Presentation

Educational aims

The Interclass Degree Course in Food Communication combines the skills and objectives of two different degree classes, intertwining studies on Communication Theories (class LM-92) with those concerning Gastronomic Sciences (class LM/GASTR), focusing on the communicative aspects that characterize food and wine both as a system of meaning and as an object of multiple artifacts and communicative processes. Graduates in Food Communication are innovative professionals who can work as freelancers as well as in private companies and in the public sector. They combine the technical skills related to the production and consumption of food and wine, to their marketing and to their media repercussions, with the notions and sensibilities of socio-semiotics, cultural geography, aesthetics enabling them to give back to the food phenomenon the cultural and symbolic depth characterising it, being able therefore to operate with awareness and effectiveness, in the promotion of food and wine products in different socio-cultural contexts as well as in food education or in the production of different text types, from food and wine journalism to guides, from social media to television broadcasts, etc. The educational programme is divided into different areas of knowledge: - Semiotic-communicative area, with teachings such as Food and Wine Languages and Food Experience, Media and food and wine, Brand Semiotics, Design and food packaging, Semiotics of consumption spaces, Theory and techniques of seriality. - Historical, anthropological, geographical, and social area, with the teachings: Ethnogastronomy, History of Food, Food Consumption Sociology. - Area of Food Sciences and Nutrition, with the teachings: Mediterranean Food Systems and Supply Chains, Nutrition and Health, Sensory Analysis and Wine Production. - Legal area, with the teaching: Agri-Food Law. - Economic-Tourism and Marketing area, with teaching such as Food and Wine Marketing and Tourism, Cultural and Food and Wine Heritage Management. - Creativity and design area, with the teachings: Communication Campaign Workshop, Exhibit Design Workshop, Food Writing Workshop. During the first course year, students acquire the skills necessary to understand the communicative and cultural aspects characterizing food and wine systems, the history of food and the social dimension associated with food consumption. The basis for understanding the mechanisms of taste experience is also provided. Furthermore, through the laboratories, students will acquire practical skills related to the creation of communication campaigns, to the writing of different text types, and to the design of consumption spaces. An elective course will enable them to decide to personalise their own path, deepening different aspects of the food phenomenon, from the more technical ones such as the nutritional aspects or the production dynamics in the wine sector, to the more communicative ones related to the construction and management of the brand, to the packaging design, to the analysis of the consumption spaces, up to the legal or managerial aspects. In the second year, skills and tools will be provided to analyse the media impact of food and wine, the aesthetic peculiarities of food taste as well as tasting techniques. These skills will be complemented by those related to food and wine marketing and to the tourism dynamics caused by food and wine, as well as to the production aspects and the link they have with quality certifications and therefore with their economic repercussions. Through the elective activities students will be able to complete their own path in the direction they wish. Finally, through the internship, students will be able to put into practice what they have learned and eventually develop specific thesis projects together with companies. The credits in subjects useful for entering the job market will be provided through a program of seminars with companies and professionals operating in various fields: from catering to journalism, from education to marketing.

work perspectives

Profile: Consultant for the promotion and marketing of food and wine products Functions: - identifying global business opportunities - conceiving communication strategies for the effective positioning of products and services in relation to specific targets and within competitive systems - designing, creating and managing communication products such as advertising, events, social media identities, etc. - maintaining relations with the media, drafting press releases, official speeches, etc. - taking care of the image of companies and institutions - taking care of relations with organizations and institutions Skills: Advanced knowledge of the semiotic and communicative component connected to the production, marketing and consumption of food and beverages. Development of a sensitivity towards the symbolic value they have in different societies and cultures. Ability to think of food as a language, recognizing the system of meaning underlying it and understanding the dynamics of intersemiotic translation that characterize it as well as its identity, social and political value. Ability to understand the peculiarities of the food and wine discourse carried forward by both traditional (publishing, television, packaging, etc.) and digital (social media, user generated content, etc.) media, for example recognizing the semiotic value of consumption spaces. Knowing how to place historically, geographically and culturally facts and phenomena related to food and wine culture, and to identify and understand the social aspects related to the consumption of food and drink. Ability to create promotional videos and communication campaigns, exhibition spaces and food consumption. Knowing how to deal with the writing of different types of verbal texts related to the food and wine heritage with language properties and communicative effectiveness. Professional opportunities: - freelancer as strategic planner, ADV specialist, event planner, press officer, social media manager - private companies in the agri-food, canning, wine production, etc. - public bodies involved in the enhancement of the food and wine heritage Profile: Consultant for the design of venues for the distribution and consumption of agri-food products Functions: Providing strategic advice for the creation of restaurants, wine bars, supermarkets as well as spaces hybridizing production and consumption such as social cellars, etc., becoming part of multidisciplinary teams including architects, marketing and distribution experts, economists, etc… - identifying and understanding the different experiences of buying/using food and wine products - identifying design strategies for venues for consumption and use - creating sketches and models - analysing and designing packaging and other communicative contact devices - taking care of the communicative identity and the effectiveness of consumption areas Skills: In-depth knowledge of the semiotic and communicative component of the production, marketing and consumption of food and beverages. Development of a sensitivity towards the symbolic value they have in different societies and cultures. Ability to think of food as a language, recognizing the system of meaning underlying it and understanding the dynamics of intersemiotic translation characterizing it as well as its identity, social and political value. Ability to understand the peculiarities of the food and wine discourse carried forward by both traditional (publishing, television, packaging, etc.) and digital (social media, user generated content, etc.) media, for example recognizing the semiotic value of consumption spaces. Understanding the aesthetic issues related to food taste and their effects on the dynamics of tasting and the construction of gastronomic value. Knowing the theories, techniques and tools needed to create a communication campaign and an exhibition area. Professional opportunities: - consultancy as a freelancer, namely in multidisciplinary teams - employment in companies, for example linked to large-scale distribution Profile: Specialist in the promotion of food and wine heritage Functions: - consultant for tourist agencies - consultant for production or holiday farms - consultant for organizations and institutions promoting activities in the field of biodiversity and control of food knowledge as well as the promotion and conservation of gastronomic culture Skills: Knowledge of the issues related to food production, with particular reference to sustainability and local productions, of the different quality certification systems and the way quality is communicated, of the scientific basis of nutrition and the effects of foods on health. Knowledge of the legislation relating to agri-food products with reference to issues related to communication. Knowledge of the economic dynamics of tourism and in particular of food and wine. Knowledge of the main issues related to the marketing of products and services in the agri-food sector, the main levers and the changes that have occurred thanks to the diffusion of the Internet. Professional opportunities: - freelance as a consultant for organizations and companies - stable employment in companies such as tour operators, - employment in local and national public bodies for the protection and enhancement of the food and wine heritage, consortia and local groupings for the area (e.g. GAL) Profile: Writer and popularizer of agri-food culture Functions: - writing on food and wine both on traditional (newspapers, magazines, books, etc.) and on digital media (blogs, social media, video sharing platforms, etc.) - editorial content creator for magazines, food and wine guides, cookbooks, and specialized publishing houses - promoter of food education in public and private facilities - communication consultant in the dietetic-nutritional field Skills: Ability to create promotional videos and communication campaigns, exhibition and food consumption areas. Knowing to write different types of verbal texts concerning the food and wine heritage with language properties and communicative effectiveness Professional opportunities: - freelancer - Employment in companies related to publishing and multimedia production - consultancy for public and private training institutions

Characteristics of the final exam

Consistent with the Course educational objectives, the final examination on completion of studies consists in the preparation of a degree dissertation, carried out by the student under the guidance of a supervisor. Audiovisuals, projects and other cultural products among those which the course prepares through the professionalizing laboratories can also become part of this work.