What was your journey until taking on this role in the company?
I was born in Venezuela and returned to Italy at the age of 10. I studied Business Economics at the Cattolica in Milan and subsequently, to broaden my background, I moved to the United States to finish the Master's degree in International Marketing, with the integration in Business analytics. After the first year in Boston I moved to California, where the tech part merges with Silicon Valley and the food & beverage part with Napa Valley. I was therefore able to combine my two passions also thanks to joining Maisons Marques & Domaines, American importers of Louis Roederer, a French company based in the USA. Here I worked as Marketing Coordinator for about 2 and a half years and I was able to experience a European climate influenced by the American mentality. Last summer I decided to return to Italy and start my journey within Vigne del Malina. Now I take care of communication, the commercial part, especially abroad, and the logistics of local events.
What do you think about social media in the wine sector?
There is no doubt that presence on social media is now practically mandatory for brands. However, it depends on the sector and the target audience: not all social networks are "compatible" with these two parameters. Let's say that in the wine sector, where the companies are almost all family-run, there is still a more retro approach. Now that younger generations are entering companies, we are starting to perceive a change, even if it is still very slow.
Which social network is more in line with your business model and which is less?
We have done numerous research to profile our buyer personas in order to create targeted communication. The social network most in line with Vigne del Malina is, therefore, Instagram. This platform, especially in summer, allows us to raise awareness of events linked to the brand and create more dynamic content, suitable for a younger audience. Facebook also remains an important social network for a more mature target while TikTok is the furthest away.
The data shows that having a low number of followers damages the brand image, what do you think?
I think it depends on the objective you want to achieve. At Vigne del Malina we prefer to have a community made up of quality followers. We like to create a relationship with those who follow us and we want our audience to be interested and active in our content. Our aspiration is to entice people to visit the winery: events and tastings help us arouse curiosity and we want to involve all the public in the area.
How important are online reviews, are they important?
We say they are important but in our sector there are more platforms to take into consideration. We have now started some partnerships with sites that manage the tasting part, such as Winedering: here customers can leave their reviews, like on TripAdvisor and Google, and we are having a lot of satisfaction. We always try to respond and be present in following the feedback left to us.
Have you ever collaborated with professionals regarding the social sphere?
In Vigne del Malina we collaborate with an external professional regarding the graphics, photography and content creation part. We work with an editorial plan with a strategy that alternates static posts and reels, sponsoring content linked to events.
What are the future corporate communication projects?
There are many projects, also linked to the location, that are cooking. We are redoing the interiors and will add some rooms, becoming a farmhouse. We also want to expand the culinary offering, integrating hot dishes and specialties. We are also renovating the Vigne del Malina website, relying on a professional for the SEO copywriting part. Furthermore, we would like to expand the commercial network present in the area.