Exploring knowledge and interest in Italian GI wines: An application of the CUB model

The Italian Association for the protection and valorisation of GI wines – FederDoc – developed a three-years plan for Italian GI wines communication targeted to the main wine markets. Within this project, data have been collected to explore consumers’ level of knowledge, information and interest on the products, which have been assessed and checked for reliability through the application of the CUB model. Three main European Countries were considered: Italy, Germany and England. Potential Country and gender-related heterogeneity has also been investigated. Results show that Italian GI wines are attractive products to all the European Countries considered, especially for sectors’ buyers and communicators. Interviewees, moreover, feel informed and average-to-highly knowledgeable about the products with low or null uncertainty, suggesting that past communication and marketing activities have been effective. However, levels of feeling differ depending on the Country considered. Communication activities, as long as tailored on the socio-economical context of interest, can therefore have a key role in fostering the diffusion of Italian GI wines in the analysed markets.