agronomy
Article
Study of Wine Producers’ Marketing Communication
in Extreme Territories–Application of the AGIL
Scheme to Wineries’ Website Features
Stefania Chironi 1 , Luca Altamore 1 , Pietro Columba 1 , Simona Bacarella 2 and
Marzia Ingrassia 1, *
1
2
*
Department of Agricultural Food and Forest Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze,
Ed. 4, 90138 Palermo, Italy; stefania.chironi@unipa.it (S.C.); luca.altamore@unipa.it (L.A.);
pietro.columba@unipa.it (P.C.)
Department of Economics, Business and Statistics, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze,
Ed. 13, 90138 Palermo, Italy; simona.bacarella@unipa.it
Correspondence: marzia.ingrassia@unipa.it
Received: 14 April 2020; Accepted: 14 May 2020; Published: 18 May 2020
Abstract: This study measures the communication ability of wineries in two extreme territories of
Southern Italy, Mount Etna and the island of Pantelleria. The evaluation of four dimensions of web
communication was carried out by the AGIL Scheme (i.e., adaptation, goal-attainment, integration,
latent pattern maintenance). The study provides a generalizable model to be applied in other similar
studies. Additionally, focus groups of experts were carried out. The method proved to be suitable
to measure the communication effectiveness of wineries through websites. Extreme territories
may add value to the wine, regardless of the brand. The heroic wines may become the symbol of
these territories, helping environmentally safeguard and contrast territory abandonment by rural
communities. The findings highlight that effective communication of heroic viticulture may be used
to reposition these wines and increase their competitive advantage in foreign markets. The study
generates new ideas for reflection on new types of web communication.
Keywords: sustainable wine tourism; territorial marketing; wine marketing challenge; wine farm
marketing; focus group; multidimensional analysis
1. Introduction
Territory is one of the crucial elements that identify and characterize high-quality foods, especially
wines. The territory, precisely, deeply influences the characteristics of the vines, which in turn transfer
to the wine unique elements of quality [1,2]. In fact, as we know, many characteristics of wines are
closely linked to the territory of origin and cannot be replicated elsewhere, thus distinguishing a wine
and its reputation [3,4]. The link between wine and territory is indivisible, and winemakers gain a
competitive advantage when they effectively manage territorial communication of distinctive elements
to potential consumers [5,6]. Wine encompasses a wide range of important symbolic elements that
emotionally involve consumers in a hedonic experience [7,8]. Each terroir is characterized by its own
specific identity, which is an expression of a rich heritage of natural and socio-cultural characteristics
which, over time, have been imprinted in the wine and recognized. Therefore, belonging to a specific
terroir is an intrinsic competitive advantage for winemakers, both collectively and individually, in a
globalized market [9].
Some territories are considered “extreme” due to their unique morphological, geo-pedological,
and climatic structure that make them unsuitable for farming practices [10]. However, thanks to the
farmers’ hard work and will to succeed, in some of these territories, some food products are grown,
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and, in few of them, particular wines with unique characteristics are produced over time and even
commercialized in the market.
The viticulture carried out in these particular territories with extreme conditions is defined as
“heroic viticulture” and it is a cultural element of these mountainous areas (such as Galicia and the
Ribeira Sacra in Spain, the Douro Valley in Portugal, the Wachau of Austria, the Rheingau and Mosel of
Germany, France’s Banyuls and Switzerland’s Canton Valais). Moreover, this type of viticulture is very
important for the environmental safeguard of these geographic zones [11]. In Italy, the “Centre for
Research, Studies, Safeguarding, Coordination and Valorization of Mountain Viticulture” (Centro di
Ricerca, Studi, Salvaguardia, Coordinamento e Valorizzazione per la Viticoltura Montana-CERVIM)
provided one definition for the concept of “heroic viticulture”, establishing the criteria to identify
territories wherein the so-called “heroic viticulture” is practiced. According to the definition, “heroic”,
viticulture must be carried out in a territory where there is, at least, one of these conditions: ground
with a slope of more than 30%; altitude of more than 500 meters above sea level; production system
developed on terraces and steps; being located on small islands. The Italian legislative apparatus, which
collects and unifies most of the various laws in the field of wine, is the Law 238/2016, usually referred to
as the “Consolidated Wine Law”. Law no. 238/2016 has led, in particular, to simplification concerning
aspects of production, marketing, Controlled Designations of Origin (CDO), geographical indications,
and traditions. Article 7 of this Law is entirely dedicated to heroic or historical vineyards and provides
for their protection, including through interventions such as restoration, recovery, and the protection of
those who persist in areas at risk of hydrogeological instability or with particular landscape value [12].
In this Law, for the first time, the heroic viticulture was recognized as a particular system of cultivation
of vineyards that, for its specific characteristics must be safeguarded. Article 7 of the Law, in fact,
states that “the Nation shall promote the restoration, recovery, maintenance and safeguarding of
vineyards in areas subject to risk of hydrogeological instability, with particular landscape, historical,
and environmental value, calling them heroic or historical vineyards.” Therefore, the term “heroic
viticulture” refers to the type of viticulture carried out in areas where the environmental and working
conditions are extremely difficult, but which, on the other hand, give the wines special characteristics,
making them unique. Moreover, at the same time, maintaining agriculture practices in such extreme
rural areas may definitely limit environmental degradation and the abandonment of territory by the
indigenous local population [13], this also gives a social value to the heroic viticulture.
In Italy, there is a great variety of territories, with particular environmental and pedo-morphological
characteristics that can give exclusive elements of typicality to wines. Most of the main wine-producing
countries have some extreme territories where heroic viticulture is carried out. In Italy, there are many
territories where “heroic wines” are produced [14], including, among others, the Valdobbiadene area in
Veneto, Northern Italy (where the Prosecco wine is produced), the Langhe area in Piedmont, Northern
Italy (which is famous for red wines), the National Park of the Cinque Terre, located in Northern Italy
(Eastern Liguria area), the island of Pantelleria in Sicily, Southern Italy (where the Passito di Pantelleria
wine is produced), and, again, in Sicily, Mount Etna region (where unique red wines are produced).
The Mount Etna region is an irreplaceable territory, because it consists of several terroirs due to
the presence of the volcano and its different soils, and to different climates, exposures and altitudes
that make this area a real miniature of a continent. In fact, Mount Etna characterizes this territory
and its landscape, giving the soils a particular structure and an impervious morphology. The Mount
Etna area extends on the east coast of Sicily (Southern Italy), between the cities of Messina and
Catania [15]. It is located above the convergent boundary between the African plate and the Eurasian
plate. Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and it is almost constantly active. Thanks
to 2700 years of eruptive activity, it is the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps. It is currently
10,912 ft high, although this varies owing to eruptions at the summit, and covers an area of 45 km
diameter (28 mi). These dimensions make it the most impressive terrestrial volcano in Europe and the
entire Mediterranean area. The unique volcanic soil favors agriculture, with vineyards and orchards
distributed along the lower slopes of the mountain and the wide Plain of Catania to the south, although
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the agricultural practiced are carried out with very special techniques. Thanks to its recent history
and the nearby populations, Etna has been designated by the United Nations as a decade volcano
(decade volcanoes are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and
Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior as worthy of particular study, given their history of large destructive
eruptions and high proximity to populated areas). In June 2013, Etna volcano officially entered the
UNESCO World Heritage List [16].
Viticulture on Mount Etna has had a special place in European winemaking for more than
20 years, even before being defined as “heroic”. The terraced landscapes, and the (sometimes dramatic)
limited availability of resources, have guaranteed the existence of different productions that today are
considered typical, and a living testimony to the local history and culture. In recent years, the ancient
terraces of lava stone, characteristic of the agriculture of the area [13] have been recovered and, at the
same time, cultivation processes, both in fields and cellars, have been improved in line with the most
modern oenological models. The peculiarities of the “extreme” territories of Mount Etna are, therefore,
able to give the local CDO wines unique characteristics. These characteristics should be communicated
effectively by producers to consumers, in order to enhance the distinctive features of the wines and to
gain a competitive advantage in the international market [17]. In addition, the proximity of places of
natural beauty and cultural locations known all over the world, such as Taormina (ME) and Noto (SR),
is an attraction for a large number of tourists, and makes the territory an exclusive tourist destination
for foreign and Italian tourists and visitors.
Likewise, the island of Pantelleria is also another extreme geographic area in the Italian territory.
Pantelleria, formerly named Cossyra or Cossura, is located in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Strait
of Sicily, 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Sicily and 60 km (37 mi) east of the Tunisian coast, and it is
characterized by an arid and windy climate for many months of the year. Administratively, Pantelleria
island belongs to the Sicilian province of Trapani and its very small territory extends over an area
of 83 km2 (32 sq mi); nevertheless, at the same time, it is the largest volcanic “satellite island” of
Sicily [18]. In order to cope with the difficult climatic and orographic conditions of this island, over
time, particular viticulture and growing techniques have been developed in Pantelleria, such as the
terraces (i.e., dry stone walls); these techniques allowed viticulture to be carried out on the island,
despite the obvious natural problems. Specifically, for the cultivation of vineyards in Pantelleria,
the “Alberello” system is used [19], which is a rare method that is now protected by UNESCO and
recognized as human heritage.
This great territorial variability leads to the production of wines that cannot be replicated elsewhere
because of their unique characteristics. Wine-growing companies usually underline the close link
between their products and the territory adopting the origin denomination (CDO) for their wines, when
possible. In this case, the valuable wines produced are the “Etna DOC” (i.e. name of the Denomination,
DOC means CDO) for the wines produced in the Etna territory, and the “Passito di Pantelleria DOC”
(i.e. name of the wine, DOC means CDO) whose name “Passito” derives from the production method
used, which involves withering of grapes in the sun (raisin wines produced in Pantelleria follows the
Regulation (EU) No. 510/2006, relating to PDO, CDO and protected geographical indications).
These two territories represent a real “winescape” [20] because of the strong identity of the places
and the local communities. In this context, communication may be a fundamental tool to make
consumers aware of the difficulties faced when producing heroic wines and an opportunity for
wine producers to have their wines properly appreciated by consumers. This awareness, together
with the wine’s unique intrinsic characteristics, could become an additional element of appreciation
for consumers and would allow producers to position these territories and wines differently in the
market [21].
Today, communication comes primarily from companies’ websites, which should provide
information in the form of text, visual content, photos, and videos, and, to be effective, requires
additional symbolic elements and emotional stimuli linked to the territory, regardless of the brands
of the different wineries [22–24]. In recent years, with the rapid spread of social media, websites
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have been used by wineries to transfer information and communicate the territoriality of wine, and
this phenomenon has been studied by several authors [25–27]. Recent studies have shown that
websites, as well as social media (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are now the most effective
communication tools for companies, because they allow them to establish a direct relationship with
wine lovers, to provide information, and to receive opinions [28–30]. Wineries can promote and
commercialize wines using content that illustrates the history of the company, and its production
techniques, and can link the company brand name to the wine and the territory of origin (“brand-land”).
In addition, the development of the Internet has also revolutionized the wine-tourism sector and
websites and social media are used more and more to provide information to wine tourists [31–34],
- people who like to travel along the “wine routes” and visit wineries and territories, learn about
landscapes and cultures, and stop along the way at wineries, wine relais, chateaux, etc. for a
few days [35]. Wine tourism is an activity with strong emotional and hedonistic components that
influence wine lovers’ satisfaction and choices [7,36–38]. Additionally, sensory marketing has become
crucial in driving consumer choices [4,39] and several contributions have supported the concept of
customer experience as a lever to create value for businesses and consumers [40,41]. Wine has specific
characteristics that make it an information system linked to experiential components that involve
consumers cognitively and emotionally, through the symbolic, hedonistic, and esthetic nature of
consumption [42]. Moreover, some authors have demonstrated the importance of the uniqueness
of the positive experience of a territory or particular events that take place only in certain tourist
destinations [43] in the choice of a food product and how important can be an evoked emotion as
reaction to perception of a relevant stimulus and its implication in product/food choice [43,44] emotion
as a reaction to the perception of a relevant stimulus. The island of Pantelleria is a good example of the
power of experiential components in travel destination choices. In fact, in the past decade, thanks to
the extraordinary communicative power of its territory, Pantelleria island became a destination for elite
tourism; this enhanced the value of this island and, at the same time, of the raisin wine that became the
oenological symbol of Pantelleria [45].
Nowadays, communication through websites plays an important role in experiential marketing
activities, therefore, it appeared interesting to analyze the effectiveness of online communication for the
wineries located in extreme regions, in order to provide new elements for enhancing the competitive
advantage of wine producers located in these areas.
This work aims to observe how wine producers located in geographic areas where heroic viticulture
is practiced, use web communication to communicate their heroic wines to consumers; moreover,
the objective is to ascertain whether the types of communication used are effective for adding value to
the wines of the territory. This study also has the aim to advance the conceptual foundations of the
AGIL (i.e., Adaptation, Goal-attainment, Integration, Latent pattern maintenance) scheme, previously
applied in a pilot recent study, strengthening the method, and providing a generalizable model that
could be applicable to other similar studies. Finally, this study tries to gain a deeper insight on the
effectiveness of communication of wineries located in extreme regions. In particular, this paper seeks
to observe whether the wineries in the Mount Etna region are capable and aware of exploiting the
“heroic” nature of viticulture practiced through the evocative and emotional potential that the territory
has, communicating the adversities of the territory in a consistent and conscious way through their
websites, in order to give added value to their wines.
In the present study, the communication adopted by wineries in Mount Etna region and in
Pantelleria island was analyzed through the observation of their websites. Specifically, the analysis
of these wineries’ websites was carried out to determine whether, and how, the peculiarities and the
harshness of the territory were communicated effectively to wine lovers. The first comparison between
two very extreme territories (i.e., Mount Etna and Pantelleria Island) was made in this study. From this
comparison, it was possible to generate new ideas for reflection on the effectiveness of a new type of
web communication, for wineries, that uses the power of communication of the extreme territory to
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add value to high quality wines, regardless of the brand. This could allow the repositioning of these
wines as a unique symbol of extraordinary territories.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Model Selection
Several studies have stated that communication is an expressive phenomenon of social relationships
and that consumers’ brand preferences are influenced by the psychological process of constructing
the self, based on consumption situations and brand personality [46]. Multidimensional methods
of analysis are commonly applied to the study of social phenomena, as they make use of models
methodologically suited to measuring the different aspects into which a complex phenomenon, such
as communication, can be broken down [47,48]. For this purpose, the AGIL multidimensional analysis
scheme was applied, considering that communication is presented as an expressive phenomenon of
social relations [49]. In fact, according to T. Parsons [50,51], the basic assumption of this sociological
paradigm is that every social system must meet four basic requirements or dimensions to survive
and develop; these dimensions are indicated by the acronym AGIL: adaptation (A); goal attainment
(G); integration (I); and latent pattern maintenance (L). The AGIL scheme is therefore based on a
conceptual grid that breaks down any complex phenomenon, such as social phenomena, into four
fundamental dimensions and a variable number of sub-dimensions and related indicators, which are
sometimes identified on the basis of the functions performed by the phenomenon itself within the
social system [52]. In practice, the scheme consists of a quadrant divided into four sectors that must
be read following a path that is articulated, starting from the maximum “symbolic complexity” and
the maximum “contingency of action” to the minimum “symbolic complexity” and the minimum
“contingency of action.” The scheme should be read counterclockwise from the top right quadrant of
the adaption dimension, followed by goal attainment, integration, and latent pattern maintenance, in a
system of Cartesian axes that express social phenomena, i.e., the “contingency of action” and “symbolic
complexity” (Figure 1). In this study, the sub-dimensions have been selected by the authors basing
on the ones examined in previous studies [48] and adapted for this one. The adaptation dimension
(A) follows the principle of optimizing resources and means, and has a persuasive function, through
which communication finds itself operating in social structures (market, mass media, digital media,
institutions) and satisfying multiple and different objectives. The goal-attainment dimension (G)
indicates the cognitive dimension that operates through the distribution function of disseminating
information; it follows the principle of realization of the dissemination action. The integration
dimension (I) is oriented according to the norms of the community in which the communication
is carried out, and follows the regulatory principle of compliance with the tradition and principles
shared by the community. In this dimension, communication is considered from the point of view
of the relevance of participation in community events. Finally, the quadrant of the latent patterns
dimension (L) relates to communication as an expressive form of the identity of the social actor
(individual or collective). This is, in fact, the identity dimension of communication which express the
consistency and coherence with values and ideas [52]. According to the literature, this methodology
consists in assigning a score to the selected indicators of the four dimensions based on the intensity of
communicativeness [53].
This qualitative-quantitative methodology of multidimensional analysis has already proved to
be valid and effective in qualitative studies, where it is frequently applied, both for the rapidity of
obtaining results and for its relatively low cost (through the discussion among experts on a product, it
is possible to obtain instant feedback on perceptions, opinions, and ideas). Therefore, in this study this
methodology was improved and consolidated for its generalization and applicability in other studies.
Figure 1 shows the AGIL scheme with four quadrants corresponding to the four dimensions and their
respective sub-dimensions and indicators (selected by the authors for this study).
Symbolic Complexity
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Adaptation (A)
Goal Attainment (G)
VALUE CREATION
MANAGEMENT
Sub‐dimensions:
Sub‐dimensions:
Site design
Ease of access and browsing
Quality of images
Information provided
Thematic areas
Pictures of the territory
Latent Pattern Maintenance (L)
Integration (I)
VALUE CREATION
COMMUNITY
Sub‐dimensions:
Sub‐dimensions:
Identity
Originality/Innovation
Coherence/Consistency
Communication style of the
website’s reception
International profile
Interactivity of website
Contingency of Action
‐
Figure 1. AGIL scheme with dimensions and sub-dimensions
selected for the study. Source: Adapted
from T. Parsons’ model [47]. This matrix can be read clockwise starting from A.
2.2. Statistical Population
From the official lists available at the Italian Official Sources (Regional Institute of Wines and Oils
‐ Sicily), all the
of Sicily, the Etna Wine Road Association, the Chamber of Commerce of South-East
wine producers (wineries) located in the territory of Mount Etna (Census) were identified. Therefore,
from this initial statistical population of wine producers in the Mount Etna region, only those that,
at the time of the survey, had active websites were selected, i.e., a total of 52 wineries, representing the
initial statistical universe. It was observed that these wineries were all located along the route known
as the “Wine Road of Etna.” The preliminary observation of the websites of the identified wineries
showed that some were not active and others were under construction and, therefore, only the active
‐ ‐
and up-to-date websites were chosen; N = 41 websites (Census).
Subsequently, the 41 existing sites were observed by 36 experts in the field of online communication,
selected from among professionals in the wine sector. The observations, in accordance with the chosen
methodology, were made for 12 months (from March 2018 to March 2019), in order to take into account
any changes to the sites or the type of communication adopted within a year, as well as possible
interruptions due to website updates. During this period, the experts decided to delete three more
websites because they appeared to not be active (i.e., dismissed) and, therefore, the study was made
using a total of 38 active websites.
For Pantelleria island, the entire population of the wineries in the island was also selected and
after a preliminary analysis, only N = 11 active websites were identified (census) and analyzed by the
36 experts; nevertheless, the small statistical population is coherent with the very small territory of
Pantelleria island and it guarantees the full reliability of results.
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2.3. Focus Groups and Selection of Participants
The focus group methodology was used in this study, because the aim was to gather information
about the type of communication used by wineries in small extreme territory by their web sites.
Essentially, the focus group is a qualitative method of analysis that aims to explore an uninvestigated
topic in depth [54] with a group of selected individuals. In the focus-group format, the experts could
discuss among themselves, exchange ideas, and highlight issues and strengths.
This method has been demonstrated to be one of the most effective and suitable for developing a
deeper understanding of how, and why, individuals think about an investigated topic [55]. The reason
of success of focus groups is the flexibility of the approach in the context of exploration [39,56]. In this
case, focus group discussion allowed one to obtain the opinion of a group of experts (in web-based
communication of the wine sector), with regard to the effectiveness of types of communication applied
by the wineries though their websites.
A panel of 36 experts (18 women and 18 men) in the field of wine communication and, specifically,
communication through the Internet and social networks, was selected to observe and analyze the
websites and to evaluate the four dimensions of the AGIL scheme. Despite FGs having some limitations,
due to the small size of respondents, on the other side, people convened to discuss in a FG should
be carefully selected for demographic, psychographic or other considerations, so that the sample is
often required to be inhomogeneous [56,57]. The degree of member homogeneity desired may be best
determined in light of the task or problem the group is asked to address. Therefore, for this study,
the choice of the FG participants was made according to the literature and previous studies [55,58–60].
More particularly, in this case, differences among the three focus groups were based on their ages and
competences, which were chosen to reflect the heterogeneous universe of wine experts (e.g., young
professionals in the wine sector, stakeholders, etc.), and this is presented in Table 1. According to
the literature on FGs [57], which prescribes that the number of participants should vary from 8 to a
maximum of 12 individuals, each focus group was composed of 12 participants, based on the predefined
criteria (Table 1), thus representing a convenience-judgement sample. In fact, judgement samples are
selected based on what the researchers think particular sampling units or elements will contribute to
answering the particular research question [58]. A general recommendation is that participants should
be strangers, although various reasons can support the use of acquaintances [39,54]; in the present case,
where there was a need to increase the number of participants to ensure the heterogeneity of the sample
and at the same time its statistical significance, some of the experts could get to know each other.
Table 1. Composition of focus groups, and sociodemographic characteristics of participants.
Focus
Group
Participants
(n)
Gender and Age
Range
Competences and Role
1
12
Seven females, five
males; age range
25–35 years old
Wine influencer; Wine blogger; Web designer of wineries
and wine events; Researcher in Communication sciences;
Oenologist with experience in Etna DOC1 wine
12
Six females, six
males; age range
35–45 years old
Food and wine journalist; Marketing manager with
experience in territorial politics; Journalist expert in web
communication; Researcher in communication sciences;
Researcher in wine marketing and communication
Five females, six
males; age range
45–65 years old
Wine marketing manager with experience in heroic
wines; Wine marketing manager with experience in
territorial politics; President of the “Strada del Vino Etna
DOC”; Associate professor of wine marketing and
communication; Full professor of wine economics and
policies; President of the Italian Sommelier Association;
Wine influencer
2
3
12
1
Etna DOC is the name of the Denomination of Controlled Origin (DCO), DOC means DCO.
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These experts observed individually, for 12 months, both the 38 sites of the wineries in the Etna
territory and the 11 sites of those in Pantelleria, and, at different times, they came together to discuss
through focus groups. Literature on focus groups suggests that three to four focus groups are enough
to collect all the information needed in the first step of exploration [54,56]; in fact, additional focus
groups tend to collect the same information and no new insights would be generated [61]. Therefore,
in this study, nine focus groups were carried out, with three groups of participants that met three
times to discuss about the websites of wineries in Mount Etna and three times to discuss about the
websites of wineries in Pantelleria. This is because the experts had to observe, during the 12 months,
eventual updating or modifications of the observed websites and at the same time develop a deep and
common understanding of the investigated phenomenon, i.e., the effectiveness of communication of
the heroic viticulture through wineries’ websites. Therefore, over the 12 months of observation, three
focus groups with 12 experts each were structured, namely as “Focus Group 1”, “Focus Group 2”, and
“Focus Group 3” (Table 1). The experts (belonging to each focus group) discussed three times about the
Etna wineries’ websites, and other three times about the Pantelleria wineries’ websites (in total each
focus group convened six times) (Table 2). The phases of the study for the Focus groups 1, 2 and 3, were
as follows: (1) four months of individual websites’ observation; (2) first focus group discussion for Etna
and first focus group discussion for Pantelleria; (3) four months of individual websites’ observation; (4)
second focus group discussion for Etna and second focus group discussion for Pantelleria; (5) four
months of individual websites’ observation; (6) last focus group discussion for Etna and last one for
Pantelleria. This last focus group allowed us to have the unique and shared evaluation of the Etna and
the Pantelleria wineries’ websites from “Focus Group 1”, “Focus Group 2”, and “Focus Group 3”, that
assigned the scores to all the indicators of the four dimensions of the AGIL scheme. The design and
phases of the study are illustrated in Table 2.
Table 2. Design and phases of focus groups analysis both for the Etna and the Pantelleria wineries’
websites. Data collected from all three focus groups (total 36 experts: 18 women and 18 men).
Focus Group 1 (12 Participants:
6 Women and 6 Men)
Focus Group 2 (12 Participants:
5 Women and 7 Men)
Focus Group 3 (12 Participants:
7 Women and 5 Men)
Operations
Outputs
Operations
Outputs
Operations
Outputs
Phase 1
(after 4
months)
4 months of
individual
website
observation,
followed by the
first meeting of
Focus group 1
Personal
judgements of
experts on
websites and
discussion of
Focus group 1
on identified
topics
4 months of
individual
website
observation,
followed by the
first meeting of
focus group 2
Personal
judgements of
experts on
websites and
discussion of
Focus group 2
on identified
topics
4 months of
individual
website
observation,
followed by the
first meeting of
Focus group 3
Personal
judgements of
experts on
websites and
discussion of
Focus group 3
on identified
topics
Phase 2
(after 8
months)
4 months of
individual
observation of
the websites,
followed by the
second meeting
of Focus group 1
Personal
judgements on
websites and
Focus group 1
discussion on
identified topics
4 months of
individual
observation of
the websites,
followed by the
second meeting
of focus group 2
Personal
judgements on
websites and
Focus group 2
discussion on
identified topics
4 months of
individual
observation of
the websites,
followed by the
second meeting
of Focus group 3
Personal
judgements on
websites and
Focus group 3
discussion on
identified topics
Phase 3
(after 12
months)
4 months of
individual
observation of
the websites,
followed by the
third meeting of
Focus group 1
Final discussion
of Focus group 1
on the identified
topics and
scoring of each
website (for all
indicators of the
scheme)
4 months of
individual
observation of
the websites,
followed by the
third meeting of
focus group 2
Final discussion
of Focus group 2
on the identified
topics and
scoring of each
website (for all
indicators of the
scheme)
4 months of
individual
observation of
the websites,
followed by the
third meeting of
Focus group 3
Final discussion
of Focus group 3
on the identified
topics and
scoring of each
website (for all
indicators of the
scheme)
Phases 1
1
These phases were replicated twice: both for the study of the wineries’ websites in Mount Etna and for the study
of the websites of wineries in Pantelleria. Recording of the focus group discussion and verbatim transcription.
Preliminarily, for this study, a question guide was prepared by the authors in order to help the
moderator (expert in each focus groups) throughout each session, although a non-directive technique
(avoiding leading questions) was used to explore the topic. The first question concerned the general
Agronomy 2020, 10, 721
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communication efficiency and effectiveness of the websites. Following this, participants were asked to
discuss the apparent awareness of the web designer with regard to the “heroic” viticulture and the
extreme territory where the wineries were located. The final topics of discussion concerned the ability
of the wineries to communicate the extreme territory of production and the heroic viticulture practiced,
based on the indicators of the AGIL scheme.
In each session, all participants were seated around a round table in an empty room, a moderator
supervised the discussion and some researchers witnessed the focus group sitting separately and
without being seen by participants. Each participant had a tablet connected to the Internet to allow the
visualization of the websites during the discussion. Participants were invited to discuss openly and
freely without positions of dominance of some over others. Notes were taken by researchers during
and after each session and discussions were recorded and handwritten verbatim. In total, eighteen
focus groups were carried out, nine for the websites of the wineries in Mount Etna and nine for the sites
of the wineries in Pantelleria (i.e., focus group 1, 2 and 3 discussed three times about the territory of
Etna and three times about the territory of Pantelleria). The last focus group session (the one carried out
after 12 months of observation) led to the shared evaluation of the group of experts of the sites observed
(Table 2), with respect to the indicators examined. During the last focus group, the experts analyzed
the websites together and, subsequently, after discussion, assigned a shared score, from 0 to 5, to each
indicator (corresponding to the 12 sub-dimensions identified for the study) for each website observed.
The scores were attributed on the basis of the “level of the communicative ability of the site with respect
to each indicator” (level of communicativeness) observed at each time (Table 3). For the measurement of
the “level of communicativeness” of the observed websites, a Likert scale from 0 to 5 was used (0 = lack
of communicativeness, 1 = low communicativeness, 2 = acceptable communicativeness, 3 = sufficient
communicativeness, 4 = satisfactory communicativeness, and 5 = excellent communicativeness).
Table 3. Dimensions, sub-dimensions, indicators and score ranges used for the study.
Dimension
A-Adaption
G-Goal
attainment
I-Integration
L-Latent
pattern
maintenance
Sub-Dimension
Indicator
Score
1
Site design
Quality of site design
From 0 to 5
2
Ease of access and
browsing
Ease of navigation on the website
From 0 to 5
3
Quality of images
Quality characteristics of pictures of the
territory
From 0 to 5
1
Information provided
Quantity of information about the link with
the Etna Mountain territory
From 0 to 5
2
Thematic areas
Quantity of touristic information, i.e.,
information and other activities linked to
the territory (culture, wine & food activities,
nature, sport, art, folklore, etc.)
From 0 to 5
3
Pictures of the territory
Number of pictures evoking (linking with)
the Etna Mountain territory
From 0 to 5
1
Communication style of
the website’s reception
Communication style
From 0 to 5
2
International profile
Number of foreign languages used
From 0 to 5
3
Interactivity of website
Chat rooms, forums, social networks
From 0 to 5
1
Identity
Distinctiveness of the website
From 0 to 5
2
Originality/innovation
Originality and innovation of the website
structure
From 0 to 5
3
Coherence/consistency
Coherence of communication (images,
language, contents, text, immediacy of the
comprehensibility of the message,
evocation of the territory)
From 0 to 5
For the assessment, (score from 0 to 5), each focus group (at the end of the third phase)
was provided with a matrix containing the list of websites observed (for each territory) and
the indicators to be evaluated for each dimension of the AGIL scheme. The C × V matrix
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(cases = websites × variables = indicators) was strictly followed in order to collect the scores attributed
to all the websites observed for each indicator of the four dimensions of the AGIL scheme. In total,
for the Etna territory, three matrices were obtained consisting of the scores attributed by the 3 focus
groups to all the indicators of the scheme for all the sites observed (C × V matrix = 38 × 12; where
C = 38 cases = websites, and V = variables = 12 indicators), and similarly, three matrices were
obtained for Pantelleria’s wineries (C × V matrix = 11 × 12; where C = 11 cases = websites, and
V = variables = 12 indicators).
2.4. Data Collection and Analysis
For each sub-dimension (or indicator, see Table 3), given the 0–5 scale used, and the fact that
each dimension comprised three sub-dimensions, a score between a 0 and 15 was obtained for each
dimension. According to the scores obtained, the communicative capacity of each winery, the extent of
the most effective communication, and the sub-dimensions that contributed with their scores to the
score of the dimensions of the scheme were highlighted. The analyses were carried out by calculating
the mean values of the scores attributed to the indicators. In addition, the mean values of scores
attributed to the dimensions were calculated, in order to make comparisons between homogeneous
values and interpret the results correctly. The means of the dimensions were calculated considering all
the scores given to the indicators of all dimensions for all websites, by a matrix as data base for the Etna
territory and another as data base for the Pantelleria territory. Each matrix was therefore composed of
the scores given by all three focus groups (i.e., for Etna one matrix (n × m), where n = 3 indicators
and m = 114 units, consisting of the 38 websites evaluated by the three focus groups (the matrix was
obtained by merging the three final matrix of each focus group), and for Pantelleria another matrix
(n × m), where n = 3 indicators and m = 33 units, consisting of the 11 websites evaluated by the three
focus groups (similar to the Etna case, this matrix was obtained by merging the three final matrix of
each focus group)).
Moreover, to analyze the overall communicativeness of each winery in the Etna territory,
the wineries were ranked based on the score assigned by the focus groups for all dimensions
combined (therefore, as each dimension has three indicators, the total score ranges from a minimum of
0 (score = 0 for each indicator of each dimension) to a maximum of 60 (score = 5 for each indicator
of each dimension)). Subsequently, in order to simplify the interpretation of the result, these scores
were converted into a score from 1 to 10, and five score bands were created: 1–2, no communication;
3–4, poor communication; 5–6, acceptable communication; 7–8, satisfactory communication, and 9–10,
excellent communication. This allowed one to know the communicative ability (namely “level of
communicativeness”) of the wineries located in the Mount Etna region, by using the power of the
extreme territory for communicating the heroic viticulture practiced to produce the wine.
3. Results
By comparing the results obtained for the two extreme territories, it is possible to observe some
interesting differences between the communication of the Etna and the Pantelleria wineries.
Figures 2 and 3 show the mean values calculated for the dimensions and indicators to carry
out a comparative analysis between the communicative approach of websites, both for Etna’s and
Pantelleria’s wineries.
In particular, if we observe the scores obtained for each dimension, it is possible to understand
that wine producers in the Mount Etna territory, although showing interest in communicating their
wines through the website, do not appear focused on communicating the elements of uniqueness,
individuality, and distinctiveness that their heroic territory have. Contrarily, in Pantelleria, wine
producers appear more aware and use the territory to communicate their wine.
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Figure 2. Comparative analysis between mean values obtained for the four AGIL dimensions (Pantelleria
vs. Mount Etna).
Figure 3. Comparative analysis between scores (mean values) given by focus groups to indicators of
the wineries’ websites of the two territories (Etna Mountain and Pantelleria).
More particularly, the mean values of each dimension and indicator are discussed in the following
way. The dimension Adaptation (A) represents the high contingency of action and high symbolic
complexity. This dimension measures the persuasive ability of the website, in this case, and its value
is obtained by the evaluation of a group of qualitative variables (i.e., indicators), based on visual
elements that link the company and the territory. In this case, the visual elements on each website were
evaluated with reference to the perceived communication skill of the website to tell the extreme territory
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(for example using the vine terraces on the slopes of the two volcanic territories, the landscapes), and
describe the characteristics of wines with reference to the territory in which they originated.
For the Etna territory, the mean value of the scores obtained by the Adaptation (A) dimension
Figure 2) was 3.30 (out of a maximum of 5), Pantelleria, instead, obtained a higher mean value
(3.39). For interpreting and understanding the meaning of this result, it is important to notice that
this characteristic of the website is strictly connected with the talent of web designer and with the
participation of wine producers to the creation of their website, because the ease of access and browsing
in the website depends on its low complexity or on the experience of the web designer. Moreover,
interpreting the result obtained for the indicators (see Figure 3), it is possible to highlight that the
communication of symbolic elements related to the extreme territory and wines depends on the
participation of producers in the choice of visual elements and, therefore, on the awareness of wine
producers of what they want to communicate. In this case, despite the low complexity of websites
for Pantelleria, the visual elements on wineries’ websites appeared more effective to communicate
both the beauty of the landscape and the harshness of the territory, including the terraces on which
the vines are grown. As far as the websites of the Etna wineries are concerned, it turned out that the
visual elements present were only beautiful images of the volcano’s territory, but not focusing on the
heroic viticulture practiced there and the link between wine and heroic viticulture. Moreover, despite
the fact that the Adaption dimension of Etnean wineries received a score (mean value) higher than
all the other dimensions, this result relates more to the high contingency of action rather than high
symbolic complexity. More particularly, the score of this dimension, for Etnean wineries, depends on
the “Quality of site design”; in fact, it was observed that most of the Etnean wineries’ websites were
designed by web professionals. On the other hand, the lack of communication between producers and
web experts may be the reason for the low effectiveness of this dimension compared to the Pantelleria
wineries’ websites.
The Goal attainment (G) dimension expresses high symbolic complexity and low contingency of
action. The sub-dimensions (see Table 2) concern text-based information about the producer, the wines,
and the production processes; moreover, information about events and activities related to the territory
(tourism, nature, gastronomy, sports) through thematic areas of the websites. Finally, the ease of
access and browsing was also an indicator. Results show that (see Figure 2), the Etna wineries’
websites obtained lower scores (mean value equal to 3.03) than the Pantelleria ones (mean value 3.21),
highlighting that, also in this dimension, the producers are more interested in communicating by the
use of the website because all information provided, thematic areas and pictures of the territory were
highly coherent and consistent with the territory of Pantelleria and the Passito wine. This type of
information is very important for visitors, because it helps them to contextualize the wine within a
territorial context and a social context, and it is very important and attractive for wine consumers and
wine tourists as well, because these elements contribute to consolidate the emotional bond with the
wine and the producer.
The Integration dimension (I) obtained an average score of 2.88 for Etna’s vs. 2.81 for Pantelleria’s
wineries. This dimension expresses the minimum symbolic complexity and minimum contingency of
action, and it assess the integration degree between visitors and the website. The indicators used to
measure this dimension were: communication style, number of foreign languages used, chat rooms,
forums, social networks, etc. Moreover, the focus groups observed the number of interactive actions
and their contents. In this dimension, the elements evaluated were the style of communication,
the availability of webpages in different languages, number and type of social networks displayed on
the winery’s website, i.e., the presence (number) of links to chats with producers or to other websites
or to social networks (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, etc.) It is clear that this dimension is affected by the
company’s ability to open up the website to foreign internet users and to establish direct relations
with consumers. The analysis, carried out by the focus groups, shows that only a few websites among
the Etna’s wineries have webpages with translation in more than other two foreign languages apart
from Italian, and none of Pantelleria’s webpages use another foreign language in addition to English
Agronomy 2020, 10, 721
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(and Italian) language. This reflects in some deficiencies, from the internationalization point of view
that is accentuated by the modest use of the most popular social networks.
Finally, the Latency dimension (L) is characterized by the minimum symbolic complexity and
the maximum contingency of action, and it evaluates the identity profile of the website through the
sub-dimensions related to sharing aspects. This dimension obtained an average score of 2.98 for
Etna’s and 3.15 for the websites of wineries in Pantelleria, and it is conceptually based on the identity
and originality of the website, as well as on the consistency between the text and the related images.
This dimension also takes into account the structure of the website and the layout of each webpage.
In this dimension, collaboration between the entrepreneur and the web designer during the creation
of the website is very important. Specifically, the wine producer should work together with the web
designer in order to highlight the concept of a “wine territory coherent with the products”. This concept
should be easily decoded by the website’s visitors through images, text, and other communicative
elements. The importance of this dimension is, therefore, to grab the user’s attention through the
originality of the structure of the site, which is necessarily related to how the website may be identified
uniquely among other similar websites. Only in this case would website visitors be able to recognize
the producer and the wine by unique elements of the website. The Etna’s websites obtained good
scores in this dimension, except for one indicator closely related to the coherence of communication
(3.54). This indicator, however, appears to be more related to the ability to communicate using the
evocative power of a territory.
As we said, in this study, the interest was to analyze the objective(s) of the visual representations,
and specifically the ability of pictures and contents to recall the characteristics of heroic viticulture and
communicate them to visitors through understandable representative contents. Therefore, a deeper
analysis of each indicator was made.
By observing the mean values assigned to each indicator of the four dimensions, it is possible to
highlight that, interestingly, the highest scores given to the dimensions, in the case of Pantelleria, are
due to the scores given to the indicators that most express the uniqueness of the territory, the identity
of belonging to it, and the consistency in the communicativeness of these symbolic values, i.e.,
the effectiveness of communication of a heroic viticulture in an extreme territory through the use of the
communicative power of the territory itself, evoking it by the coherent use of images and contents
linked to the wine.
Contrarily to Pantelleria’s wine producers, the communication of Etna wineries through websites
appears to be more focused on other elements than to the heroic viticulture and extreme territory.
More particularly, (A) “Quality of website design” (3.59 Etna vs. 3.10 Pantelleria); (G) “Quantity of
information about the link with the territory” (3.17 Etna vs. 3.00 Pantelleria); and “Number of foreign
languages used” (2.38 Etna vs. 1.72 Pantelleria) (see Figure 3).
However, all the indicators related to the ability of the websites to communicate the heroic
viticulture are higher for Pantelleria’s wineries. Specifically, these indicators are: (A) “quality
characteristics of pictures of the territory” (3.40 Pantelleria vs. 2.49 Etna); (G) “quantity of information
about touristic information and other activities linked with the territory (culture, wine and food
activities, nature, sport, art, folklore, etc.)” (2.70 Pantelleria vs. 2.32 Etna); (G) “number of pictures
evoking the extreme territory” (3.90 Pantelleria vs. 3.60 Etna); and (L) “coherence of communication
(images, contents, texts, evocation of the territory)” (3.54 Pantelleria vs. 3.09 Etna). The selection of
images to communicate the heroic nature of the viticulture practiced in the extreme territory would
seem to be a skill of entrepreneurs than of website designers. Therefore, it will be interesting to know if
there has been collaboration between entrepreneurs and web designers. The results of the discussions
of the three focus groups on the criticalities that emerged, and their possible causes, can help answer
this question.
With regard to the analysis of the communicativeness of each winery, the authors grouped the
observed wineries’ websites in bands of scores with respect to the level of communicativeness. It was
possible to observe that around 40% of the observed wineries received by the experts an evaluation
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that expressed “Excellent” or “Good” communicativeness (Tables 4–6). These wineries are aware of the
added value that the terroir gives to their wines, and communicate through their websites the concept of
heroic viticulture, succeeding in adequately transmitting to Internet users the difficulties in producing
in extreme conditions and how this terroir is, along with the work of the producers, representative of a
unique value of Etna CDO wines. It is interesting to observe that the wineries whose websites received
the highest scores (“Excellent” communication) well known on the national, and international wine
market. In addition, these wineries are in the territory of Mount Etna from decades and generations,
and over time have grown, both in terms of production and sales. These companies, compared to
the others, appeared more marketing-oriented than others and, therefore, their websites are more
effective in conveying their values and the heroic territory, as the strength for the differentiation of
their wines, and by doing so, they are more easily distinguishable by consumers. These wineries, in
recent years, have also invested in the Etnean territory thanks to their increased notoriety, funding all
types of communication, because these producers are aware of the importance of link between a wine
and its terroir.
Table 4. Evaluation of websites of wineries in Mount Etna made by focus group 1.
Scoring Band on a
1–10 Scales
Scoring Band
Obtained
Assigned Level of
Communicativeness
Percentage of
Wineries Belonging to
This Group
Number of Wineries
Belonging to This
Group
9–10
7–8
5–6
3–4
1–2
52–55
40–50
30–39
21–27
15–20
Excellent
Good
Acceptable
Poor
None
8%
32%
26%
24%
10%
3
12
10
9
4
Table 5. Evaluation of websites of wineries in Mount Etna made by focus group 2.
Scoring Band on a
1–10 Scales
Scoring Band
Obtained
Assigned Level of
Communicativeness
Percentage of
Wineries Belonging to
This Group
Number of Wineries
Belonging to This
Group
9–10
7–8
5–6
3–4
52–55
40–50
30–39
21–27
Excellent
Good
Acceptable
Poor
13%
24%
37%
26%
5
9
14
26
Table 6. Evaluation of websites of wineries in Mount Etna made by focus group 3.
Scoring Band on a
1–10 Scales
Scoring Band
Obtained
Assigned Level of
Communicativeness
Percentage of
Wineries Belonging to
This Group
Number of Wineries
Belonging to This
Group
9–10
7–8
5–6
3–4
52–55
40–50
30–39
21–27
Excellent
Good
Acceptable
Poor
3%
47%
42%
8%
1
18
16
3
4. Discussion
In summary, it is possible to observe that the power of the communicativeness of the territory is
not effectively used to tell visitors the characteristics of the viticulture practiced in the extreme territory
of the Mount Etna. The websites of wineries in the Mount Etna region are more complex than those
in Pantelleria, and are structured to attract the immediate attention of visitors using specific website
structuring, brand recognition, and interaction with users.
Contrarily, the websites of the wineries of Pantelleria have a greater amount of contents and
information about the territory and its activities, and the pictures strongly evoke the island landscape
and the heroic characteristics of viticulture practiced on the island linking them uniquely to the “Passito
di Pantelleria” wine.
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The analysis of the focus group results for the wineries in the Mount Etna revealed five main
issues that apparently came out from free and deep discussion of experts’ opinions, with regard to the
topics established in the question guide they followed during focus groups:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
poor communication of the heroic nature of viticulture practiced in the territory,
lack of coordination between the entrepreneur and the designer of the website,
a lack of strong identifying elements that allow visitors to properly distinguish the winery from
others, except through the brand name,
a lack of information on activities that affect the territory of origin,
limited use of foreign languages.
With regard to the wineries in Pantelleria, the issues highlighted by experts’ discussion were:
1.
2.
3.
small dimension of firms and territory dedicated to wine production,
lack of funding for territorially coordinated communication activities,
limited use of foreign languages.
Overall, all focus groups agreed about the good standards of the observed websites, and the
interest of wine producers in having a website with basic information about the winery and the
wines produced.
About the effectiveness of communication applied by the websites, the results highlighted that
only a low percentage of companies’ websites were evaluated as having little or no communication,
with reference to heroic viticulture. A substantial percentage demonstrated paying sufficient attention
to communication and information regarding the territory as a whole (culture, gastronomy, tourism,
sports), although, considering the huge variety in the Etna territory, the information communicated in
the wineries’ websites was limited with regard to the companies’ activities related to the promotion
of the region and territorial integration. Such activities, however, have been shown to support a
territory, adding value and creating notoriety, and linking it to typical food products on the basis
of the “brand-land” union, which can, therefore, provide added value to companies and products,
particularly to wines.
The results obtained show that the wineries of Mount Etna are less communicative than those
of the island of Pantelleria. The reason could be the interest of producers in communicating their
own brand rather than the evocative potential of the heroic viticulture practiced in that territory,
possibly because they are not fully aware that this could be a competitive advantage to enhance the
commercialization of their “Etna DOC” wines. However, the Etna wineries’ websites, despite their good
structure, provide little information about the local context. On the contrary, because the dimension
of wine firms in Pantelleria is very small (except one case), producers have generally less funds to
finance web marketing (only two wineries assigned to web marketing agencies the task to design their
websites–information resulting from the analysis of the website). Nevertheless, in Pantelleria, wine
producers probably take a personal interest in the communicative characteristics of their websites
and particularly in the communication of the extreme territory and the heroic viticulture. Therefore,
in Pantelleria, wine producers “use the island” more than the brand-name to give to the passito wine
uniqueness, and to attract wine lovers. The intensity of the emotions that the landscape can convey
to visitors is evoked by tasting the wine produced in this extreme territory. In agreement with other
authors, in this case, the territory and its product (the Passito di Pantelleria DOC wine) become a
just “one” product [62] for consumers and visitors/tourists. Similarly, the volcano, the landscape, and
the difficulties of a heroic viticulture could and should be conveyed to add value and distinctness
to the “Etna DOC” wines and increase consumers’ willingness to buy and pay for them. In fact,
the presence of the volcano gives the area a unique perspective, which can be used to represent the key
element of communication in wineries’ websites. This, especially in relation to sensory marketing,
could add value to the wines Etna DOC [44,63–65]. In fact, according to previous marketing studies on
consumer preferences, the results highlight the importance of the different characteristics of wines in
Agronomy 2020, 10, 721
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consumer choice; in particular, the results confirm the crucial role of marketers in highlighting the
strongest and most attractive product attributes for the consumer in order to guide their purchasing
behavior [66]. In addition, according to eminent studies, consumers tend to reduce the risks of buying
a complex product such as wine by relying on their direct experience [66]. Therefore, an effective
communication, appropriately conveyed by wineries through guided video visits in the winery or
in the territory or other digital tools available today, through their websites, can contribute, on the
one hand, to evoke previous experiences experienced by wine consumers as tourists/visitors of those
extreme places/territories such as Pantelleria or the Etnean territory, and on the other hand, it can
contribute to make the curious consumer live a complete, albeit virtual, experience [66–68]. Finally,
according to other previous studies on the consumer’s perceived quality of wines, also in this study it
was observed that the quality rating of a winery is influenced by its terroir, and that in a wine region the
qualitative level of the produced wines is higher if wineries focus on wines with territorial brands [3].
Therefore, one of the most relevant findings of this study is the high importance for the extreme wine
territories of enhancing autochthonous products as “territorial brands” - in this case the Passito di
Pantelleria DOC wine for Pantelleria and the Etna DOC wines for the Etna wineries -, i.e. brands that
identify and represent a territory.
5. Conclusions
The results of this study can provide valuable support to guide companies’ communication in all
areas where heroic viticulture is practiced, allowing them to gain a competitive advantage.
Although the potential of the web as a relational tool is now well known and widely used for
marketing purposes, the wineries of the Mount Etna region demonstrate only a modest ability to
use this tool to transmit to potential consumers the communicative power of their territory, which is
distinguished throughout the world and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Most wineries in Pantelleria rely on the territory as an essential element of communication,
probably because producers are aware that the powerful beauty of this island and its landscapes are
very attractive to consumers/visitors and tourists, and that these elements are the only strength of
the territory.
Despite the difficulties that the territory imposes, both in the field and in the winery, and which
strongly affect the wine uniqueness, producers of the “Etna Rosso DOC” wine do not exploit the
combination of wine-vine-territory-Etna, but they always exclusively combine the wine with their
brand. Therefore, their websites should improve their symbolic complexity by using images related to
the characteristics of the extreme territory.
Therefore, the results show that the Etnean companies, unlike those in Pantelleria, do not exploit
the potential of the territory to promote the heroicness of their viticulture.
The producers in the Mount Etna and in the Pantelleria island can contribute to the sustainable
development of the economy of the area, taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by
agricultural policy and its financial contribution to heroic viticulture.
Moreover, the controlled denomination of origin (CDO) certification, can help to maximize the
benefits of the heroic territory through the enhancement of their wines and in synergy with other
economic activities, such as cultural tourism, environmental awareness, and food and wine production,
only if a good communication is applied.
In summary, the AGIL scheme can be considered as a valid tool to measure the effectiveness
of communication trough the websites; moreover, this methodology that combines it with focus
groups appears robust and can be applied to other similar studies to have more insight on
communication strategies of wineries in other extreme territories, or where quality wine and territory
are strictly connected.
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Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.I. and S.C.; methodology, M.I. and S.C.; software, M.I.; validation,
M.I.; formal analysis, M.I., and S.C.; investigation, M.I., L.A., S.B. and S.C.; data curation, M.I., S.C. and L.A.;
writing—original draft preparation, M.I. and S.C.; writing—review and editing, M.I. and L.A.; supervision, M.I.;
project administration, M.I.; funding acquisition, P.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version
of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Acknowledgments: The authors thank all the researchers and experts that helped with their technical and personal
contribution to carry out the focus groups.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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