Baccelloni, Angelo
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Institutional profile
Angelo Baccelloni is Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Department of Business Administration at John Cabot University. He has always studied Marketing and completed his Bachelor’s in Marketing and Business Communication at LUMSA University and his Master of Science in Marketing at Luiss University. He obtained his doctoral degree in Marketing from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” with a dissertation entitled “Unveiling the Effects of Recommendation Agents on Online Behaviour: An Inquiry Into the Users’ Decision-Making Process, Implicit Social Networks and Algorithms Specialization”.
He is a Research Fellow at X.ITE Research Centre on New Technologies and Behaviours where he regularly collaborates with organizations and works on applied research projects in different industries. He is also a member of the Italian Marketing Society and Italian Management Society. Professor Baccelloni has studied research methodology at the University of Michigan, Cambridge University, Erasmus University of Rotterdam and University of St. Gallen.
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Publication A 20-Country Comparative Assessment of the Effectiveness of Nutri-Score vs. NutrInform Battery Front-of-Pack Nutritional Labels on Consumer Subjective Understanding and Liking(2023) He, Jun; Mazzù, Marco Francesco; Baccelloni, AngeloThe incidence of overweight and obesity has generated significant concerns among European consumers and institutions. As part of a set of measures undertaken, the European Union (EU) called for one harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutritional label (FOPL) to improve consumer food nutritional knowledge and encourage healthier and more informed food choices. Different types of FOPLs, ranging from nutrient-specific labels—such as the NutrInform Battery—to summary labels—such as the Nutri-Score—have been developed and introduced in different markets, reporting different degrees of effectiveness in terms of understanding. The aim of this study is to provide actionable insights by analyzing a specific part of the complex consumers’ decision-making process in food when aided by FOPLs. Adopting a between-subject experiment on a sample of 4560 respondents in 20 EU member countries, the study compares the consumer subjective understanding and liking of two labels currently under examination by the EU bodies, the NutrInform Battery and the Nutri-Score. At an aggregated level, the results show that NutrInform Battery is more effective than Nutri-Score in improving consumer subjective understanding and leads to a higher liking towards the label. A detailed by-country analysis highlights either a superiority or a parity of NutrInform Battery for subjective understanding and liking. Theoretically, this study, through a large panel of respondents, adds the fundamental perspective on subjective understanding, complementing the findings of extant research on objective understanding, and further clarifies the role of liking as a complementary element in the food decision-making process toward heathier and more informed food choices. This might be of significant relevance in providing additional evidence that can be used by policymakers in their attempt toward the selection of a uniform FOPL at EU level.Publication The effects of combining front-of-pack nutritional labels on consumers' subjective understanding, trust, and preferences(2023) Mazzù, Marco Francesco; Marozzo, Veronica; Baccelloni, Angelo; Giambarresi, AndreaThe decision to adopt a unique mandatory front-of-pack nutritional label (FOPL) has currently been delayed by the European Union (EU) as contrasting evidence exists on which one might consistently better encourage customers toward healthier diets. In this context, little attention has been dedicated to investigating the potential effects of having more than one front-of-pack nutritional label on food products. This study aims to verify if a combination of front-of-pack nutritional labels (i.e., a “bundle”) performs better for consumer understanding, trust, and preferences (such as liking) toward the label by helping consumers make healthier and more informed food choices. With this in mind, the study focused on three front-of-pack nutritional labels developed by public institutions that are central to the research and the recent EU policy-making debate. In three controlled experiments, building upon the “directiveness” front-of-pack nutritional label schemes, we find that the combination of a nondirective (i.e., NutrInform Battery) and a directive (i.e., Keyhole) label outperforms both the combination of two directive labels (i.e., Nutri-Score and Keyhole) and a single-directive front-of-pack nutritional label (i.e., Keyhole) on subjective understanding, trust in the label and liking. Results cast light on the bundling of front-of-pack nutritional labels as a potentially different approach that might be further analyzed by researchers and provide a substantive contribution to managers and policy-makers in their decision toward a unified front-of-pack nutritional label within the European Community.Publication Unveiling the impact of front-of-pack nutritional labels in conflicting nutrition information – A congruity perspective on olive oil(2024) Mazzù, Marco Francesco; He, Jun; Baccelloni, AngeloAn increasing awareness of the importance of healthy eating prompted consumers to gather nutritional cues from various sources, often resulting in conflicting nutrition information for the same food. This can lead to unintended consequences, such as decreased consumer interest in dietary information and behaviors contrary to healthy advice, particularly when the sources are deemed highly credible by consumers. In a series of three experiments, we aim to uncover the underlying cognitive mechanisms connected to complementary information provided by Front-of-Pack Nutritional Labels (FOPLs), exploring if conflicting nutrition information is generated when consumers integrate the labels’ information with other sources. Using olive oil as a case of products associated with conflicting nutrition information (CNI), Study 1 shows that directive labels (e.g., Nutri-Score) generate CNI when combined with either internal (i.e., pre-existing health knowledge) or external entities (i.e., knowledge from scientific information). In contrast, non-directive labels (e.g., NutrInform Battery) do not, in either condition. Study 2 explains that consumers establish a lower level of congruence between information provided by the internal entity and FOPL when the label is directive. Study 3 confirms a lower level of congruence between the information available from the external entities and FOPLs when the label type is directive, compared to non-directive. Furthermore, this diminished congruence has a negative impact on consumer attitudes and their intentions to adopt Nutritional Labels. Overall, this research delves into the interactions among various information sources from a congruence perspective, offering actionable insights for managers and policymakers to avoid becoming entangled by conflicting information.Publication Counteracting Noncommunicable Diseases with Front-of-Pack Nutritional Labels’ Informativeness: An Inquiry into the Effects on Food Acceptance and Portions Selection(2023) Mazzù, Marco Francesco; Baccelloni, Angelo; Romani, SimonaPurpose Front-of-pack nutritional labels have been extensively studied to support consumers in making healthier and more informed food choices. However, existing research has gathered conflicting evidence about which category of label, nutrient-specific or summary labels, is more effective. As a result, the European Union has postponed its decision on selecting a unified label to collect additional information. This study specifically focusses on individuals with noncommunicable diseases, an overlooked yet relevant segment of consumers who can significantly benefit from the proper use of nutritional labels in their self-care. Design/methodology/approach In a sequence of three studies grounded in the front-of-pack acceptance model and focussing on customers with specific noncommunicable diseases, the authors examined the different effects of the NutrInform Battery and Nutri-Score on food acceptance and portion selection. This research involved the use of structural equation modelling and ANOVA and was conducted with a cumulative sample of 2,942 EU adults, residing in countries with or without previous exposure to nutritional labels. Findings The results suggest that among individuals with noncommunicable diseases, nutrient-specific labels are perceived as more useful and easier to use. They also generate a better attitude towards the usage of nutritional labels and are more effective in nudging those consumers towards a proper selection of portions. Social implications The results provide valuable insights into how front-of-pack nutritional labels can impact the food choices of individuals with noncommunicable diseases and have implications for public health policies. Originality/value Investigation of the effects of NutrInform Battery and Nutri-Score on consumers with noncommunicable diseases, an area currently under-researched.Publication Overcoming the Blockchain Technology Credibility Gap(2023) Mazzù, Marco Francesco; Pozharliev, Rumen; Andria, Alberto; Baccelloni, AngeloBlockchain technology has been designed to improve the transmission of transparent information across a variety of industries and products. Yet, consumers tend to perceive product information provided by blockchain technology (vs. humans) as less credible. As this may not apply to all consumers, it becomes critical for companies to understand how to improve blockchain perceived credibility. This work investigates how individual differences and marketing actions shape consumer responses to product information provided by blockchain technology (vs. humans). Four controlled experiments demonstrate that consumers perceive the information provided by blockchain technology (vs. humans) as having less credibility, which in turn decreases word-of-mouth and intention to share information about the product on social media (Study 1). This effect is stronger for consumers with lower need for cognition (Study 2a), which in turn affects willingness to buy and actual behavior (Study 2b). Providing social proof—that is, the number of satisfied customers who recommend blockchain technology—increases blockchain perceived credibility (Study 3). These insights deepen the understanding of how individual differences shape consumer's responses to product information provided by blockchain technology and offer actionable insights on how to boost technology credibility.Publication Blending Digital and Physical Experiences in Luxury Wine Hospitality: An Experiential Approach to Technology Integration(2025) Bartoli, Chiara; Baccelloni, Angelo; Di Leo, Alessio; Mattiacci, AlbertoPurpose – This study explores luxury wine hospitality by considering physical activities and activities created by integrating the physical domain with digital technology. In doing so, it aims to identify the different types of wine tourism-related luxury experiences and build a framework for interpreting hybrid luxury experiences in wine hospitality in the digital era. Design/methodology/approach – An explorative mixed-methods approach was adopted to investigate types of luxury wine hospitality using cluster analysis and in-depth interviews with producers of wines with controlled and guaranteed designation of origin in Italy’s Sangiovese area. Findings – This study presents a framework for understanding hybrid digital and physical experiences in wine hospitality by examining the core components of luxury experiences. We identify six types of luxury experiences in wine hospitality that combine a physical experiential component with varying degrees of integration with digital technologies. Practical implications – Our findings provide wine businesses operating in hospitality within the luxury segment with a useful tool for optimising the integration of digital technology into physical experiences to add value to visitors’ activities and highlight the importance of digital skills for wineries that organise luxury experiences. Originality/value – This study systematises the integration of digital technologies into physical activities related to wine hospitality. It presents a hybrid physical–digital analytical framework that adopts an experiential outline of the strategic design of wine hospitality businesses.Publication Uncovering the Role of Weak Ties in Implicit Networks of Influence: A Network Analysis on Recommendation Algorithms’ Neighborhood(2025) Baccelloni, Angelo; Mazzù, Marco Francesco; Ricotta, Francesco; Mattiacci, AlbertoPurpose In the contemporary postmodern context, consumers are often portrayed as liberated from social ties, fostering an environment conducive to individualism. Algorithmic artifacts, such as recommendation algorithms (RAs), are contributing to this paradigm by functioning as anti-link tools: they establish implicit social links among individuals with similar preferences, giving rise to clusters termed neighborhoods. These neighborhoods facilitate the provision of personalized suggestions based on shared interests, paradoxically fostering social connections amid the backdrop of individualism. RAs actively generate implicit networks of influence characterized by users sharing analogous preferences, thereby enhancing the predictability of user behaviors. Despite extensive research on explicit networks of influence and the impact of RAs on decision-making, there remains a scarcity of evidence on how users influence others within implicitly generated networks and the roles they play in shaping information flow across such networks. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by examining how user interactions contribute to influence dynamics and information dissemination within implicit networks. Design/methodology/approach This study, drawing on the strength of weak ties theory, analyzes with a social network analysis a real-world network of 37,427 users and 1,300 products facilitated by RAs on an e-commerce platform. Findings The results contribute to literature on word-of-mouth (WOM) by clarifying the inherent characteristics and interconnections within implicit influence networks driven by recommendation agents (RAs). The findings identify the key users responsible for accelerating recommendations diffusion within these networks and reveal significant implications for scholars and marketers seeking to comprehend the effects of product recommendations in e-commerce contexts and refine their targeting strategies. Research limitations/implications The results contribute to the existing literature by highlighting the inherent characteristics and connections of implicit networks of influence facilitated by recommendation agents (RAs), identify the key users who facilitate the flow of the information inside the networks. Practical implications The paper shed light on substantial implications for WOM scholars and marketers aiming to understand the effects of product recommendations in an e-commerce setting and targeting processes. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first investigation into the implicit networks of influence facilitated by Ras.Publication Too Narrow to Help? Unveiling How Recommendation Agents’ Specialization Impacts User Choices(2025) Baccelloni, Angelo; De Angelis, Matteo; Ricotta, Francesco; Mazzù, Marco FrancescoOn many online platforms, professional human recommenders have largely been replaced by Recommendation Agents (RAs): algorithms that can—at lower cost and higher speed—incorporate users’ explicit and tacit preferences into customized search results that help with the purchase decision process. RAs are often built around understanding users’ past preferences in order to make accurate recommendations that generally reinforce said preferences. This approach offers several advantages, but also limits consumers’ ability to consider options outside of their past interests—the so-called specialization issue. The present research hypothesizes that a specialized RA (vs. a generalized preference-weighted RA) reduce users’ willingness to accept the recommendation. This effect is sequentially mediated by users’ perceived breadth of knowledge, perceived control over the choice process and perceived reciprocity with the RA. To test these hypotheses, the authors programmed a functioning RA and implemented it in three experimental studies involving 705 online participants. Results confirm the hypotheses suggesting that users do sometimes want RAs to help them expand on, rather than merely reaffirm, their existing preferences, particularly when their product expertise is relatively low. Theoretical and managerial implications as well as avenues for future research are finally discussed.Publication The Impact of Humans vs. AI Recommendation on Consumer Reactions to Products Exposure(2025) Mazzù, Francesco Marco; Andria, Alberto; Baccelloni, Angelo; De Angelis, MatteoThis study compares consumer reactions to product recommendations provided by AI versus expert human agents for search and experience products. Across three experimental studies, we propose that the effect of recommendation source and product type on intention to follow the recommendation is explained by recommendation source’s perceived transparency and credibility. We demonstrate that AI is perceived as more transparent and credible than a human expert when recommending search products, leading to a higher intention to follow the recommendation, while no difference emerges for experience products. However, when the human recommender is described as a Super Expert – highly experienced, reputable, and qualified – consumers show a preference for the human (vs. AI) source in the case of experience products, while the difference between the two recommendation sources became nonsignificant for search products. Furthermore, when recommendations come from a hybrid source combining a Super Expert and AI, this combination is evaluated less favorably than either source alone for search products, with no significant difference found for experience products. These results offer valuable insights for marketers on how to select, design and deploy effective touchpoints that enhance the willingness to follow recommendations, depending on the product type.