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TLTR
The coronavirus marks an irreversible transformation for everyone, especially for businesses. How to proceed? Prodotti Stella has understood how within this chaotic situation, opportunities could be hidden, to come together as a group and be closer to employees and customers.
Managing Change
One of the mantras we hear repeated these days is “nothing will be the same again.”
In addition to the countless considerations of scientific and economic experts, unfortunately, this remains the only cornerstone: we are facing an irreversible transformation.
For all businesses, this is a difficult and complex moment. Not only is it not possible to plan what will happen, since we are proceeding with updates every 15 days, but at the same time, it is necessary to rethink the fundamentals.
The crisis was not predictable, and the future also appears more uncertain: the only thing a company can do is decide how to move, here and now.
In this regard, we want to illustrate the work of Prodotti Stella, which understood how within this chaotic situation, opportunities could be hidden, to come together as a group and be closer to employees and customers.
Revising the Editorial Plan
In the case of Prodotti Stella, continuing online communication as if nothing had happened would not have been an optimal choice: promoting products and novelties, in some cases hard to find, could have been criticized by users.
For this reason, Prodotti Stella’s editorial plan has changed, giving more space to the brand’s values and essence and offering educational and informative content for both target customers and end users.
Being Close Even When Far
The web and social networks have a dual nature: born as tools for distant connection, sometimes constant exposure to notifications has been criticized as stressful and negative. This abnormal situation, however, has reversed the dark aura of these tools: the time will come when we can be close to our loved ones, but for now, the only square where we can meet and communicate is the digital one. This also applies to companies and their customers.
For this reason, Prodotti Stella has tried to reach its gelato makers in an original and constructive way by organizing a series of online activities.
How often do business owners regret not having the time and means to learn how to use the tools offered by the digital world?
Following the wave of webinars, Prodotti Stella responded to this need and organized a series of online educational events to illustrate the use of social media for their business. In support of this, the opportunity to access a video lesson on how to integrate offline and online communication of their business was provided, accompanied by a downloadable e-book, with tips and best practices to manage their online presence (on Facebook and Instagram) and promote their gelato shop.
Not Just Social
Man shall not live by pixels alone! Prodotti Stella has well-established experience in the world of gelato and knows the needs of its customers well.
In addition to the daily needs of the gelato makers, there was the difficulty of having to rethink their business model to adapt to restrictions and new consumption patterns: how can a gelato shop, at this moment, practically manage its business?
In addition to the tools provided by Facebook and Instagram, Prodotti Stella deemed it necessary and useful to provide a guide with the necessary steps, useful information, and suggestions to activate “home delivery” services so that everyone can organize according to their needs and possibilities. This is a fundamental guide considering that gelato delivery, according to Repubblica.it and some specialized magazines, has increased by about 60% in a month.
Powering Up the Sales Force
A solid company knows that its value reaches the customer through many channels, and one of the most important is the employees and the sales force.
They are the true brand ambassadors and the crucial touchpoint between the headquarters and the customers.
After suspending activities out of respect for the health of their team and others, Prodotti Stella launched a series of training activities for the sales force: in this way, they provided them with tools to strengthen their personal branding as professionals, but also to be an additional help for the customer. They are not just being followed by a simple salesperson but by a sector technician who can provide advice and assistance, even digitally.
In Conclusion
Without data, we are just another person with an opinion, as Edward Deming used to say. These are also the potentials of the digital world: we can track our results and see if the direction taken is the right one, or if our strategy needs to be modified.
At the moment, it is not possible to fully track the data of these activities, as they are still ongoing (so get ready for a second part of this article!), but for now, Prodotti Stella can be proud of the initial partial results:
- In the first two webinars dedicated to gelato shops, there were about 170 participants.
- In the first webinar intended for the sales force, the entire team was present with 70 participants.
- The form for viewing the video lesson was filled out more than 200 times in five days, and the number is constantly growing.
‘Easy’ is not a word we will hear often in the near future: even the simple act of enjoying an ice cream during a stroll in the city center is no longer taken for granted.
The hectic end of May 4th is actually the beginning of a great challenge for everyone, companies and individuals alike: and if we still don’t know whether our beaches will be divided into plexiglass boxes or if they will find ways to toss cappuccinos and croissants from a distance, one thing is certain.
No one gets through this alone. Prodotti Stella is proving that.
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