Pandoro and Gen Z: Narration and Perception of Christmas Consumption on TikTok Platform by Visual Sociology

Abstract

Drawing upon the TikTok platform, this study analyzes the media consumption of content dedicated to “Pandoro,” a typical sweet from Verona, Italy, identifying the most successful categories through a visual sociology approach. It then sets out to obtain a deeper understanding of the conceptualization of the sweet and the narration of Pandoro consumption among Gen Z, focusing on a small group of students in the city of Verona itself and verifying how elements of conservatism, traditionalism, and passivity emerge in the realization of content. What also appears interesting is the confirmation, which emerged from TikTok, that Pandoro is seen as an Italian symbol rather than a typical food associated with the city of Verona.

1. Introduction

This work stems from interest in the world of consumer goods, namely, Christmas sweets in Italy. The stimulus to investigate the role of Pandoro during the festive season came from a survey by AstraRicerche for the Italian Union of Food for Christmas 2022 [1], where it emerged that Italians prefer Pandoro (82.2%) over Panettone (81.0%), with a preference for the typical Milanese cake in Northern Italy and that of Verona in the south of the country. The ancient clash between Milan and Verona started in the 1300s and over many years spilled onto Christmas tables regarding the choice of Christmas cake, i.e., those from the two aforementioned cities, with two completely different philosophies of leavening and flavor [2]. In the same research, it was found that Pandoro, the symbol of Verona, seems to be the choice par excellence of people born between 1997 and 2010, known as “Gen Z” [3] and that, in addition to many preferring Pandoro over Panettone, young people also consume it outside of the typical Christmas ritual, with uses ranging from breakfast (38.8%) to snacks (29.2%) and as an after-dinner dessert (42.3%). From these cues, it was decided to explore this issue in more depth, focusing on research based on the TikTok social network platform, widely used by Gen Z, as well as field research on a class of university students at the IUSVE site in Verona. TikTok in 2024 hosted more than 19 million Italians [4], at least 36% of whom are part of Gen Z [5].

Since the impact of social media on traditional foods in terms of innovation has been proven in some studies to be a key factor in the development of new ideas and concepts for products [6], and TikTok especially has a peculiar influence on Gen Z’s consumption tendencies due to the imitation effect [7,8], the impacts on content shared on the platform should also be viewed in terms of the cultural background of a specific nation [9]. Since the platform shows an aspect of hedonic consumption, we decided that it would be interesting to understand if Pandoro is represented in a traditional or modern way and how it could be part of a memorable digital experience [10]. In fact, it seems that TikTok may also play a role in food choices over different time scales, i.e., both immediately and in the long term [11,12].

TikTok appears to be something peculiar in terms of culture, with its signature language based of short videos that can attract communities engaged in shared practices based on messages and information in a format that needs to be both concise and clear [13]. In this way, user-generated content practices become a way of producing culture in terms of making content and engaging and sharing it, legitimizing that content’s power and the value of communication in spreading popular narrations and representations. In this context, people play the roles of both the disseminator and the consumer of cultural artifacts, guided by feelings of self-expression or entertainment needs [14].

I aim to investigate what motivates young people to choose Pandoro over panettone and whether this form of consumption, observed through the content that has the highest rate of engagement on the TikTok platform, highlights some form of re-appropriation and reconfiguration of this product as an expressive tool and not as a mere instrument to satisfy a food need [15,16]. Furthermore, it was interesting to observe whether the heritage of the place, the city of Verona, which is traditionally linked to Pandoro, was still an important value and feature in the consumption choices of Gen Z youngsters [17,18]. In addition to the online content analysis, a small survey and two focus groups were carried out on a group of students from my marketing course at the Verona venue of IUSVE who were pursuing a bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. TikTok Content Analysis

To begin the analysis, I started by studying the TikTok platform to verify the presence of content that was relevant to the object of interest, that is, Pandoro. Posts were assessed through a semantic search with the basic keyword “Pandoro” and the hashtag “#Pandoro” to determine how much content was present within the social network. The choice of being neutral in the range of research was made in order to eventually find some trends or other concepts and keywords associated with those mentioned above. Looking at the distribution of content, based on the level of engagement generated, there were relatively few videos with “like”-type interactions exceeding 25,000, and the majority of contributions had a lower level of user engagement, making for a long tail of low-performance content.

Conventionally, the 25,000 unit was considered a “tipping point” [19] to divide long tail from short tail distribution. Thus, 56 cases were isolated for a semantic and visual sociology analysis between a minimum of 25,000 and more than 700,000 likes. This range was considered for content published from 2019 to Christmas 2023, years of intense growth for the diffusion of the TikTok platform in Italy [20]. The criterion for inclusion of the selection was the presence of a human being (not specifically clearly seen) doing some action around or talk about Pandoro. The choice of using only the number of likes as a tool of evaluation was determined due to limited data access from the platform and to the manually information collection approach applied.

In order to analyze the videos collected on the platform from a qualitative point of view, it was decided to adopt the methodology of visual sociology, establishing categories and variables for them that could define recognizable styles in some ways while at the same time giving an overall synthesis to the data, without connotations concerning the phenomena but instead classifying them by their objective characteristics. The aim of this methodology was to see visual aspects and to understand their communicative implications, searching for meanings, messages and meta-textual functions. The analysis took into consideration the point of view of the shot, the subject involved, the framing, and the construction. The online representations, then undergoing retouching and the addition of textual elements and emojis, were considered as part of a complex modal text, typical of the Internet context [21,22].

The potential impact and feedback from those viewing such content generate narrative patterns, practices [23], and identity definitions; however, the nature of the context also had to be taken into account [24]. Also not neglected were the nature of the take, possible calls to action, and the social distance that the creator generated with his or her audience [25]. In this way, I sought to determine whether a strategy of building a relationship with recipients or a broadcast-type logic [26] was being applied. By dwelling on the construction of the image, i.e., aspects such as color, light, corporeity, expressions, and image construction, it was possible to highlight the cultural aspects and individual characteristics [21,22] that markedly define the identity of the creator [27].

On the basis of these assumptions, a matrix was defined containing a categorization that, by means of certain items and variables, gave a classification and description of the videos examined. With regard to the subject, its nature was assessed, i.e., whether the focus was on the person or the action being performed. On the level of perspective, the point of view of the shot was analyzed, e.g., subjectively or behind a lens, while with regard to the context, this was considered in terms of location (internal or external) and through the objects placed within it. Concerning the content itself, it was decided to give a definition through the use of a semiotic square model [28,29]. Starting from the dichotomous concepts of “made/buy” and “eat/show,” four typologies were obtained into which the content types were subdivided: “ability”, “satisfaction”, “show-cooking”, and “identity good”. Remaining in the area of content, the presence or absence of narrative schemes, cultural references, openness to the public, and iconography, as well as choices of color and light or filtering were then considered. Furthermore, the identity-building function of communication was explored, addressing issues such as the displayed corporeity, facial or body expressions, the choice of clothing, the message of the contents, and the accompanying text and its alignment with multimedia aspects. Finally, the function of communication was considered based on its direction (one-way or two-way) and the possible demand for feedback.

2.2. Student Survey

The approach used was of a mixed methods type, with a qualitative–quantitative in-depth study of both the contents, through the introduction of categories and deep reading, and a survey submitted from students (participants were then isolated to carry out in-depth focus groups). The survey was administered to 60 respondents, of whom 11 participated in two different focus group sessions. The selection was not statistically representative of the Gen Z population of Italy, but as an opportunistic sample, it was still interesting due to the fact that the participants were studying in the city where Pandoro was born, so it considered useful to understand their perception of the food as a local symbol (or not) of the city that they were living in.

The student survey took place during class time in a controlled environment. Control and socio-demographic questions were included [30,31]. Despite their small number, the participants represented a selection that was relevant to the topic of the research. The first set of multiple-choice questions focused on Christmas food consumption and enjoyment of this holiday, asking people to make associations with the occasion and to give an assessment of how it is experiences in terms of religion, family, home, friendship, and food. The survey then moved on to the degree of favorability toward Pandoro and how this represents Christmas compared to Panettone, then focusing on the occasions of consumption and individual consumption choices. Online media views were then explored, as well as the hypothesis of self-made Pandoros and the creation of digital Christmas contents.

The survey included multiple choice control questions about having consumed Pandoro at least once and about the consumption of the sweet during Christmas (from “never” to “every year”). After some questions about the enjoyment of Christmas and ways of celebrating it, the focus was put on the association of Christmas with religion, family, home, friendship, and food, using a scale from 1 to 10. Next, the questionnaire explored the year of birth, town of origin, and family structure of the participants. Moving on, the survey focused on preference of Pandoro compared to Panettone, and how these foods represent Christmas. Then it was asked if Pandoro is considered only an Christmas food and, if not, if it is more suitable for breakfast, as a snack, or after dinner. After some aspects of social media use had been explored in terms of content production, the survey asked about the aspects concerning Pandoro using a rating scale of 1–10, such as taste, customization, and the addition of icing sugar. Then the focus shifted to homemade preparation and outdoor consumption, asking participants to rate from 1 to 10 how much they enjoyed the taste pf Pandoro, level of fun in its preparation, the extent to which it is viewed as a symbol of Verona, Italian cuisine, and Italian identity, whether it is seen as a dessert that can be customized with filling (if so, with what) or as a starting point for other preparations. Then participants were asked about their preferences in terms of industrial or artisanal production, indicating some favorite brands. Finally, a question was included regarding Christmas and Pandoro content on social media.

2.3. Focus Groups

The focus groups concentrated mainly on Pandoro, delving into certain themes such as the playful aspect of its preparation and the rituality of its consumption. Participants were then asked about the identity of this product and its ability to be reinvented and shaped, as if it were a creative platform, in addition to its traditional use as a symbol of Christmas. We then explored the hypothesis of taste experiences. Regarding the focus groups, pre-defined questions were used, together with open discussions at the end. The first question was: “How do you prepare Pandoro, and is there is a playful component in this process?”. Then, I tried to go deeper about the ritual of this process and how identity is important in this respect, asking “Do you see an element of remixability and do you consider Pandoro as a creative platform?”. I also to wanted investigate the use of the sweet as a tool for creating experiences during Christmas. The last question was about personal experiences in terms of taste adventures.

3. Results

The following paragraphs deal with the evidence that emerged from the three different phases of the research, i.e., the content analysis of the 56 videos selected from the TikTok platform, the survey carried out on students in Verona, and finally, the in-depth analysis through focus groups.

3.1. Content Analysis

The analysis, carried out by means of the methodology of visual sociology, was developed through the categorization of a series of constituent elements of visual content by means of predefined categories. The various responses for the different dynamics considered will be illustrated below.

3.1.1. Subjects

As shown in

Table 1. Nature of the subject in the content.

Subject	Count
Creator (individual)	37
Creators	5
Creator remix	2
Creator + others	5
No creator	3
Celebs remix	4

, most of the time, content featured an individual creator (37); however, there were also collaborations between creators with different profiles tagged in the same video (5) or videos where the creators also included other people (5). It is also interesting to note the existence of some content without creators (3) and remixes either of their own content or of other people’s material (2) or taking video elements created by famous people (4), the case in point being Chiara Ferragni, the protagonist of a scandal called “Pandoro-gate”, for which the famous influencer was supposed to have made a donation to the “Regina Margherita” hospital in Turin through her own line of confectionery products made by the Balocco company, for which, however, both subjects were sanctioned for unfair commercial practice with a fine of EUR 420,000 [32].

However, the main features of the content listed in

Table 2. Main subject of content construction.

Action	Count	Person	Count
Adding icing sugar	16	Self	2
Derived preparation	10	Celebs	2
Home cooking	10	Imitation	4
Other	11	Make up artist	1

were actions (47), that is, creators filmed themselves doing something rather than saying something, e.g., the action of adding icing sugar to Pandoro (16), followed by actions that brought creativity and culinary skills into play, with the preparation of other derived dishes using Pandoro as an ingredient (10) or with home preparation of the sweet (10). The presence of real people was particular interesting due to a TikTok’s characteristic impact on food purchases [33] according to the credibility of the content creator [34].

3.1.2. Perspective

Addressing the issue of the shooting point of view, the situation was quite heterogeneous, as shown in

Table 3. Visual filming perspective.

Front	Camera	Mixed
26	19	11

, with a slight preponderance of scenes in which the protagonists were shot frontally (26), in a construction similar to the classic situation in front of the camera. There was also a significant number of scenes shot “with the phone in hand” (19) and an interesting number of videos in which the montage put together two different images: that of the camera lens and that of a frontal shot (11). The use of humor and the front camera of a smartphone, to create a point of view whereby people are the major subject, appeared in the majority of cases, results that are typical of the platform [35].

3.1.3. Context

The location of filming was predominantly indoors (47). As shown in

Table 4. Location of the filming of content.

Setting	Count
Indoor	47
Outdoor	3
Mixed	3
Not defined	3

, there were few exceptions, including outdoors, a mix in the editing of domestic and non-domestic environments, and finally, some suspended contexts where the setting was not clearly defined. This may have been due to the COVID-19 situation [36] and the use of a positive narration technique, i.e., the house as a safe, confortable place [37].

Focusing on the objects included within the representations, as shown in

Table 5. Objects inserted in videos.

Object	Count
Pandoro	49
Cooking tools	20
Ingredients	4
Other things	4
Panettone	2
Nothing	1

, it is not surprising that in the majority of cases, Pandoro was involved (49), while other objects such as kitchen utensils (20), ingredients (4), and the co-presence of Panettone (2) also appeared. The attention put on the presentation and on the presence of the food or ingredients is typical in the social media language nowadays, which places a particular emphasis on visual appeal [38].

3.1.4. Characteristics

Our focus then shifted to the message conveyed by the content in order to try to define recurring characteristics in the videos. Using the categories generated from the semiotic square, as shown in

Table 6. Socio-semiotic categories of contents.

Category	Count
Ability	3
Identity good	21
Satisfaction	12
Show-cooking	20

, the videos were divided into four families: ability (3), identity good (21), satisfaction (12), and show-cooking (20). The term “ability” implies a demonstration of doing something in an excellent way, “identity” implies the use of Pandoro as a representative product of Italian culture, “satisfaction” implies the gustatory satisfaction, and “show-cooking” denotes the most spectacular aspects of food preparation or realization.

More hedonistic and entertaining aspects were thus put on display, rather than more professional capacity; in some ways, the storytelling was constructed around the creation of meaning or spectacle, as shown in

Table 7. Narrative schemes used for the communication.

Narration	Count	Fragment	Count
Preparation	38	Fragment	3
Preparation and cutting	3	Breakfast	1
Tasting	3
Preparation and tasting	2
Unboxing	2
Challenge	1
Commentary on other video	1
Identity	1
Oral care	1

. This could imply the desire to show something more powerful than creativity but also as a way to express culture [13] and have an impact on food choices [11,12]. From this point of view, in fact, the majority of the content followed a narrational scheme (52), mainly divided between the preparation of the cake (38) to it being eaten and a series of other actions which, only to a small extent, were characterized by actual tasting, focusing more on the pathway to satisfy a hypothetical need than on the satisfaction itself.

Focusing next on cultural references, as shown in

Table 8. Cultural imagery associated with communication.

Imagery	Count
Pastry	13
Home	6
Christmas	6
Influencer (Chiara Ferragni)	5
Cooking	3
Verona	3
Couple	3
Binge eating	2
Panettone	2
Trendy	2
Breakfast	1
Dental hygienist	1
TV format	1
Gen Z	1
Grandmother	1
School	1
Skincare	1
Snow	1
Taste	1
Winter	1

, this refers to the collective imagination without evoking particular value representations, instead concentrating on themes such as confectionery (13), Christmas (6), home (6), and others, e.g., influencer Chiara Ferragni (5), the kitchen (3), Verona (3), and being a couple (3). Pandoro therefore appears as a meta-communicative tool to convey meanings other than itself, gaining emotional value [39] with a potentially new role or a reinforced one due to digital practices around its narration and representations [40].

These references were flanked by some precise manifestations of iconography which enriched the context and strengthened the communication. As itemized in

Table 9. Symbols and iconography associated with communication.

Imagery	Count
Pandoro’s brand	6
Pandoro	6
Christmas jumper	6
Apron	5
Mold	5
Nutella	4
Utensils	4
Packaging	3
Strainer	3
Arena of Verona	2
Christmas cap	1
Christmas tree	1
Cup	1
Eye patch	1
Face mask	1
Hair clip	1
Milan Cathedral	1
Monoportion	1
Pajamas	1
Piping bag	1
Space	1
Vest	1

, these included the Pandoro brands in full view (6) in addition to the Pandoro itself (6), but also Christmas jumpers (6), aprons (5), molds (5), utensils (4), the product packaging (3), and the Arena of Verona (2). These practices underline the potential of the renegotiation of food meanings on social media platforms, where narration and associations can have an impact on perceptions [41].

From the point of view of visual representations, there were some interesting aspects to be noted. The majority of the contents showed scenes in private contexts (47) compared to a minority of videos made in public (7), giving the impression that the recreation of an intimate set could drive more effective communication [42,43]. With regard to the chromatic construction of the videos, as noted in

Table 10. Use of colors in the contents.

Association	Count
Mixed	55
Dominant	1

, for almost all of them (55), colors were mixed without any particular strategy and the footage was mainly realistic with minimal filtering (52) (see

Table 11. Image filtering and enhancement.

Filtering	Count
Minimal	52
Consistent	4

); lighting choices (42) are described in

Table 12. Lighting choice.

Tone	Count
Light	42
Shadow	13
Light + shadow	1

.

On the level of physicality, the creators and persons involved showed themselves in the vast majority of cases in the first person (see

Table 13. Corporeity as a subject of the videos.

Body Parts	Count
Face + body	47
Hands	8
Body	1

), displaying both face and body (47), with an expressivity that involved both actions and facial expressions (46), as shown in

Table 14. Main expression of the creators.

Expression	Count
Facial + action	46
Action	9
Facial	1

. These choices seemed to drive a sort of authenticity and the construction of credibility rather than concealing the identity of content creators and thereby risking a more effective communication style [44].

The messages, due to the style of the TikTok platform, which favors synthesis and immediacy as well as spontaneity [13], were clear and comprehensible (55), as shown in

Table 15. Clarity of the message.

Clarity	Count
Clear	55
Implied	1

, without the possibility of any misunderstandings. Furthermore, as shown in

Table 16. Use of the text in captions.

Caption	Title 2
Text	49
Only hashtag	5
Empty	2

, almost all videos had text in the descriptive part (49), while some only deployed hashtags (5), and only a very small number (2) did not use any type of text. As shown in

Table 17. Degree of alignment between video and text.

Clarity	Count
Complementary	45
Not complementary	11

, in most cases, text and images were complementary (45), while in a handful, there was no obvious link between the two aspects (11).

3.1.5. Communication Style

The communication followed a rather peculiar style: it was predominantly one-way (46), as shown in

Table 18. Communication style.

Mode	Count
1 way	46
2 way	10

, as if the creator were a TV presenter. Looking at

Table 19. Feedback from the creator.

Action	Count
Not requested	46
Requested	10

, this aspect was reinforced by the low level of interaction required from the audience (46), with the content having a clear manifest function in all of the cases under review (56). Amongst the major categories present in

Table 20. Content’s function.

Function	Count
Tutorial	26
Fun	11
Entertainment	10
Entertainment + fun	5
Tutorial + entertainment	2
Fun + reflection	1
Confutation + reflection	1

, there were tutorials (26), fun (11), entertainment (10), and a mix of these elements. The platforms itself, with a constant upgrade of contents in its feed, is similar in some ways to television [45,46], incentivizing views more than interactions.

3.2. Survey

A survey was carried out during a lecture in my marketing curriculum at IUSVE on the campus of Verona and was based on a structured questionnaire using multiple-choice questions, Likert and graded scales, as well as open-ended questions. There were 60 respondents and all passed the control question concerning having tried the Pandoro and knowing its taste. Of the total, 38 respondents (63.8%) stated that they routinely eat Pandoro every year at Christmas, while only 2 never eat it and 4 eat it rarely. The sample was not intended to be absolutely representative given its opportunistic nature, but it was still interesting due to the fact that the respondents frequent the home city of Pandoro and, studying marketing, they were likely sensitive to certain dynamics linked to the product after their academic training.

3.2.1. Socio-Demographic Information and Family Dynamics

Of the respondents, 38 (more than 60%) were born in 2004, 12 in 2003, and 6 in 2002. In spite of the small number, the composition was rather heterogeneous, with members from almost all the provinces of the Veneto region: Belluno (2), Padova (4), Treviso (5), Vicenza (11), and Verona (18), with the latter half coming from the provincial capital. But there were also people from the neighboring regions of Emilia Romagna (3), Friuli Venezia Giulia (4), Lombardia (3), and Trentino Alto Adige (5), to which were added three students of foreign birth and one from southern Italy. More than 90% (56) celebrate Christmas with their family with a traditional meal, their parents were over 70% (44) and religiously married, while 4 were civilly united. Eight participants were children of divorced parents and 3 of separated parents.

3.2.2. Cultural Identity and Christmas

On a scale from 1 to 10, 70% (42) gave a score between 8 and 10 in terms of liking Christmas. When asked what they liked most about Christmas, the majority associated it with two concepts: atmosphere (28) and family (21). When interviewed about the association of Christmas with certain concepts such as religion, only 13 gave a score between 8 and 10, while for family, in the same range, there were over 86% of responses (52); for the concept of home, in the same high part of the ranking, this rose to 85% with 51 responses. For the theme of friendship, the answers were very scattered, with 25% (15) giving a higher rating of 7 out of 10. The perception of food in relation to the theme of Christmas was also interesting, with over 88% (53) of responses being between 8 and 10.

Students appeared to be conservative with regard to the belief of Pandoro’s consumption, i.e., “au naturel” as opposed to “stuffed” for the majority of cases (44–73%). In the case of filling with extra ingredients, however, the first choice was mascarpone (37), followed by Nutella (10). A high score was assigned by over 51% (31) of participants to Pandoro as a symbol of Italian cuisine, and it was seen as a true emblem of the country’s identity for 50% (30). The personalization of the cake with the freedom of filling was seen as significant by 35% (21), while only 6 saw it as relevant as a basis for other dishes.

3.2.3. Media Engagement and Content Creation

In terms of media consumption, over 93% (56) gave a rating in the range 8–10 for Instagram for their online content consumption, while TikTok was rated the same for 65% (39) of participants. Content production behavior showed two main trends: over 48% (29) published content at least once a month on one of those platforms, while 40% (24) publish less than 10 videos per year. Of these, the majority (39) practically never publish on TikTok, favoring Instagram. This behavior showed a little bit of a lurking trend [47], underlining a confirmation of a change in online activities for Gen Z people [48,49].

For the over 43% (26) that had created Christmas-themed social content, only 10 featured the Pandoro within these multimedia elements, with a predominantly marginal role. There were only a handful of cases in which it was a key aspect of the action, i.e., used as a ‘prop’.

3.2.4. Consumer Behavior

Among the students, 40 (over 66%) preferred Pandoro over Panettone, while 13 preferred the latter; for 7 of them, the preference was at the same level for both. For over 76% (46), Pandoro represented Christmas within a range of 8 to 10; this figure was 44 for Panettone. For 45 participants, the sweet from Verona is consumed exclusively at Christmas, while the remaining were less traditionalist, reporting continuous consumption. Outside of Christmas, 31 (a little over 50%) imagined its consumption at breakfast, 20 as an after dinner dessert, and 9 as a snack.

Among the elements that add appeal to Pandoro, with a rating between 8 and 10, were taste (44), the possibility of filling it as desired (24), and the ritual of adding icing sugar for 35. The vast majority (55) had never tried to make Pandoro at home, while 16 had made sweets derived from Pandoro, mainly tiramisu (5) and layer cakes (7). A majority of over 70% (43) had also eaten Pandoro outside, while the remaining fraction (17) were more conservative, consuming it exclusively at home.

Taste satisfaction, in the range of 8 to 10 for 38 (over 63%), was the decisive factor in choosing Pandoro, while enjoyment in its preparation was in this range for only 30% (19). Few participants (20) linked the cake to the city of Verona and 19 dissociated it completely. In terms of preferences, 61% (36) prefered an artisanal product to an industrial one; however, Bauli was the preferred brand for 60% of respondents (36).

3.3. Focus Groups

Two distinct groups of student volunteers were involved in the focus groups, which took place in December 2024. The first group consisted of Alice (21 years old, province of Padua), Matteo (20 years old, province of Vicenza), Sofia (20 years old, province of Vicenza), Aurora (21 years old, province of Trento), and Simone (22 years old, province of Verona). The second included Valentino (20 years old, province of Verona), Alessia (22 years old, province of Mantua), Alessandra (20 years old, province of Verona), Giulia (20 years old, province of Vicenza), Martina (19 years old, province of Udine), and Filippo (20 years old, province of Verona). A number of themes were addressed in these discussions in order to explore how young people perceive Pandoro and the way it is consumed, in light of the results of the survey and the TikTok content analysis.

3.3.1. Insight into the Playful Aspect of Putting on Icing Sugar

Different opinions and memories related to the practice of adding icing sugar to Pandoro at Christmas time emerged from the discussions. Some people appreciated the playful aspect of “shaking” the bag containing the cake, considering it a fun and traditional moment to share with the family. For many, it is a childhood memory of playing with siblings or grandparents, while others found the gesture irrelevant or preferred to customize the amount of sugar directly on their own slice, avoiding sugaring the entire Pandoro. In general, the value of the practice associated with the convivial moment in the family tradition of Christmas emerged.

3.3.2. Degree of Identification of Sugar Practice as a Ritual

Different perceptions emerged related to the gesture of “shaking” the Pandoro for the application of icing sugar, highlighting a strong link with a ritual aspect and with Christmas traditions. For some, it was a ritual that was inseparable from the Christmas experience, associated with family, conviviality, and serenity. There were those who saw the practice as a structured rituality, with defined roles of family members who have to take care of it, even with tasks that are handed down from one generation to the next, while others emphasized the playful aspect, experienced mainly with friends or in contexts other than Christmas lunch. However, for some, the gesture was a mere functional interlude in the preparation, without an attribution of great emotional value.

3.3.3. The Concept of Remixability Applied to Pandoro

Different opinions emerged on the concept of reinterpreting Pandoro in alternative contexts or formats. Many preferred to keep it in its traditional version, linked to Christmas and the simplicity that characterizes this taste experience. Some considered minimal customization, such as the addition of mascarpone cream, acceptable as long as it does not distort the traditional flavor. However, others saw potential in the “decontextualization” of Pandoro, proposing new forms, such as a smaller format for snacks or breakfasts or creative reinterpretations that would retain its distinctive elements. Overall, a tension emerged between respect for tradition and openness to innovative uses.

3.3.4. Pandoro as a Creative Platform

Pandoro, however, is best understood as a tool of possibilities for personalization that is respectful of its identity, considering it as a versatile base for other preparations that do not debase but complement it. Many saw it as a neutral product, similar to sponge cake, that lends itself well to decorations or creative transformations, especially for recipes with ingredients that call for the addition of jams, milk, or cream. Some emphasized the playful and convivial value of these customizations, especially for children and their families. However, there were also those who remained attached to tradition, preferring it simple, with just icing sugar or, at most, mascarpone cream, without distorting its nature. On the whole, the idea of using it as a base to stimulate creativity was considered acceptable, but this was not a regular practice for everyone.

3.3.5. Pandoro as a Tool for Experiencing Christmas

The indissoluble link between Pandoro and Christmas emerged strongly, with many people seeing this cake as a traditional symbol of the season. Even those who were not particularly fond of the sweet recognized that it is an essential element of the Christmas atmosphere, associated with moments of sharing with family and friends. Although some may eat it at other times as well, its value and meaning were strongly understood to be linked to Christmas, so much so that without it, the day of 25 December would lose some of its completeness. In general, Pandoro was considered inseparable from the holiday and a part of the collective celebratory experience.

3.3.6. Pandoro as a Platform for Extreme Taste Experiences

Moving on to the subject of extreme flavor research, as noted on TikTok, opinions were mixed around the idea of “extremizing” or over-stuffing Pandoro. Some believed that loading it with too many ingredients, such as ice cream or chocolate, would alter its flavor and distort its simplicity, preferring to keep it in its traditional form, using mascarpone cream at most. Others were open to modifications but emphasized that too much filling could become cloying or make Pandoro lose its value as a Christmas sweet. In general, there was an appreciation for maintaining the naturalness of Pandoro, seen as a perfect Christmas dinner dessert, i.e., hearty but without overdoing it, thanks to its long leavening nature. It was acknowledged, according to one interesting reading, that the tendency to “overdo” the fillings may be influenced by content circulating on social media, but for many, Pandoro should be eaten plain so as not to compromise the genuine Christmas experience.

4. Discussion

Although this research work does not claim to be generalizable to the entire Italian Gen Z population, interesting aspects appeared, linked both to the use of social networking platforms and to the lack of identification of a product, such as Pandoro, traditionally associated with the city in which the students involved in the project were studying [50].

TikTok is imposing itself as a social networking platform mainly due to the appearance of new forms of language and micro-narration that are unique in the panorama of digital environments seen in recent decades, in addition to the fact that it is the first such example to be of Far-Eastern origin to succeed in the West [51]. With respect to the analyzed content, Christmas 2024was deliberately avoided in order to assess the stratification of the engagement of previous years (2019–2023), also considering the functioning of TikTok’s algorithm, which is not exclusively temporal, but mainly related to interests and interactions, thus tying in closely with user behavior and extemporaneous preferences [52].

From this point of view, it was not surprising that most of the content directly positioned the creators as protagonists, a style that is dominant within such platforms, with either a frontal and a direct camera perspective, putting the focus on the action, i.e., starring the Pandoro as well as the narrator [53]. The prevailing action was that of adding icing sugar, which, as was also seen with the focus groups, is an important ritual linked to the experience of consuming the sweet. But there is space for creativity, perhaps also due to the isolation imposed by COVID-19 for Christmases up to and including 2022, expressed both with the domestic preparation of the cake and with the reworking of the dessert as a basis for other recipes.

Social media, especially TikTok, has been shown to influence consumption trends among youngsters, with the same power as food reviews in terms of impact [34]. Although this is particularly the case for unhealthy food [54], it is interesting to consider the role of TikTok on perceptions of traditional food, particularly through engaging and memorable experiences focused on products and their narration [55].

Pandoro was the protagonist of the examined videos, which were mainly filmed indoors in contexts representing either a kitchen or dining room, with more or less direct references to festivities. The main narrative scheme was linked to the preparation of the sweet, which is also required when it is an industrial product, i.e., the practice of cutting and adding icing sugar. In reference to the semiotic categories into which they have been subdivided, what was most surprising when analyzing these contents was not so much the presence of the display of skill (ability), gustatory satisfaction (satisfaction), or entertainment (show-cooking), but rather, the identity aspect of the representation of the Pandoro (identity good), which is singular, especially in the case of non-Italian creators, underlining a link between identity and ideology around food discourses in a digital context [56]. In fact, the latter category was the most noteworthy: far from focusing on the origin of the product, it was completely disconnected from its place of origin and linked to a more generic Italianity, especially by foreigner creators [57]. The same Pandoro was associated predominantly with imagery of pastries, home, and Christmas, but in a less rigid way than one might imagine, often becoming a basis for creativity, from the origin of new sweets to its redefinition and identification as a basis for even a hamburger [58].

The Pandoro remained the protagonist even when the focus shifted to the symbolism present in the videos. The narration was genuine and quite spontaneous, also typical of the TikTok style, with few special effects or facial mimicry [59]. The messages were therefore simple and clear, revolving around the themes of Italianity, taste, Christmas, and creativity. The communicative style was close to that of broadcast television, even if the creators were addressing their audiences and feeding their own auras as social media stars [60]. This approach was reflected in the lack of incentive for interactions, especially in content that was predominantly educational or entertainment, maximizing the impact or making as many videos as possible [61].

The analysis remained interesting when its focus shifted to the non-representative but peculiar sample of students involved. All were around 20 years old, came from territories surrounding the area of Verona, and manifested characteristics such as appreciation for the deep sense of protection guaranteed by the family [62] while also diverging from the parameters with which the European Gen Z is associated, including online expressiveness [63]. For them, the concept of Christmas remained strongly associated with a characteristic atmosphere, also built by the marketing and communication of the holiday, at the expense of a low association with its religious origin as well as a strong link with the concept of family that, despite the era of great changes, remains a cornerstone in the celebration of Christmas [64], even if the concept of Christmas also includes friends and the important role played by food, linking the theme of conviviality and gastronomy with Christmas [65].

According to other research on consumption and media production, youngsters are large consumers of content on social networks, but they are not as active as producers, with an almost lurker attitude toward platforms. Most favor Instagram for posting and adopt a behavior of almost pure consumption regarding TikTok [66,67]. What was surprising, considering the presence of students in Verona, was the low association of the sweet with the city. This was confirmed by the analysis of the contents on TikTok that elevated the Pandoro to a national dessert rather than local one, in line with a tendency to de-regionalize the production of some typical products [68].

The Pandoro was preferred by the majority over the alternative, i.e., Panettone, with a rather conservative vision that relegates the sweet to consumption exclusively around Christmas. However, outside our country, there are companies that sell the product throughout the year [69]. The Pandoro is preferred more for its taste than for the possibility of being personalized in contrast to Panettone, in spite of the success of content on TikTok that was based on the spectacularization of the filling, decoration, or distortions of the identity of the sweet from Verona.

Starting from the content that had enjoyed the most success on TikTok, it emerged that the “ritual” of putting the icing sugar by shaking Pandoro inside the plastic bag in which it is stored was enjoyable. In the focus groups, it was highlighted that this aspect, more than something purely playful, actually represents the culmination of the Christmas lunch with family, embellishing with a sense of depth an action that, when seen online, appears exclusively to be ludic and end to itself.

The possibilities of adaptation, reuse, and creativity seen online collided with the conservative spirit that emerged from young people in the focus groups, where a rigid orientation regarding rethinking the Pandoro appeared. In this regard, there was a marked tendency to maintain the iconic identity of the dessert and a latent feeling of disinterest in Do-it-yourself recipes except in cases of its use as a simple alternative to sponge cake or Savoy biscuits for tiramisu dessert.

Conservatism itself emerged in a marked way when I delved into the concept of extreme taste experiences associated with Pandoro. While on TikTok, this was the focus of content on binge eating, with videos showing impressive fillings from a caloric point of view, as well as heavy overhauls, from ice cream Pandoro to a meat burger with sweet bread derived from the sweet. However, the positions of the young people interviewed in this study were quite cautious, distinguishing in a marked way between what “works online” and the truth of their real world gastronomic experience.

These aspects could be a matter of interest for the industry that produces these sweets, because Italy is a conservative market, not only for the original form of Pandoro, but also for derived products, in contrast to international markets [70].

From this in-depth analysis, it emerged that Pandoro is an inseparable element of the Christmas experience, and even those who did not particularly love it recognized its role in the experience of holidays with family, a vision for which the sweet, although losing its geographical character and becoming disconnected from its place of origin, remains a highly emotional tool to enclose and synthesize the Christmas experience in Italy.

The topic of preserving cultural traditions appears to be significant for food marketing due to the fact that the attitudes of Gen Z regarding local food depend on its functional value, price, and quality, especially for sustainable goods [71]. Local products seem to be more appreciated [71], with a peculiar emphasis on sustainability [72]. While Gen Z seems to care about environmental and local issues, enticing them to consume such products is another matter [73]. In fact, even when they purchase traditional food, their knowledge of it is often superficial, so it seems that for Gen Z, the consumption of typical food could be, above all, a matter of culture [74].

5. Conclusions

This small study has highlighted some interesting aspects linked to the consumption of Pandoro during the Christmas holidays and the related media diet on TikTok. If, in fact, the platform favors “spectacularization” and exaggeration, its relationship with the Christmas sweet is nonetheless linked to more intimate and family dynamics. Paradoxically, the aspect of family, almost totally absent from the TikTok videos, emerged with strength from the present field research, highlighting how the consumption of Pandoro is an integral part of the Christmas experience with one’s own family unit.

In spite of these aspects, the young people involved in this study showed a degree of flexibility with respect to the identity and consumption of the dessert, also broadening Christmas to embrace a more secular and open conceptualization. However, when it came to deciding for themselves, they maintained a rather conservative and traditionalist attitude and behavior, confirming this typical element of Italian culture [75]. It would be interesting to investigate these aspects further, exploring not only Pandoro consumption among young Italians but also the resulting online narrative of such, which.

These findings contribute to broader research on the Italian market seeking to understand why Gen Z appears so conservative regarding Christmas and traditional food, investigating if this is linked more to cultural heritage or a family structure that is unique to Italy. Also, since some companies are producing Pandoro throughout the year for export, it could be interesting to gain a deeper understanding of how this product could be reconsidered and adapted to satisfy the tastes of Italian people, especially youngsters, to expand the possibilities of its preparation while still respecting its traditional association with for Christmas. For example, another marketing study could seek to understand how a product that is so linked to a city has become unlinked online and “simply” an Italian food, to understand if this could be an advantage or a loss for the local identity of this and other foods and their cultural and economic heritage.