The present (and future) value of the past. Heritage marketing strategies within long-lived firms of Made in Italy

Abstract

The present contribution summarizes a research path that started from studies on corporate longevity and came to investigate heritage marketing as a management philosophy and a strategic process aimed at exploiting the organization's historic patrimony as a competitive asset. Our aim as management scholars was to provide an integrated reading of heritage marketing in the context of long-lived firms, where the potential of the past as a strategic resource for present and future success emerges in all its strength. Based on the in-depth analysis of firms that have developed the Made in Italy system over the centuries, we explored heritage marketing from a process view and proposed a model for developing heritage as a key component of identity, positioning, and fu- ture directions. In this article, we argue the complexity of the strategic process aimed at valorizing corporate heritage and highlight the need for integrating the methods typical of busi- ness management and marketing with those deriving from other disciplines. Specif- ically, we propose some reflections on how history-informed research can be used to manage the peculiarities and potential of corporate heritage in long-lived firms