Preserving the value of Made in Italy:an analysis of Italian Sounding in Canada

Abstract

This work investigates the expanding phenomenon of Italian Sounding, a formula used to describe the practice by foreign brands of associating their products with “made in Italy” although being produced in other countries. We examine the phenomenon starting from the country of origin effect, widely discussed in literature and through which IT sounding can be explained in its basic dynamics. Furthermore, we will derive the concept of Brand Name Origin from the COE (country of origin effect), with frameworks explaining how companies can achieve a correct and beneficial alignment to the country image most suited for their product categories. After introducing the strengths of Made in Italy productions and better describing the Italian Sounding, the work will focus on the agro-food industry, listing the most copied products and providing an overview of data from the countries more sensitive to the problem. In the final chapters the problem will be described in the context of Canada, a country where Italian presence and culture have always been extremely preserved since the arrival of 1900s immigrants and where IT sounding has deep roots across society and business environment. With the help of a relevant empirical framework, the study will show how IT sounding companies can induce in the consumer the Made in Italy association.