Cases and interviews
| Case | No. of employees | Interviewees (number of interviews) | Time of the interviews | Products | Targeted B2B customers | When and why they subscribed to CBEC platform | Already exporting before choosing CBEC | Results evaluation | Opted to stay on the platform after the two-year subscription period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–9 | Entrepreneur (1)* Sales manager (2) | First interview March 2021 Second interview March 2023 | Premium wines | Wine shops, restaurants, hotels | 2021: searching for new growth opportunities after the negative effects of the pandemic | Yes | Positive: high exposure and awareness Negative: significantly limited sales level | Yes |
| B | 10–49 | CEO (2) Export manager (2) | First interview September 2021 Second interview September 2023 | High-quality hams and cured meats sold under well-known brand names | HoReCa buyers and distributors/importers | 2021: entering the HoReCa channel and finding distributors in new foreign markets | Yes | Positive: high number of views and requests for quotations Negative: mostly one-time sales | Yes |
| C | 10–49 | Marketing manager (2) Sales manager (2) | First interview October 2020 Second interview October 2022 | Wines (midrange market segments) | Distributors/importers, retailers | 2020: the second generation of entrepreneurs is launching a new strategy to expand foreign market sales | Yes | Positive: good brand recognition Negative: only one stable relationship with an importer created | No |
| D | 1–10 | Entrepreneur (2) | First interview September 2021 Second interview September 2023 | Trading of top-quality food products from Southern Italy | Small-size and niche distributors and shops | 2021: exploring foreign markets and assessing the existence and size of demand for the firm’s products | No | Positive: several requests from potential buyers Negative: no sales | No |
| E | 50–249 | Export back-office manager (1)* Sales manager (2) | First interview November 2021 Second interview November 2023 | Sweet and savory baked goods sold under well-established brand names | Retailers, distributors | 2021: establishing a presence in untapped foreign markets and finding new opportunities in current markets | Yes | Positive: some sales from the beginning; signed medium-term supply contracts Negative: conflicts among channels; stress arising from lack of fit between the firm’s hierarchical management and the need for flexibility to manage CBEC | No |
| Case | No. of employees | Interviewees (number of interviews) | Time of the interviews | Products | Targeted B2B customers | When and why they subscribed to CBEC platform | Already exporting before choosing CBEC | Results evaluation | Opted to stay on the platform after the two-year subscription period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–9 | Entrepreneur (1)* | First interview | Premium wines | Wine shops, restaurants, hotels | 2021: searching for new growth opportunities after the negative effects of the pandemic | Yes | Positive: high exposure and awareness | Yes |
| B | 10–49 | CEO (2) | First interview | High-quality hams and cured meats sold under well-known brand names | HoReCa buyers and distributors/importers | 2021: entering the HoReCa channel and finding distributors in new foreign markets | Yes | Positive: high number of views and requests for quotations | Yes |
| C | 10–49 | Marketing manager (2) | First interview | Wines (midrange market segments) | Distributors/importers, retailers | 2020: the second generation of entrepreneurs is launching a new strategy to expand foreign market sales | Yes | Positive: good brand recognition | No |
| D | 1–10 | Entrepreneur (2) | First interview | Trading of top-quality food products from Southern Italy | Small-size and niche distributors and shops | 2021: exploring foreign markets and assessing the existence and size of demand for the firm’s products | No | Positive: several requests from potential buyers | No |
| E | 50–249 | Export back-office manager (1)* | First interview | Sweet and savory baked goods sold under well-established brand names | Retailers, distributors | 2021: establishing a presence in untapped foreign markets and finding new opportunities in current markets | Yes | Positive: some sales from the beginning; signed medium-term supply contracts | No |
Note(s): *These people participated only in the first interview. Both of them had left their firms in the two years between the first and the second interviews
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