The world of cycling from 2000 to today has known a truly remarkable change that affected not only athletes and teams, but also companies, which were an active part of this world and still are with their products: bicycles, components and accessories. For them every day represents a continuous challenge to keep up with the competition. In all of this, the ability to know plays a strategic role communicate your new products in the best possible way, through messages that can reach customers quickly and effectively. Advertising, but not only that.
If once upon a time communication was reduced to an advertising page repeated for a few months in industry magazines, today everything has changed thanks to or because of – depending on how you look at it – the advent of the internet and social media.
Once upon a time there was printed paper
Before their emergence and the contemporary crisis of the printed paper, How did companies communicate with the public? To find out more, we decided to have a chat with Alberto Giacopello, one of the "historical" advertising agents in the cycling world.
Giacopello recently turned eighty. His mind remains brilliant and lucid. For twenty-six years, from 1980 to 2006, he worked for Compagnia Editoriale, the publishing house of the monthly magazine Bicisport, handling the sale of advertising space. He experienced first-hand a way of communicating by companies that no longer exists today.Listening to it can also help us understand today's reality.
A premise before moving on to the questions. The writer worked for several years alongside Alberto Giacopello and has been fortunate enough to be his friend for over twenty years.. You will then forgive the use of the more confidential “tu”.
What was your relationship with companies like in your day?
I could answer with just one word that sums it all up: direct. We spoke directly with the owner of the company and therefore everything was much simpler and more immediate.. When I retired in 2006, it was rare to find a person in companies in charge of marketing or, more generally, of relations with magazinesOne of the first to introduce a similar figure was Columbus with Claudia Vianino. Now I know that opened a communications agency in Turin, who I'm told is doing very well. This doesn't surprise me, because he was already a truly tough and knowledgeable person back then.
What did having a direct relationship with the company owner mean in practical terms?
Contracts were certainly not finalized over the telephone. An appointment was set at the company and on that occasion the program for the entire year was agreed upon.It could then happen that following an important victory, such as a Sanremo or a World Championship, there would be an addition to what had been defined at the beginning of the year. In that case, to reach an agreement, a phone call was enough because there was a mutual trust between the owners, which I had been able to build over the years. I don't think the same thing happens today. I think it's all more "professional", but also colder.
How did you know there was this good relationship?
From the fact that I always felt welcomeIt might happen that during one of my business trips, passing by a company, I would call to ask if I could stop by for a hello or a coffee. In all these years I have never received a refusal.
How was a contract defined?
You have to keep in mind that when you sat down in front of the owner of a company to talk about advertising, We discussed not only the budget to invest, but also the advertising subject that we would then see in the magazine.. In a way, it was like I was a kind of modern-day marketing consultant. Companies trusted me so much that they even asked me for advice on which months, in my opinion, could be the most interesting for advertising.. Often, they would show me a preview of a product before it was launched on the market to get my opinion on it. Today companies have so many experts to rely on that they rarely need an outside opinionTimes have really changed. Back then, fax machines were used a lot… Today, for any company, a fax is just a decorative ornament.
How important were trade fairs in your day?
I know they are almost gone today. In my day, we went to Milan for one year and Cologne for another. Then Friedrichshafen came along and replaced both.Back then, the fair was a key moment of the season. All the customers met there, and in some cases, it was the only opportunity to see them. As a result, many deals were also closed. Today I believe it is more of a time to cultivate the famous "public relations".
How was advertising viewed in those years? Was it considered an important communication tool?
Everyone was convinced of the importance of advertising. But then there were only magazines and therefore companies only had printed paper as a promotional tool. Today, with the advent of social media and the birth of specialized websites, everything has changed.Even I, who am eighty years old, if I want to know something about cycling I go online.
What did this job leave you with from a personal point of view?
Thanks to this work I was lucky enough to go to the races and meet the idols of my youth like Binda and Bartali, a man perhaps "rough", but of great humanity. I had the opportunity to enrich myself humanly, but also culturally. Think, with Antonio Colombo of Columbus, we talked about work, but also about culture ranging from the painter Schifano to the director Nanni MorettiToday I think it's an impossible thing. Everyone is in a hurry and has little time available.and to talk about something other than work.
Figures who have made and continue to make cycling history…
I remember with affection Knight Pietro Santini, a true gentleman, who always spoke to me about his great love for the Dalmine track. How can I not mention Ernesto Colnago? I had my very first business meeting with him.We had so many battles over the cost of advertising pages (laughs, ed.), but how wonderful it was to listen to him talk to me about his projects. I built really deep human relationships with so many of them. Just think... Even today at Christmas I still hear from Giuseppe Bigolin of Selle Italia to exchange greetings. I use an expression that may perhaps seem obsolete: Thanks to my work I have met many good people.
If you had to start over today, what challenges would you face?
Certainly I would have difficulty dealing with new technologies and having to deal with press or marketing peopleAs I was telling you, I was used to speaking directly with the owner. In my day, I only worked with Italian companies. The heart of the cycle industry was all in ItalyNow I feel like there's more internationalization. Just the thought of having to speak English to a marketing manager would definitely keep me awake at night.
