One country, two markets
A trip to Italy
Who doesn't love Italy? The culture, cuisine, country and people are inspiring. If Geberit is also very successful here, it is high time to get to the bottom of the local causes.
The barriers at the motorway toll booths north of Milan open as if by magic. Where other vehicle owners are stuck in traffic jams and have to dig out small change or credit cards to pay the motorway toll, Francesca Picin uses ‘Telepass’, an electronic toll box installed in her car. This saves her a lot of time – and that is important, because as a Technical Sales Consultant at Geberit, she is often on the road: Francesca Picin is part of a small but powerful team that was set up following the integration of ceramics manufacturer Pozzi Ginori.
Office in the car
The first thing on Francesca Picin's agenda today is a visit to Abbattista, a showroom operator and one of Geberit's most important wholesalers. Before the consultation, Francesca Picin opens the boot of her car – it is filled to the brim with Geberit promotional material, brochures, instructions and product samples. ‘My company car is also my office,’ she says with a laugh.
Two different markets in one country
Francesca Picin covers up to 40,000 kilometres a year on her visits to the north of Italy. Compared to her colleagues who are travelling for Geberit in the south of Italy, this is rather little. However, the distances are not the only difference between northern and southern Italy. In the economically weaker south, the mentality of the people is also completely different. What is relevant here are interpersonal relationships - often built up and strengthened over many years. Here, Geberit was able to benefit from the existing contacts of the acquired Italian Sanitec brand Pozzi Ginori and adapt to the southern conditions with comparatively small teams.
Reasons for success
Geberit has proven itself excellently in this market environment. ‘Geberit currently has probably the strongest market position of all time in Italy,’ says Silvia Del Vitto, Head of Marketing and Product Management since 2019. The reasons for this? “A strong brand, good products that deliver what they promise and diverse sales channels.
