What was your journey until taking on this role in the company?
I began my journey studying Oriental Languages at Ca' Foscari University, I lived in China for a year and a half and then my knowledge of the Chinese language brought me to Sovema, thirteen years ago now, in the commercial department. In the meantime I had also obtained a Master's degree in Marketing and Communication, expanding my background and training. When I arrived, Sovema did not have a Marketing Office but, after a few years, I worked alongside the Marketing Director of the time, growing professionally and then taking over the communication work. Now we have created a well-defined structure and, in addition to me, there is another figure who deals with marketing. I, however, manage the entire online and offline part, such as fairs and events. Over the years we have also worked on creating a brand identity that was coherent and linear.
What do you think about the use of social media in the B2B market segment?
In recent years I have seen significant growth among our competitors. I believe that Sovema was one of the precursors in the use of social channels, especially in our niche. Over the last period we have come to the conclusion that, even if it is a B2B market, social media is an excellent tool for creating a presence and a direct line with the target audience, almost becoming part of their daily life. It is also a question of understanding which social network best suits the company's identity and therefore creating ad hoc contents which are not only part of a broader strategy, but which are in line with the characteristic "style" of each platform.
Which social network is more in line with your business model and which is less?
At Sovema we only use LinkedIn at the moment. This is a choice that derives from a market study: operating in an extremely B2B sector, we have selected the most suitable social channel to address those who work in companies. Furthermore, LinkedIn is the platform on which our customers expect to find us because it is notoriously known for a certain type of dynamics, targets and companies that use it. We are also dedicated to employer branding: we have a network of collaborators and employees who actively contribute to the strategy defined for this social channel. We could say that the platform furthest from Sovema's business model is, at the moment, TikTok. This is due both to the target that characterizes this social network and to the type of content it offers: our product does not easily match with content that makes aesthetics a fundamental part.
The data shows that having a low number of followers damages the brand image, what do you think?
I think that having a small fan base may indicate that there is little work or that reality is not structured enough to dedicate resources to the social part. Taking care of this aspect is a business card: with a higher number of followers you are sure to find interesting content on the page because there is a demonstration of loyalty. Furthermore, it is certainly an indicator of how well the company is known outside of offline. Obviously, focusing too much on this data could also be perceived in the opposite way: the right balance must be found, demonstrating that the company is structured but also that there are other important parts to work on in the digital world, such as engagement. At Sovema we are now carrying out studies on our target, focusing on the advertising part of LinkedIn.
How important are online reviews, are they important?
Sovema is a verticalised reality on the B2B market where reviews, if they can be called that, still occur thanks to word of mouth. It is certainly a very important part of the reputation, knowledge and development of a company but I believe it depends a lot on the niche in which you operate. Personally, I consult reviews of venues, places and activities when I travel and it has also happened that I leave some on the platform used to book the service, from Booking to TripAdvisor via Google and other social networks in the sector.
Have you ever collaborated with professionals regarding the social sphere?
Sovema collaborated with various companies that dealt with different aspects and jobs. We are currently supported by a relatively small but very trusted agency that takes care of the entire operational part of our communication, from the website to the creativity on LinkedIn. I think it is important to create a symbiotic internal and external relationship: no one knows us better than ourselves but relying on external professionals brings with it the advantage of always being updated and supported by figures specialized in a specific marketing sector. Relying on a single reality allows us to optimize times and communications: clear and complete briefings help us work better both from our side and from the external side. I realize that we are increasingly moving towards the verticality of services in such a way as to increase their quality, however, at the moment, we work well with this reality which supports us completely.
What are the future corporate communication projects?
In this period we are focusing a lot on study and research also through projects financed by the European Union which include, among other aspects, development and research. In this way, institutes and companies in the sector form a consortium to apply to become part of the European tender. Sovema was involved in two of these projects: one aimed at reducing the environmental impact in our sector, therefore working on the critical issues present in the supply chain. We then started a project based on virtual reality with the help of oculus and we plan to continue working on it to perfect it and implement it in the best possible way.