Ricerc@Sapienza

Storytelling about places is recognized as a tool to enhance the reputation of regions as they compete for tourism and economic development spending in the digital age. Through digital media, people can be encouraged to tell their tourism stories and share their experiences. Our design approach integrates Service Science, Management, Engineering, plus Design, Arts and Public Policy (SSME+DAPP, so just SS) and Viable Systems Approach (VSA) perspectives. Storytelling can be managed in a local service system to enhance brand competitiveness.

This chapter highlights the need for and the directions of a rethinking of the approach to Retail Marketing to overcome the limitations of a view that can fail in effectively engaging customers in the relationship with retailers, as they are still excessively focused on the ‘structural' elements of the service offering. Many physical stores, in particular, show what can be called the ‘paradox' of a Goods-Dominant Logic in the service offering.