B5717 - Place Marketing of Rural Areas

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired knowledge of the theoretical framework, operational tools, and regulations useful for designing and implementing a territorial marketing plan, with specific reference to EU rural development strategies and policies.

Course contents

Module 1: Fundamental Marketing Concepts

Definition and Value of Marketing;
Marketing Strategy;
The Marketing Mix (the 4 Ps);
Consumer Behavior;
Market Research;
Marketing in the Digital Age.
Module 2: Rural Territory: Foundations and Conceptual Framework

Introduction to Rural Territory as a Complex Product;
Evolution of the Concept of "Rural": From a Place of Agricultural Production to a Multifunctional Space;
Territory as a Socioeconomic System and a Basket of Goods/Services;
Specificities of Local Marketing Compared to Traditional Corporate Marketing.
Module 3: Rural Development Economy and Policies

The Role of Agriculture in Local Development and Local Value Chains;
Rural Development in European Policies;
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Structural Funds, and the Role of Local Action Groups (LAGs/LEADER Approach).

Module 4: Consumer/Land User Behavior

Demand Segmentation: Residents, Tourists, Businesses, Investors, and Institutions;
Drivers of Rural Demand: Authenticity, Sustainability, Well-Being, and the Search for Roots.

Module 5: Strategic Levers for Enhancement

Agri-food Quality and Designations of Origin

Link between Product, Origin, and Territory;
Economic Enhancement of PDO, PGI, TSG, and Organic Products as Drivers;
Short Supply Chains, Farmers' Markets, and Food as a Key Element of Identity.
Wine Tourism, Olive Oil Tourism, and Agritourism

Rural Tourism and the Diversification of Agricultural Income;
Supply Governance Tools: Wine and Flavor Routes, Food Districts;
Regulations and the Economics of Farm Hospitality.
Natural Capital, Ecosystem Services, and Landscape

The Economic Value of the Agricultural Landscape and Biodiversity;
Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and environmental certification strategies (protected spaces, parks); Marketing of natural resources and ethics of use.
Territorial branding and visual identity

Building a territorial brand identity;
Narratives and storytelling of rural areas: enhancing local culture;
Management of area brands and collective territorial brands.
Digitization and innovation in rural areas

The role of digital channels in promoting rural destinations;
District e-commerce platforms, Smart Rural Hubs, and online experiential tourism.

Module 6: Strategic planning and governance

Strategic analysis of the territory

Analysis methodologies: SWOT applied to rural systems;
Mapping of territorial stakeholders and interest/power matrix;
Competitiveness analysis and benchmarking among rural destinations.
Territorial governance and public-private partnerships

From territorial promotion to coordinated management;
River contracts, District contracts, and cooperation between agricultural and local businesses;
Land use and resource conflict management.
Territorial Marketing Plan

Definition of strategic and operational objectives;
Target selection and market positioning;
Action planning, resource allocation, and timeline;
Monitoring indicators (KPIs) for territorial marketing.

Module 7: Workshop, Project Work, and Case Studies

Guided analysis of excellent case studies

The Parmigiano-Reggiano areas;
The Emilia-Romagna Food Districts and the Motor/Food Valley;
Other cases.
Project work: development of a territorial marketing plan

Students, divided into working groups, will work on a real rural area (e.g., an area of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines or a plain with an agricultural and tourism vocation);
Definition of the positioning concept and target audience;
Design of the integrated offering (agri-food + tourism + culture);
Communication strategy and action plan.
Project presentation and final evaluation

Group presentation of projects with final critical discussion.

Readings/Bibliography

•P. Kotler (2004), Marketing management, Pearson Education Inc. •J.J. Lambin (2002), Marketing strategico e operativo, McGraw-Hill. •M Castellett, M. D’Acunto (2006), Marketing per il territorio. Strategie e politiche per lo sviluppo locale nell'economia globalizzata, Franco Angeli editore. •A. Sestino (2025), Marketing territoriale. Strumento di orchestrazione per lo sviluppo dei sistemi territoriali nell’era della trasformazione digitale, Edizioni THEMIS.

Teacher materials and handouts available during the course.

Teaching methods

The course consists of seven modules.

The first six consist of lectures on the course topic.

The final module focuses on the preparation of a territorial marketing project for a selected rural area. The project is developed in groups of students.

Seminars may be held to explore topics identified in class and deemed of particular interest.

The instructor is available to discuss any student needs to ensure full participation in the lessons.

"Given the nature of the activities and the teaching methods adopted, attendance at this training activity requires all students to first participate in Modules 1 and 2 of the e-learning training on workplace safety [https://elearning-sicurezza.unibo.it/].

Assessment methods

Attending students:

Group Project Work Assessment: Written report and presentation of the thesis

Non-attending students:

Final oral exam based on the reference texts used and the materials provided during the course.

The assessment will be based on:

Knowledge of the basic elements of marketing and rural area support policies;

The ability to analyze policy and marketing trends in favor of rural areas (as analyzed in the recommended texts and/or explored in depth during the lectures);

The ability to make connections between the different parts of the program;

The ability to develop a territorial marketing project idea;

The articulation of the presentation; and the accuracy of the presentation.
Students with learning disabilities (LD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: Please contact the relevant University office promptly (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). They will be responsible for suggesting any accommodations to the students concerned. These accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval 15 days in advance, who will evaluate their suitability, also taking into account the course's learning objectives.

Teaching tools

Whiteboard, video projector, computer, internet access.

All lessons are conducted with the aid of computer presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Ragazzoni