Gianluigi Zenti, President, Academia Barilla SpA - The Changing Consumer: Demanding but Predictable



Hartl / International Food and Agribusiness Management Review Volume 9, Issue 2, 2006

Introduction

Nobody would doubt that consumers’ choice is getting more complex and
differentiated. Thus, it is widely recognized that consumers develop more
heterogeneous demands for sensory, health, process and convenience qualities.
These changes in consumer behavior, reinforced by changes in the retailing sector,
provide new opportunities for food manufactures to add value and differentiate
products, which can lead to less price competition, higher margins, stronger
consumer preferences, brand equity and better negotiating power facing retailers.

This seems to be also true for Italian foods in the US space. Basic Italian fare is
already ubiquitous in mainstream America. However, consumers nowadays seem to
develop more differentiated tastes and views about Italian food. Consumers
continue to be educated by media-influences, travel, local Italian restaurants,
retailers and manufactures about the variety of Italian cuisine. In the past, most
manufactures have taken some Italian ingredients and concepts and put a
definitive American touch to them. Today, more Americans are aware that Italian
food does not translate to Americanized pizza, lasagnas and spaghetti with
meatballs. There is broader understanding that Italian cuisine is regional. As a
result - even as Americanized Italian food items stay very popular - consumers are
increasingly interested in authentic Italian food and consumers now seek out
regional Italian products with DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) designations.

This report discusses how consumers’ behavior, in particular with regard to Italian
food, changed from the perspective of Barilla, one of the leading manufactures of
Italian food. Academia Barilla Director Gianluigi Zenti, who is credited with
building the Barilla brand in the US, gives an insight into evolutions on the demand
side and how Barilla responded to them. Ten years ago, Barilla started their
engagement with the US market; educating people about, and marketing, authentic
Italian lifestyle. The result was a 20 percent increase in the market share in the
US, making Barilla the No. 1 pasta maker in the US.

In 2004 Barilla launched Academia Barilla, which is both a culinary center in
Parma dedicated to further education about Italian culture and cuisine as well as a
branded product line that will meet differentiated consumer demands. The basic
mission of Academia Barilla is to develop, protect and preserve the art and tradition
of Italian gastronomy in the world. Specifically, Academia Barilla emphasizes the
importance of educating the world about which Italian products are authentic
versus which are substandard imitations. To accomplish this mission, Academia
Barilla offers culinary courses and consulting services for consumers and businesses
worldwide as well as an introduction to authentic Italian products. The location for
this mission could not fit better: Parma, which is already referred to as the “Food
Valley” of Italy. In addition, Academia Barilla offers corporate services surrounded

© 2006 International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IAMA). All rights reserved.

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