Renzo Rosso: agreements with big tech to build customer loyalty

The first assist by Max Bergami, dean of the Bologna Business School, is not an empty-goal. Bergami asks Renzo Rosso, founder and patron of Diesel and the Otb holding company, about the luxury crisis and the scenarios that are opening up for Italian companies and creativity. The occasion is the inauguration of the BBS academic year. Renzo Rosso is the guest speaker. In the main hall with its large windows overlooking the garden there are master's and Mba students from 76 countries. The adjacent restaurant area and the panoramic staircase are also occupied. "The moment we are living is not great," says Rosso, "but we come from years in which we over-performed. But the golden times are not coming back. People are changing. Today they buy one less item because they prefer to spend on quality of life, longevity, on a meal at a restaurant. Habits and customs are changing and the consumer is also changing. We also have to change and adapt. We are used to it to some extent. Every ten years there is a revolution. Internet, ecommerce, now artificial intelligence. Chat gpt has become my best friend and a very important tool, even in the company. But first and foremost the values on which we built Diesel and Otb remain'.

Looking at history, product and creativity, Bergami reflects. "I am seventy years old. They tell me: Red still go to the company? Enjoy it...! Do you need more money? But I have as much fun as I did at the beginning, 47 years ago, because I enjoy what I do, every day, and I want people with me who like what they do. It's my passion. I've never done anything with money in mind. I always wanted to do nice things. I could have grown and earned five times as much, but I preferred to do what I liked".

Then there is creativity, suggests Bergami. "It is a concept applicable to all fields and all levels," Rosso explains. "For me it has always been: doing things differently from others. It is not a question of price. There is creativity in a Renault and in a Pagani. We have to give the consumer what he needs and make him choose. It's not a question of price, but of positioning. To one of the Zeta generation we have to offer an affordable bag, to a boomer one with an important cost. After all, there is a Mercedes for every target.

How one captures the needs of new consumers, Bergami reflects, becomes the key point of any corporate strategy. "You have to choose your creatives well. By talking, by listening. It takes me up to six months to choose the right person. I don't take what's on the market. I select talent. I test them and listen to them, also to learn. You need young people who understand the new world and you have to give them confidence. For ten years, I say. With John Galliano, the best of them all, whom I took on for Maison Margiela, we invested for years with no return. Now we reap the rewards. Designers must capture the DNA of brands and propose authenticity. We have to sell the product, not the communication'.

Although the consumer escapes, he does not bind himself to one brand, he is not won over by enterteinment, Rosso explains. "We have to involve him. Go to the countries and get in tune with the environment, give something of us. I hate those who come and buy everything, with arrogance. We prefer a soft approach. We have to connect with the consumer, who often doesn't go to the shop. The salesperson has a key role. He must know everything about the customer, look him up at home, remind him of his mother's birthday, Valentine's Day. Know everything about him, his tastes. This is called 'clientelling'. To be more effective we are closing deals with two big tech players that will allow consumers to try on clothes at home'.