ITA, educational and digital promos to foster Italian Food

Interview with Mr Picariello, director of ITA Chicago: "The difference between authentic Italian Food and Italian sounding will play a strategic role"
ITA, educational and digital promos to foster Italian Food

During last FMI Connect, Italianfood.net met Matteo Picariello, director of the Italian Trade Agency of Chicago. From his privileged point of view, he underlined how American consumers’ habits are fast-changing and how the people are craving for authencity in food.

AUTHENTICITY WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE – Mr Picariello is convinced that “the difference between authentic Italian Food and Italian sounding products will play a strategic role, both in the purchase choices of the buyers and in the shopping habits of the American consumers”. The problem seems to be simple, so: Italian companies must focus on educational campaigns to help the US consumers recognise theese differences.

NEW MEDIA TO TELL AN OLD STORY – Starting from this belief, ITA is offering on-going educational promotions in collaboration with American retailers, such as Mariano’s and others. But according to Mr Picariello a fundamental impulse will come from the digitalization of retailers and from e-commerce: “In-store educational projects based on brochures were very expensive. With QR Codes and links we can give free and easy to access information on our products. I think that the digital media have a huge potential to tell Italian Food story“.

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