Costumer Perception on Made in Italy. A survey among young people

Made in Italy (MiI) characterizes those products that are manufactured in Italy so they can be recognized and appreciated within international markets. A high number of products and firms are involved in MiI development, mainly belonging to fashion, furniture and agrifood sectors. Generally, a “made in” product acquires a territorial dimension, since designed in a specific area or country and thus imbued with its culture and traditions (Kotler and Gertner, 2002; Papadopoulos and Heslop, 2002; Bucci, Coderre and Ferrara, 2011). In particular, the MiI brands raises people awareness to buy unique and high quality products (Bertoli and Resciniti, 2013). On the other hand, Italy is known worldwide for art, fashion, automotive and gastronomy and many products have contributed to making the country famous in the world over the years. However, it would be misleading to claim that all MiI products are made entirely in Italy. It is known that most companies resort to outsourcing in order to reduce production costs and achieve economies of scale by subcontracting specific operation phases (Aquaro, 2013). This calls our attention to the importance of tracing and tracking products along their supply chain. This paper examines consumer perception on MiI products, with the aim at investigating the degree of knowledge about MiI, in terms of both product value perception and its influence in the purchasing process. We have conducted a survey through multiple answers questionnaire to students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate business and management programs within the Department of Economics and Law of the University of Macerata. Although students are young and have low purchasing power, they are an interesting target, which could provide useful information on current and future propensity to MiI products consumption.