Research | Funded Projects

NEW MODELS TO INVESTIGATE CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR

Our study proceeds from a preliminary empirical observation of the impact of TV broadcasts that make use of hybrid formats. Particularly, we focus on cooking shows that feature products (which are often brand-less) and their potential influence on demand (Google queries). In particular: 1) We consider a type of TV program that can also be accessed via the Web and Social Networks: the Popular Cooking Show (PCS-TV). This program, which is primarily a reality TV show, involves advertising of different methods, foods, wines and kitchen appliances. In particular, it references so-called “special products”. In this sense, emphasis is on the customized format that is retailed for one or more agencies or territories. This reflects how television is changing, not only from the perspective of genre, style and language but also, and above all, from the perspective of content; 2)Taking into account non-branded products, the term “special” refers to products that are not merely generic or that do not fall under the category of ingredients in routine use, e.g., flour, sugar, salt, eggs. The foods that are the object of our study differ from the abovementioned category primarily with respect to the absence of brand names. “Special,” in our case, refers to the presence of some differentiating feature that attracts attention and arouses curiosity on the part of the viewer. Examples of such products include local products, PDO-Protected Designation of Origin products, PGI– Protected Geographical Indication products (e.g., Tropea Onions); products from other cultures; products with beneficial properties for health and likewise; products not ubiquitous on the market; and products not well known or used.3)Following the broadcast of a PCS-TV program, the products presented during the broadcast, even without a brand, seem to be searched for on Google. In practice, we have observed a series of peaks in Google Trends for certain products during the days when the show is broadcast and in the days following the presentation of the product. Google studies [40-24] highlight that television is a catalyst for starting research on the web and that experts involved in marketing should respond in some way to the research carried out by users. This means that searches are indications of the potential demand for certain products at points of sale. At this stage, we propose the following preliminary Research Question: Q.1) In the field of food and agricultural products, can a television program with no specific commercial purposes cause a variation in the trend of Google queries about the product? Can the program disseminate knowledge to influence viewers (regardless of the commercials that intersperse phases of transmission) using a channel accessed via the Web, which is open and connected to social networks (e.g., Facebook), by sharing and re-launching the product proposed in the show? To verify the correlation proposed in the Research Question(s), we have selected a representative broadcast, a sample of the products presented, a significant temporal period and the related series on Google Trends. To achieve our goal, we made use of nns – neural networks [15].This technique is now well established and currently used by many scientific communities in various fields (medicine, ecology, etc.) to demonstrate correlations between phenomena. Moreover, there are also many operative instruments that implement it (MatLab, SAP, etc.)