garofano, A., Riviezzo, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2017). “From industrial heritage to living industry tourism. An explorative study in Italy”, In: Jimenez Caballero, J.L., Gonzalez Rodriguez, M.R., Simonetti, B., Squillante, M. (Eds.), Proceedings Book II International Conference on Tourism Dynamics and Trends, Universidad de Sevilla, 26th–29th June 2017, 210–230. Garofano, A., Riviezzo, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2020), “Una storia, tanti modi di raccontarla. Una nuova proposta di defnizione dell’heritage marketing mix”/“One story, so many ways to narrate it. A new proposal for the defnition of the heritage marketing mix”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, Supplementi 10, 2020: 125–46. Invernizzi, E., Romenti, S. (2015),  Progetti di misurazione dei risultati della comunicazione, Milano: Franco Angeli. Napolitano, M.R., Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A. (2018), Heritage Marketing. Come aprire lo scrigno e trovare un tesoro, Napoli: Editoriale Scientifca.

94 The tools of heritage marketing Niebuhr Eulenberg, J. (1984), “The corporate archives: Management tool and historical resource”, The Public Historian, 6, 1: 20–37. Nora, P. (1989), “Between memory and history: Les lieux de mémoire”, Representations, 26: 7–24. Otgaar, A.H.J., Van Den Berg, L., Berger, C., Xiang Feng, R. (2010), Industrial Tourism. Opportunities for City and Enterprise, Farnham: Ashgate Publishing. Riviezzo, A., Garofano, A., Napolitano, M.R. (2016), “‘Il tempo è lo specchio dell’eternità’. Strategie e strumenti di heritage marketing nelle imprese longeve italiane”/“‘Time is the mirror of eternity’. Heritage marketing strategies and tools In Italian long-lived frms”, Il Capitale Culturale, Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, 13: 497–523. Riviezzo, A., Skippari, M., Garofano, A. (2015), “Who wants to live forever: Exploring 30 years of research on business longevity”, Business History, 57, 7: 970–87. Salmon, C. (2008), Storytelling: La fabbrica delle storie, Roma: Fazi Editore. Urde, M., Greyser, S.A., Balmer, J.M.T. (2007), “Corporate brands with a heritage”, Journal of Brand Management, 15, 1: 4–19.

Index

Note: Page numbers in italics indicate a fgure on the corresponding page. aestheticisation 5, 17 aesthetic marketing 5, 17 Albergian viii, 32–3, 41, 55, 66–7, 75–9, 85; brand identity 76; Made in Turin programme 85; packaging 79; Pragelato Piedmont 1908/Specialità per Tradizione 76; retrobranding strategy 76; Sogni e fatiche del Cit. Il mio mondo, la mia famiglia, il mio paese 67; “Speciality by Tradition” 76 Alberti, G. xx, 32, 74 Amarelli viii–ix, 43–4, 48–9, 51, 56, 58–60, 76, 79, 81–3, 85, 91–2; concio viii; logo 79–80; medallions 80; Museo della Liquirizia Giorgio Amarelli 59, 83; museum 44, 83; “Pebbles” 76; Sassolini 76 Amarelli, P. ix, 92 Amarena xi–xii, 36–7, 50, 61, 67, 73, 77, 91 Anholt, S. 9 archival operations 28 archive 81 Archivio Storico Pirelli (“Pirelli Historical Archives”) 53 Arvidsson, A. 6 Ascione ix, 32–3, 38, 41, 49, 55, 72–3, 82–3 Ascione, D. ix Ascione, M. 83 Ashworth, G.J. 7 auditing 29, 31–40 authenticity 6, 9, 16, 18–21, 32–3 Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want (Gilmore and Pine) 21 Bacardi Global Heritage Team 47 Bacardi–Martini Group xvi, 47 Balmer, J.M.T. 10, 64

Bicocca degli Arcimboldi 81 Birra Peroni x, 42, 44–5, 47, 51–2, 56, 60, 67, 72–5, 81, 91–2; archive 81; Museo e Archivio Storico Birra Peroni x; museum 60; Nastro Azzurro brand 91; Peroni historic patrimony 67; products and brands 74–5 Branca. Sulle ali dell’eccellenza (“Branca. On the Wings of Excellence”) 69 brand 64, 74–80 brand identity 11, 17, 19–20, 31, 76 Brunninge, O. 83 Burghausen, M. 64 business biography 67 business museum 82 Casa Martini 43, 80 Catarzi, O. xii Cento Anni Fabbri/Fabbri, 100 Years 67 Città di Castello xxi, 37, 86 Collezione Branca museum 55, 69, 84 community xiii, 5, 7–8, 18, 21, 73, 88, 91–2 company monograph 18, 43, 46, 67, 69 competitive advantage 2–3, 9, 11, 24, 31, 64 Confetti Pelino x–xi, 31–2, 39, 41, 51–2, 55, 79, 82, 85 consumption 4; ethical dimension of 20–2; postmodern 19–20 corporate archives 53, 64, 91 Corporate Art – The Company as an Object of Art 90, 91 corporate heritage 9–10; as anchor in postmodernity 9–10; identities 10–11, 24; identity stewardship 10 corporate identity 10, 23, 34, 63, 68

96 Index corporate image 22 corporate museum 83 corporate patrimony 16, 48, 69 corporate social responsibility (CSR) 6, 20–1 cremolato 35, 37 Cultura di una regione italiana. Le Marche, i Guzzini e il Design/Culture of an Italian region: the Marche, Guzzini and Design 68 cultural heritage 7–8, 8–9; intangible 8; as source of shared identity 8–9 cultural–historic assets 45 cultural–historic patrimony 16, 18, 28, 40, 63–4, 66, 70, 74, 80, 86–8 cultural patrimony 7, 11, 28, 34, 44, 48, 55, 57–8, 63 culture 23; identity and 23–4; of memory 53; see also organisational culture customer 3–5 diferentiation 5, 11, 63–4 economic value 15, 41 E. Marinella xi, 31, 70, 82, 89–90; “100 Years of Style, A Century of History” exhibition 89; “Napoli & Napoli” 89 emotion 2, 6, 9, 18 emotional involvement 4 empathy 5, 9, 18, 29, 48, 75 European Route of Industrial Heritage 92 experience 5 experiential marketing 5, 16 Fabbri xi–xii, 35–7, 44, 49–50, 55, 61, 67, 70–3, 77–8, 82, 91; Amarena xi–xii, 36–7, 50, 61, 67, 73, 77, 91; Carosello show 71, 73; Cento Anni Fabbri/Fabbri, 100 Years 67; The Company as an Object of Art 91; cremolato 35, 37; Fabbri 1905 77–8; “Pirate Salomone” 71; Premio Fabbri 91 Fabbri, G. xi, 71 Filippo Catarzi xii, 32, 41, 44–5, 49, 53, 68, 70, 77, 85, 89; Catarzi 1910 77; Intrecci da Capogiro (“Weaving to Make Your Head Spin”) 68, 89; Museo della Paglia e dell’Intreccio (“Museum of Straw and Weaving”) 53, 69 Fondazione Banco di Napoli xii–xiii, 34, 41–2, 55, 72–3, 75, 77, 81–2, 85, 90; Archivio Storico del Banco di Napoli 34; ilCartastorie xiii, 73, 75, 82, 85; products and brands 75 Fondazione Famiglia Piacenza 86–7 Franchetti Foundation 87

Fratelli Branca Distillerie xiii–xiv, 32, 38, 43, 55, 58, 69, 74, 77, 83–4, 91; Branca. Sulle ali dell’eccellenza (“Branca. On the Wings of Excellence”) 69; Collezione Branca 55, 69, 84; retrobranding 74–5; Torre Branca 69 “FuturPiaggo: 6 Italian Lessons on Mobility and Modern Life” 70, 88 Gilmore, J.H. 5, 17–18, 21 Giordano, A. 6 Grappa: Spirito Italiano/Italian Spirit (Poli) 66 Guzzini, E. xiv Guzzini Group xiv, 35, 42, 45, 53, 71, 90–2; Archivio-Galleria Guzzini 46; Cultura di una regione italiana. Le Marche, i Guzzini e il Design/Culture of an Italian region: the Marche, Guzzini and Design 68; “Design Memorandum” 35; Guzzini: Beauty and Use 90; Guzzini Civic Gallery 90; iGuzzini xiv, 42, 46, 54, 68, 71, 86, 90–1; Il Paesaggio dell’Eccellenza (“Landscapes of Excellence”) 90, 92; Infnito design italiano 68; La famiglia come valore imprenditoriale 68; retrobranding 76; “Vintage” line 76 Helm, H. xvi heritage 1–2, 6–7, 9–10, 18, 28; corporate heritage as anchor in postmodernity 9–10; cultural heritage as source of shared identity 8–9; origins and evolution of construct 6–10 heritage brand stewardship 62 heritage marketing 2, 15–16; authentic traits 21; brand identity and 20; consumption in postmodern society 4–5; critical success factors 3–4; ethical dimension of consumption 20–2; experiential and aesthetic dimensions 16–18; history and memory 22–3; from marketing to societing 5–6; organisational culture and identity 23–4; origins and development of 3–6; overview of 1–3, 15–16; power of narrative in constructing organisational identity 24–5; as response to new market challenges 16–22; strategic support 21; strategies 2, 11, 18, 39; tribal dimension and search for authenticity 18–20 heritage marketing mix 18, 57, 63–5, 93n1 heritage marketing process 29–31; auditing 29, 31–40; controlling 30, 57–62; managing 30, 50–7; phases of 30; visioning 30, 40–50

Index heritage marketing tools 64, 65; narrating through celebrations and relationships 64, 88–92; narrating through places 64, 80–8; narrating through products and brands 64, 74–80; narrating through words, images, sounds 64, 65–73 heritage vision 40 Historical Museum of Pirelli Industries 52, 82 historic patrimony 2, 9, 11, 15, 36, 46 history 10 Hofman, E. xvi hyper-choice environments 17 I Centenari 92 iconic product 36 identity 8–10, 22–5, 29, 35 iGuzzini xiv, 42, 46, 54, 68, 71, 86, 90–1 ilCartastorie (PaperStories) xiii, 73, 75, 82, 85 Il Paesaggio dell’Eccellenza (“Landscapes of Excellence”) 90, 92 Il Signore delle Penne 68 Infnito design italiano 68 inheritance 2, 6–7 innovation 37 Intrecci da Capogiro (“Weaving to Make Your Head Spin”) 68, 89 Invernizzi, E. 63 Italian Logos: Imaging Excellence through Art 90 Jokilehto, J. 7 Kaleidos 73 La famiglia come valore imprenditoriale 68 Lanifcio Fratelli Piacenza (Piacenza Brothers Woolen Mills) xiv–xv, 66, 77, 86–7; Fondazione Famiglia Piacenza 86–7; Piacenza Cashmere xv, 77; Una famiglia tra il Risorgimento e l’Europa 66; “Wool Road” 87 La Pubblicità con la P maiuscola 70 Leopoldo Pirelli. Valori e passioni di un uomo d’impresa 70 Les Hénokiens 92 “lieux de mémoire” 22, 80 “Made in Italy” vii, 47 Mafesoli, M. 18 Marinella, M. 31 marketing 1; societing and 5–6; see also aesthetic marketing; experiential marketing; heritage marketing; postmodern marketing; tribal marketing

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marketing management 1 market orientation 4 Martini & Rossi xv–xvi, 38, 43, 47, 55, 60, 80, 90; “Bacardi Global Heritage Team” 47; Bacardi–Martini Group xvi, 47; Casa Martini 43, 80; “Martini induction” 43; Mondo Martini Gallery 80; Terrazze Martini xvi Martini Cocktail Terrace 80 Martini Museum of Oenological History 80 McNamara, C.P. 3 medallions 80 “Memorabilia” project 79 memory 10, 22–3 memory, place of 22, 80 Mondo Martini Gallery 80 Montegrappa xvi, 55, 68, 85–6 Museimpresa 90–2 Museo della Grappa 83 Museo della Liquirizia Giorgio Amarelli 59, 83 Museo della Paglia e dell’Intreccio (“Museum of Straw and Weaving”) 53, 69 Museo dell’Arte e della Tecnologia Confettiera xi Museo e Archivio Storico Birra Peroni x Museo e Archivio Storico Piaggio 56 museum 82–3 Museum of Confetti Art and Technology 52 narration 24 narratives/narrating: development and management 30, 50–7; evaluating results 57–62; organisational 24; through celebrations and relationships 64, 88–92; through places 64, 80–8; through products and brands 64, 74–80; through words, images, sounds 64, 65–73; tools 30, 63, 65 narrativisation 11 Nastro Azzurro brand 91 National Archive of Business Cinema 81 nostalgia 11, 18, 20–1, 46, 76 open social aggregations 18 Opera Pia Regina Margherita xxi, 87 organisational culture 23 organisational identity 10, 23 organisational values 23, 43, 82 Ovidian Confetti 79 Palazzo Alberti Tomassini 86 patrimony 2, 6–7 Pearce, S.M. 2, 8 Pelino, B. x Pelino, M. 31 Pessione di Chieri 80

98 Index Piacenza Cashmere xv, 77 Piacenza, P.F. xiv Piaggio Foundation 56, 87–8 Piaggio Group xvii, 36, 56, 60, 70, 72, 78, 81, 88, 90–1; “FuturPiaggo: 6 Italian Lessons on Mobility and Modern Life” 70, 88; Museo e Archivio Storico Piaggio 56; Una leggenda verso il futuro: 110 anni di storia della Piaggio 70; Vespa 36, 76, 88; “Vespa in Cinema” 89 Piaggio, R. xvii Pine, B.J. 5, 17–18, 21 Pirelli. Cent’anni per lo sport 70 Pirelli Foundation xvii–xviii, 34, 42, 51–3, 55, 58, 70–1, 76, 80–2, 86, 89, 91–2; Archivio Storico Pirelli (“Pirelli Historical Archives”) 53; Bicocca degli Arcimboldi 81; Cinturato 76; Historical Museum of Pirelli Industries 52, 82; La Pubblicità con la P maiuscola 70; “Leopoldo Pirelli – Industrial commitment and civic culture” 71; Leopoldo Pirelli. Valori e passioni di un uomo d’impresa 70; “Pirelli: an Italian in the World” 71; Pirelli. Cent’anni per lo sport 70; “Pirelli in 100 images: Beauty, Innovation, Production” exhibition 89; Pirelli. Racconti di lavoro. Uomini, machine, idee 70; “Pirelli Skyscraper” 81, 89; Progetto Bicocca 70 Pirelli. Racconti di lavoro. Uomini, machine, idee 70 “Pirelli Skyscraper” 81, 89 Plexiglas xiv, 35 Poli Distillerie xix, 32–3, 41, 58, 60, 66, 72, 75, 82–3, 85–6, 92; branding strategies 75–6; “From Father to Daughter” 72; Museo della Grappa 83; “Museum Poli” 76; “Poli 1898” 76 Poli, G. 75 positioning 5, 11 postmodern consumption 19–20 postmodern economy 18 postmodern marketing 5, 17, 27 Practice of Management, The (Drucker) 3 Premio Fabbri 91 Premio Strega 84, 90 Premio Strega Mixology 90 Progetto Bicocca 70 prosumer 5 public engagement 11 relationships 64, 88–92 retrobranding 2, 20, 29, 61, 74–8 retromarketing 20 Romenti, S. 63

Schein, E.H. 23 Schmitt, B. 16 Signa xii, 32, 85 social networks 66, 70–3 social value 2, 5–6, 8, 11, 15, 22, 57, 90 Società Reale Mutua di Assicurazioni xix–xx, 41, 55, 60, 69, 72–3, 78, 81–2, 84, 91–2; archives of 84; REALE è la nostra storia 69, 78; rebranding 78 societing 6, 21 Sogni e fatiche del Cit. Il mio mondo, la mia famiglia, il mio paese (Tillino) 67 Spazio Strega 84 stakeholder engagement 16, 22, 64 stakeholders 4, 15 stewardship 87 stories 24–5, 63; business 24; collection of 24 storytelling 11, 18, 25, 28, 34, 80–2, 91, 25 Strega Alberti xx–xxi, 31–2, 38, 55, 61, 70–1, 74, 82, 84, 87, 90–2; Belle époque 84; Café Strega 87; The Company as an Object of Art 90; Italian Logos: Imaging Excellence through Art 90; Premio Strega 84, 90; Premio Strega Mixology 90; Spazio Strega 84 Tela Umbra xxi, 37, 40–1, 66, 79, 82–3, 85–7; Opera Pia Regina Margherita xxi, 87; Palazzo Alberti Tomassini 86 Terrazze Martini xvi Tillino, A. viii, 67 Torre Branca 69 Torre del Greco ix, 33 tribal marketing 5, 19 tribes 18–19 Una famiglia tra il Risorgimento e l’Europa 66 Una leggenda verso il futuro: 110 anni di storia della Piaggio 70 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) 8 Unioncamere 91 Unione Imprese Centenarie Italiane (“Union of Italian Centenary Companies”) 92 visioning 30, 40–50 web marketing 4, 52 Weick, K.E. 24–5 Wilkins, A.L. 24 World Conference on Cultural Policies by UNESCO (1982) 7 World Decade for Cultural Development (1988–1997) 8 World Heritage Convention 7