Digital, Ambassador and New Markets. Thus History Is Renewed

AT A TIME WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS SHAKING UP THE WINE SECTOR, THE BOCCONI GRADUATE WITH A PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND IN MARKETING FOR LARGE COMPANIES TALKS ABOUT THE STRATEGIC CHOICES FOR DEVELOPING A COMPANY BEYOND THE EMERGENCY

The imperturbability of the vineyards to the pandemic context should not be misleading: in the world of wine there is great ferment, and not only among the yeasts in the vats. Between the transformations imposed by digital technology to the opening of borders to new markets, plus the issues related to the health and economic emergency, history is knocking on the door of every cellar. It is not surprising, therefore, that an outfit accustomed to traversing the centuries like Marchesi de 'Frescobaldi has prepared itself by drawing on the experience of a manager like Fabrizio Dosi. Trained as a student and young marketing professional at Bocconi, from our campus Dosi reached the top of companies like Bulgari, Armani and Illycaffè, and now fills the role of General Manager to reorganize Marchesi de 'Frescobaldi for new challenges.

Coming from such different sectors, what was your first approach to wine?
First of all, I started in listening and observation mode, because here in the company there are very good professionals in all roles to learn from. And then over time I tried to bring my experience to define a new strategic plan. The first step was to focus on core products and on the 10 main countries plus travel retail: this strategic choice immediately brought remarkable results, especially on key products such as Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico, which recorded exponential growth. Other priority objectives were the creation of synergies between the various companies of the group, for example by optimizing the distribution network itself, and the definition of a strategy to have a stronger presence in the territory. This is why we have also re-evaluated the role of the sales force in the area, transforming our ambassadors into real managers, trained not only on the product but also on marketing and sales, with full responsibility for the business. In addition, we have developed marketing intelligence functions to better understand the markets, track the business models of different countries, and carry out pricing and value chain analyses. In this way we were able to have a more constructive dialogue with our importers and distributors.

This past year has shown the contribution that digital can also make to wineries. What are the initiatives on which it is especially worth investing?
Social media for communication are fundamental, but there are many recent technologies that can be exploited. For example, we have created virtual tours with 3D viewers, to be able to visit our estates and cellars even when it was not possible to go there. And then there is e-commerce that potentially has a decisive role: in the first three months of this year, we had an online growth of 300% in sales compared to 2020. In this regard, our choice is to work with the sites of our partners and not to develop a direct e-commerce: we do not want to compete with our trade, but to support it to develop their online business.

Even on WeChat, the social network of reference for China, there is now a profile of Frescobaldi. Is wine also part of the Chinese future?
 Asia is extremely important, and the difference in exports that exists still today between Italy and France was built right there. Some say that Merlot and Cabernet better meet the tastes of Chinese palates. but it may also be true that this preference has been formed over time and through the most popular products. Sangiovese must catch up, but we must do it by working with their methods and sensibilities, building a reliable image and then looking for a clear and well-defined positioning, because in that market there is no room for different prices or unclear labels. China will become increasingly important in the world of wine, but traditional markets, such as Europe and America, where there are many collectors, wine connoisseurs and wine lovers, will continue to play a significant role.

Concerning Horeca, how much have you missed this channel in the last year?
A lot of course, even if we tried to maintain contacts as much as possible and to be in solidarity with the agents by guaranteeing commissions and making flexible offers to the network so that they could still buy the vintages for their libraries.

On the other hand, the role of large-scale distribution has grown a lot.
True. Here our strategy has been to grow without resorting to promotion in order not to distort certain products, but still trying to satisfy a growing demand. We have therefore invested in some ad hoc products, such as Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico, which maintain quality at a price appropriate to the context.

Your role calls upon you to plan, so how do you feel about the independent variable linked to the climate and the quality of the vintages?
 The professionalism present in the wineries is the best guarantee of the result in the bottle and can greatly reduce the impact of the climate on quality. On the other hand, quantity may be affected, as for example happened with the 2017 vintage. In this case, long-term planning can make it possible to manage the emergency by activating alternative solutions. Going back to the example of 2017, we at Frescobaldi have maintained the same turnover even with less product, by working more with collectors and earning more customer loyalty.
 
(Dida bio)
Milanese, 51 years old, Fabrizio Dosi is COO of the Tuscan winery Marchesi de 'Frescobaldi. He got his degree in Business Administration with a specialization in marketing, he was also a lecturer at SDA at Bocconi for three years. "In all the years I spent in Via Sarfatti, I greatly appreciated the closeness between what was happening in the classroom and the world of companies, an aspect that was anything but taken for granted at the time and which also left me with a precious habit, that of continuing to update myself and look for connections between research and application in the field,” recalls the manager. "For a while, my ambition was to stay and teach, then I made a transition to consultancy and from there my path within companies began". A journey that led Dosi to tackle different sectors, from Blu's mobile telephony to Bulgari's luxury jewelery, from Armani to Illycaffè, with roles of increasing responsibility. And now wine. “Yes, it's a new sector, different from all the others, but this doesn't scare me, on the contrary, it stimulates me”, he concludes. "Because from masters like President Lamberto Frescobaldi or CEO Giovanni Geddes, even I have a lot to learn".

by Emanuele Elli