: food and place promotion SONIA FERRARI MaB International Workshop Biosphere Reserves branding through high quality food products and gastronomy September 31 2016 - Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, Langhirano (Parma, IT)
2 2010: Beginning of the nomination process 2014: UNESCO recognition of Sila MaB as the Tenth Italian Biosphere Reserve Biosphere Reserve includes almost all the territories of Sila National Park, one of Italy s largest National Parks. The Sila area is one of the largest Biosphere Reserves among those identified in the Mediterranean Biogeographical Region.
3 355000 hectares Core area: 9% Buffer area: 22% Transition area: 61% core area buffer area transition area
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5 is composed by 66 municipalities and by a total of 113 partners, legally linked by a specific Partnership Agreement. The Partnership includes also privates and representative of local stakeholders, universities, trade unions and local association.
Main objectives 6 Vision: to create a Mediterranean relevant area for enhancing the traditional activities carried out for centuries (e.g. agricolture, wood crafting), tourism and research and to offer new opportunities in terms of sustainable development. 3 main axes: Conservation of landscape, habitats, ecosystems, biodiversity Developing of territories in a full sustainable perspective Guaranteeing a full logistic support for research and educational activities
Productive activities Traditional agricolture with agro-food products Livestock raising Lumber sector Sustainable tourism Gathering the forest floor Artisan activities 7
Quality products and trademarks: Melissa DOC (wine) Savuto DOC (wine) Terre di Cosenza DOC (wine) Calabria IGT (wine) Val di Neto IGT (wine) Alto Crotonese DOP (olive oil) Bruzio DOP (olive oil) Caciocavallo Silano DOP (cheese) Calabrian Podalica breed - Slow Food Presidium Fichi di Cosenza DOP (fruit) Liquirizia di Calabria DOP (fruit) Clementina di Calabria IGP (fruit) Sila Potate IGP (vegetable) Capocollo di Calabria DOP (cold cut) Pancetta di Calabria DOP (cold cut) Soppressata di Calabria DOP (cold cut) Salsiccia di Calabria DOP (cold cut) 8 PDO and PGI brands have been created to promote authenticity and artisanship of productions. These products are closely connected to the area of origin.
Food and place marketing in the MaB area 9 Branding is an instrument to differentiate destinations and to emphasize their uniqueness. A brand perceived distintive and unique is hard to be replaced by competitors.
How to create a brand For many destinations image or brand are tied to the physical built environment. Others identified or associated their brand with a set of ideas, images and myths over a long, historic process of accumulation and transmission. 10
Visual symbols Flagship products Place image / Place brand
Co-branding: is a marketing strategy that associates a single product or service with more than one brand. i.e. food and tourist destinations
More and more often agricoltural and food products are becoming basic elements for place marketing strategies, especially if they have features of uniqueness and tipicality. 13 These products embody image, history, culture, lifestyle and values of the original territory, They are an integrating part of local identity, becoming flagship products.
Benefits of branding: A brand: differentiates from competing products creates emotional benefits for the customer facilitates the customer s decision-making, reduce information research, diminish risk brings long-term strategic benefits increases the efficiency of marketing helps make concrete information makes tangible the destination and its products.
Food and tourism 15 In today experience economy the importance and attractiveness of the component of tourism that is closest to everyday experience and is dependent on the fulfilment of basic needs (services and supporting infrastructures) is rising. The importance of food and culinary tradition as a tourist resource is rapidly growing, together with the value of attractions linked to food and wine.
16 Tourist resources based on local peculiarities, such as culinary traditions and typical agro-food production, may, therefore, become the strengths of tourist brands that represent core values of the community. Quality food productions (DOP, PGI products ect), traditional gastronomy specialities an agricoltural products witness and are a means of local popular culture. Therefore they can become the pivot of a tourist system that aims at allowing to live experiences based on the local typical enogastronomics.
A unique and memorable food identity can contribute to the sustainable competitiveness of a destination. 17
Food can express and reflex the uniqueness of a place Advantages differentiation strong and desiderable indentity place and products promotion creation of imaginary in the lands of particular foods 18
Sila MaB Foundation 19 Scientific and Technical Committee Agriculture, food, livestock raising Tourism and handicraft School, environmental education, training Forest planning and management Biodiversity and Nature 2000 network Territorial planning and management, logistic, infrastructures, accessibility
20 Thank you www.parcosila.it