Made in Italy and the Luxury Market. Heritage, Sustainability and Innovation

This book – through an analysis of diverse cases – answers the key issues in the industry of the new “Made in Italy” luxury. We assume that market trends are radically changing and that the industry is attempting to reposition itself in order to respond to new consumers’ orientations and to maintain its competitive advantage. This takes place in a differentiated way, according to the diversity of specific sectors. This book will contribute to answer two main research questions: 1 Have “Made in Italy” luxury brands been able to integrate sustainability into the product features and attributes that are relevant to their customers? Is this a sincere, real engagement or it is only done instrumentally for marketing purposes (“green washing”)? 2 Is there some “uniqueness” or at least some specificity in the way this is happening for Italian companies? 3 Local roots (industrial districts), tradition, craftsmanship: are these references consistent with the perception of a productive system that inherently pays more attention to issues like bio, natural materials, sustainable production processes, etc.? 4 Is the prevailing role of SMEs and niche producers (rather than large multinationals) also perceived as a factor leading to more responsible behavior? What is the role of innovation and creativity? What is the potential of new “creative” companies (start-ups) that are “born sustainable” (i.e., integrate sustainability in their business idea since the beginning)? The book answers these two main research questions through an analysis of exemplary case studies of companies that have addressed – and in some cases hastened – the major transformations in the luxury sectors by capitalizing on a new conceptualization of Made in Italy excellence. The volume is organized into three sections, introduced by an academic assessment of the specific issue concerned and comprises a series of innovative, sustainability-oriented case studies that cover a wide range of Made in Italy sectors