Trovare una soluzione creativa al problema della trasparenza, chiarezza, comprensibilità del linguaggio giuridico è una delle sfide più attuali nell’ambito legal.

Ci sono delle soluzioni? La risposta è affermativa, c’è il legal design.

Ne parliamo con Stefania Passera, laurea in Design della Comunicazione Visiva al Politecnico di Milano ed oggi imprenditrice, Assistant Professor alla facoltà di Business Law della University of Vaasa, Contract Designer in Residence presso World Commerce & Contracting e co-autrice del Legal Design Manifesto, nonché co-fondatrice della Legal Design Alliance.

● Il legal design nasce da una sua intuizione e da un contesto di ricerca multidisciplinare in cui l’obiettivo primario è porre l’utente finale al centro del progetto (human-centered design).  Da dove è iniziata la sua ricerca?

Ho seguito un progetto Erasmus in Finlandia, seguito da una laurea specialistica in graphic design. Qui ho conosciuto Helena Haapio, esponente di spicco della “Proactive & Preventive Law”, impegnata nella ricerca di soluzioni per migliorare la gestione del rischio contrattuale e prevenire incertezze legali e controversie, anche con la finalità di favorire il successo aziendale. Mi resi immediatamente conto che le tecniche di information design che utilizzavo quotidianamente non erano conosciute dai giuristi, da lì è nata l’intuizione di ampliare le possibilità applicative delle mie competenze. Ho iniziato a collaborare con Helena e ho inoltre intrapreso un dottorato di ricerca alla Aalto University School of Science, conclusosi con una tesi sulla visualizzazione dei contratti come aiuto alla comprensione e sostegno alla collaborazione fra i diversi “contract users” in azienda.

● La semplificazione dei documenti giuridici, una bella sfida! In cosa consiste il suo lavoro?

Il mio lavoro consiste nel progettare le informazioni legali utilizzando le giuste tecniche di design, con l’obiettivo di rendere i documenti più chiari, più diretti, più facili da usare e soprattutto più efficaci.

Ogni progetto di legal design si snoda in vari passaggi, ma, per sintetizzare, è necessario calarsi nell’esperienza dei destinatari del documento, iniziando ad individuare il contesto di utilizzo, le finalità per cui è stato predisposto e soprattutto la prospettiva dell’utente: quali sono le difficoltà di comprensione ed utilizzo delle informazioni? Per che cosa le vuole e deve usare?

Molte volte la complessità dei documenti è causata, o aumentata, da fattori “estrinseci”. Questa complessità inutile deve e può essere eliminata ad esempio semplificando il linguaggio, strutturando un’adeguata architettura dell’informazione o fornendo all’utente indicazioni e spiegazioni visive che aiutino a navigare nel documento.

● Quali vantaggi offre il legal design?

Il legal design consente essenzialmente di ridurre al minimo rischio di incomprensioni e l’insorgere di contestazioni e di supportare efficacemente i comportamenti “virtuosi” che ci si aspetta dalle parti.

Da un punto di vista pratico, nei contesti B2B che già fanno uso del metodo, si registra un dimezzamento dei tempi di negoziazione dei contratti e maggiore efficienza dei processi, con tutti i vantaggi organizzativi ed economici che ne conseguono.

Ma non solo. Il legal design ha un impatto positivo anche sulla reputazione aziendale, perché essere chiari e trasparenti con fornitori e clienti è un indubbio valore aggiunto. Spesso faccio l’esempio di aziende che hanno lavorato a migliorare la comunicazione delle proprie policy, come la privacy policy della piattaforma di contract management Juro.com, oppure l’agenzia di digital marketing August.

Le applicazioni più creative fanno addirittura uso di contratti in forma completamente visuale, simile a fumetti, specie in contesti in cui ci si rivolge a destinatari vulnerabili ed emarginati. In questi casi, non è solo necessario fornire contenuti e servizi in forma estremamente semplice ed accessibile, ma è doveroso affrontare la questione della giustizia sociale. Ad esempio, in Sud Africa sono stati proposti progetti di questo tipo, con contratti a fumetto destinati a lavoratori semi-analfabeti. Negli Stati Uniti ci sono vari progetti nel cosiddetto ambito dell’ access to justice, dove si mira a creare procedure e servizi legali economicamente sostenibili ed accessibili a tutti.

● Lei ricopre un importante ruolo nell’associazione internazionale World Commerce & Contracting. Ce ne può parlare?

Nel mio ruolo di “Contract Designer in Residence” mi occupo di vari progetti mirati a sensibilizzare, informare ed educare i nostri associati in materia di legal design. Ad esempio, le mie attività spaziano da webinar e workshop aperti a tutti i membri, a veri e propri progetti di contract design e consulenza per i nostri corporate members. Ho contribuito a creare la Contract Design Pattern Library, una collezione di tecniche ed esempi di best practice nel contract design da cui trarre ispirazione. Inoltre quest’anno abbiamo lanciato il Better Contract Design Mark, un marchio di qualità che premia e celebra contratti particolarmente user-friendly.

● Quali prospettive vede per il futuro? Dal suo punto di vista, le aziende italiane sono pronte per avviare progetti di legal design?

Il bisogno e il desiderio sicuramente ci sono, ma c’è necessità di far comprendere e normalizzare queste pratiche, creare una mentalità in azienda che ne promuova l’implementazione. Ci vuole consapevolezza dei metodi di progettazione human-centered e su come coinvolgere professionisti del design, della comunicazione e dell’innovazione nei campi legal & compliance.

Lusso e pandemia. Ci racconti in sintesi il vostro core business, e cosa significa essere un’azienda che opera in questo settore, nel difficile momento storico che stiamo attraversando? Puoi darci un quadro dello scenario?

Siamo il gruppo europeo più importante per la crescita e lo sviluppo di aziende e startup attive nel settore degli accessori e della loro finitura. Forniamo soluzioni e tecnologie ai grandi gruppi e ai brand più prestigiosi del settore luxury a livello internazionale, al fine di assicurare la qualità della produzione artigianale italiana e al contempo garantire la stabilità e la garanzia del processo industriale. Accompagniamo persone e imprese nella realizzazione dei loro traguardi, con la consapevolezza che solo nell’evoluzione continua possiamo trovare la formula per il successo nel qui ed ora e nel domani. Per un Gruppo come il nostro, quest’ultimo periodo è stato davvero sfidante. Abbiamo dovuto mettere in atto un cambiamento che mai prima avevamo né pensato né sperimentato, ed abbiamo avuto l’esatta conferma che l’evoluzione è sempre possibile.

Per dirla con un gioco di parole, abbiamo dovuto cambiare per non cambiare, e per preservare i nostri livelli di fatturato. Abbiamo dovuto cambiare per evolvere, trasformando situazioni negative in positive, come ad esempio tutte le nuove procedure e le regole imposte dalla pandemia. E abbiamo dovuto cambiare ancora quando ci siamo accorti che i cambiamenti attuati per quello che inizialmente si credeva sarebbe stato un evento passeggero sarebbero invece dovuti durare molto più a lungo e consolidarsi in una ritrovata normalità e quotidianità. Prima della pandemia, eravamo talmente “resistenti” e forse poco abituati al cambiamento, che è stato necessario l’arrivo di un virus per modificare regole, azioni, credenze che oggi, in realtà, consideriamo ormai invalidanti e limitanti. Ad oggi, come Gruppo Lem, siamo di fatto un contoterzista che ha imparato a gonfiarsi e sgonfiarsi continuamente, seguendo l’andamento del mercato del luxury e le vendite dei grandi brand.

Siete un’industria strutturata, ma con la cura per i dettagli propria dell’artigiano: un approccio distintivo di molte aziende italiane di successo. Quanto conta questo come fattore distintivo dalla concorrenza nei mercati internazionali del b2b e che valore oggi si può attribuire al Made in Italy?

Personalmente ritengo che solo chi è nato nella bellezza la possa poi anche comprendere, amare e produrre. Gli altri la possono soltanto acquistare. Forse la ricerca della bellezza è l’unica cosa che ci differenzia come esseri umani dal mondo animale, e il lusso ne è la sua massima espressione. Ecco, questo per me significano artigianato e Made in Italy.
Come azienda siamo una “multinazionale locale”, fatta da persone che provengono da tutto il mondo e impegnata con i maggiori protagonisti del lusso internazionale, ma che allo stesso tempo produce di fatto in provincia di Arezzo e vende in provincia di Firenze. Questa è la nostra internazionalità, quasi a km 0. Il tema, però, è che oggi i maggiori brand sono orientati da capitali e centri di decisione non italiani, che hanno compreso e valorizzato il nostro saper fare che tutto il mondo ci ha sempre invidiato. Ma se non ci sarà un’azione di sistema Paese, rischiamo di fare dell’Italia solo un luogo di alta produzione, perdendo tutti gli altri valori della nostra unicità.

Avete puntato su persone giovani con elevato grado di formazione e la capacità di assicurare attenzione e standard qualitativi elevati in ogni fase della produzione. Cosa vuol dire oggi per un’azienda investire nel “capitale umano”?

L’azienda è oggi l’ultima delle “comunità possibili”, e probabilmente tra quelle più sane e sicure: su questo tema la pandemia è stata rivelatrice della scommessa degli imprenditori italiani. Il “capitale umano” di conseguenza è per noi l’unico in grado di capitalizzarsi e di crescere e maturare nel tempo. La scelta delle attitudini ancor prima delle competenze, la cultura e il coinvolgimento, la diversità e l’inclusione, il lavoro come chance per il futuro, rappresentano tutti dei grandi temi aziendali che ci teniamo a diffondere da subito attraverso un welcome kit dedicato a tutti i nuovi colleghi assunti, specialmente i più giovani.

What’s the scenario for car manufacturers and dealers in this phase of reopening of the markets?

It is a scenario where uncertainty is no longer just a risk factor – it has become the variable influencing the choices of all players. Consumers are scared there’s going to be another lockdown, or even that their lifestyle may be under threat, while others still may just be waiting for new incentives to be offered. As a result, dealers are struggling to make forecasts for what could happen in the market in the coming months. This is holding back investments and new projects, but there is also an acknowledgement that extraordinary refurbishment processes need to be started in order to confront a new scenario that could be definitive. The most frequent reaction, even from companies, is therefore that of waiting for more answers.

What impact will covid have on user behaviour for cars and on the resulting purchase behaviour?

At the moment there is no sign of any upheaval in terms of the way and how much cars are used, especially outside major cities and where business activities have fully resumed. Therefore, in the short term, with a full reboot of production activities, we are not expecting any radical changes in car user behaviour. On the other hand, purchase behaviour has changed, although, in many ways, more than a change it’s probably more accurate to call this an acceleration of trends that were already afoot. However, many situations people had been imagining at the early stage of the lockdown – when we were all gripped by fear – have not come about. The management of sanitisation and social distancing requirements has proven to be less dramatic than we had thought. As things stand, the predictions of empty showrooms abandoned by customers have been far from the mark.
Customers who are coming to showrooms seem to know what they want, they are more likely to make purchases, more determined and perhaps even more informed than they were before. They’re increasingly likely to want a “serious” appointment, rather than an impromptu visit. It has become essential for dealers to manage negotiations based on this new type of behaviour.

On the other hand, purchase behaviour has changed, although, in many ways, more than a change it’s probably more accurate to call this an acceleration of trends that were already afoot

What role will dealers need to have in this new situation?

Today, dealers must firstly ensure safe access to their services. It has also become a duty and a necessity for them to identify purchase solutions that are most consistent with the state of uncertainty affecting customers, by finally becoming a product factory that selects and offers the best proposals from the markets.
Dealers will also have to indulge requests for change by customers. There is a feeling that, even here, our sector is approaching this situation with the same poor propensity to change as in recent years. Other sectors, like distribution or estate agencies, are proving to be more dynamic. Unless there are express requests by customers, in many cases little is being done to promote a different approach that is based less on face-to-face meetings. The risk is that of missing out on opportunities by attempting to impose on customers approaches that do not correspond with their own preferences. The response to these new requests is the “definitive” professionalisation of sales and other resources.

How, as a result, is the use of marketing communication tools with end users changing?

With the collapse of off-line activities by consumers and an upsurge in online interaction, car manufacturers and dealers have reacted swiftly by using digital tools and introducing new online contact methods in an attempt to maintain relations with existing and potential customers. In this post-lockdown period the automotive industry has mainly used 3 communication approaches: the emotional approach, with the aim of reassuring and expressing their empathy, positivity and the desire to get things started again; the practical approach, for example with home collection and delivery, to allow customers to remain safely in their homes, or the online booking of interventions; online customer service.
On the sales side, applications were created for virtual visits to showrooms, live chats and home test drives.
From a financial perspective, the approach is an understanding/supportive one: many car manufacturers have created plans to allow payments in up to six months if purchasers lose their jobs in the current year because of COVID-19, or which allow for a first instalment in 2021, or even payments in instalments, with reduced charges during 2020.
The major challenge of communication is therefore that of attracting the attention of users, engaging them, conveying trust and accompanying them from the virtual sphere to the physical environment of the showrooms.

…the automotive industry has mainly used 3 communication approaches: the emotional approach, with the aim of reassuring and expressing their empathy, positivity and the desire to get things started again; the practical approach, for example with home collection and delivery, to allow customers to remain safely in their homes, or the online booking of interventions; online customer service.

The pandemic appeared when the automotive industry, and the sector of mobility in general, was undergoing a transformation in terms of both the way customers access products and because of the increasing importance of environmental issues, with the resulting implications on the ongoing debate between internal combustion, hybrid and electrical engines. How are showrooms facing this scenario in the phase of the reopening of markets?

Everything around us has changed a great deal but in the relationship between man and the automobile, one aspect remains immutable: a car means freedom to dream, move and work. And, over the years, to underscore this sense of freedom, the issue of flexibility has become increasingly relevant, especially in terms of purchase options. There has been a move away from the rigid concept of pure ownership of a car as an asset towards the flexibility of its use as a tool; we’ve gone from direct purchase to loans, leases and long-term rentals. Autotorino succeeded in grasping this transition, firstly by creating and consolidating its collaboration with leading finance and insurance companies, in order to offer its customers increasingly bespoke solutions, before later founding RENT2GO, the first completely Italian long term rental company to evolve from a Dealership, in partnership with the Barchetti Group and Banca Popolare di Sondrio. This choice was conceived to offer customers – private individuals and companies alike – all the convenience of a rental service accompanied by a level of service one would normally expect from a dealer, through a personal consultant and an extensive assistance network from the branches of the founding groups covering all of Northern Italy.
The COVID-19 pandemic simply provided a further acceleration in the evolution and redesign of the options provided for using cars. The key concept is to reassure customers, given that their relationship with cars is based on necessity. For this reason, special solutions have been created with a postponement of six months for the first instalment or fee, with no down payment, ‘guaranteed credit’ coverage and specific forms of protection (including forms of protection for people) linked to the ongoing emergency.
In terms of the debate surrounding the ‘product’, there can be no doubt that, as the range of available options increases, it’s going to be possible to continue improving the personalisation of the public’s mobility requirements.
The competitiveness of electrical vehicles will be determined by the development of the recharging infrastructure; however, the disappointing results of government incentive schemes for the purchase of electrical vehicles has shown this is still a niche segment in Italy. A broader perspective is required on this subject: there is a need for a profound renewal of the vehicles in circulation (more than 13 million vehicles on Italian roads are older than Euro 4), by focusing on scrapping the oldest and least secure cars with the biggest environmental impact, in favour of hybrid and electrical vehicles but also more recent models, given the high efficiency of Euro 6 technologies in terms of consumption and the reduction of emissions.
We are, nevertheless, up to speed with the evolution of electrical mobility, by focusing firstly on training: from the showroom to assistance, we can offer the public specialist support.
Last but not least, on the subject of the environment, we believe we can make a difference beyond the mix of vehicles we can sell. Autotorino is involved in a management process with the aim of respecting the environment, reducing consumption of raw materials and saving energy costs and consumables, while also improving the quality of the experience of our customers. An example of this is the NOPaper project, which was awarded the National prize for Management Innovation at the Automotive Dealer Day in 2018 and which continues to evolve: in the space of three years, this has progressively led to contracts and documentary procedures being managed in an electronic format, with significant results. For example, more than 90% of transport documents issued by our warehouses and repair shops is now only digital. Aside from savings in terms of paper (which we have estimated as 5 million sheets of A4 paper per year), filing processes are also easier and more efficient (in 15 seconds we can manage up to 100,000 search results), for both our offices and our customers, who can now sign commercial or assistance documents with electronic signatures or OTP certificates, and receive certified documents at their email address in real time.

The web, social media and apps for mobile phones are now vital ‘locations’ where we can look for information or exchange communication

What impact will Covid-19 have on car user behaviour (car sharing, rental, etc.) and on the resulting purchase behaviour?

Today cars are an extension of that safe zone we perceived in our homes during the lockdown. Cars can offer ‘shelter’, independence and peace of mind. This is also confirmed by a recent survey published by La Stampa newspaper, which shows that this summer 71% of Italians will travel to their holiday destinations in their own cars, compared to 55% who did so last year. So for people, being able to rely on a car they own or which they have exclusive use of represents a comfort zone they will not be keen to do without.
With regard, on the other hand, to the purchase experience, even back in February, there were signs the public was more keen and curious about digital interaction. We therefore promptly accelerated the fine-tuning and integration on the digital side of the experience we offer in our showrooms: firstly by launching new means of access to our services, with the introduction of the option of video calls; beyond this, we have also introduced new protocols and services, such as the option of signing remote contracts with secure and remote electronic signatures with OTP Secure Call, which strengthens and extends relationship potential. These protocols are also applied for signing documents in showrooms because they represent a security feature that is now integrated in our processes and which our customers like. This is all then complemented by purchase options designed specifically for this unusual moment in time and which protect customers and increase the flexibility and sustainability of purchases, including, for example, by removing the need for down payments and extending the deadline for the first instalment until the start of 2021 (as explained above).

The service has been an important component for some while, including in terms of margins for dealers. Will we now see a focus on integrating new services or a redesign or consolidation of existing services?

The service is the area where the relationship with the public develops and consolidates and is a process which helps retain an important source of capital within the company: our customers.
This is why we decided to extend the range of our services beyond the physical perimeter of the workshop: this is the case of the Pick Up & Delivery option, which can be requested for each of the Brands we represent, from premium brands to general purpose brands, for a level of care that enables customers to manage their time as they see fit; and there is also the road recovery service available 24 hours a day, through a geo-localised video call, thanks to the App Autotorino CON VOI, that can also be combined with an analogous medical assistance service. The evolution of the model of service offered in Autotorino and Autostar branches thereby also extends the way in which ‘post-sales’ is interpreted, by making it flexible enough to accommodate the habits, preferences and requirements of our customers.

The automotive sector had already grasped the opportunities connected with the digital world prior to the emergency. In recent months the focus and interest by many sectors towards digitalisation – as a sales channel and a means of interacting with customers – has increased even more rapidly. What, if anything, is changing in the automotive sector? What role will the showroom have as a physical and real space? What marketing and communication strategies can we expect to see in broad terms and what are the specific plans for online marketing and communication to end users?

The Autotorino Group model’s has been refined in twenty years of development, during which the digital side has evolved hand in hand and in a functional manner with the physical network. As soon as Autotorino began to have more branches, we were faced with the need to share information, standards and processes across these. Since then we have always believed that our digital dimension is at one with the model of service expressed by the various branches. Everything is interconnected, and so too are our Customer’s requirements. The electronic backbone that joins together business intelligence tools and management systems has enabled us to share a platform of communication and information across all branches and this has become a bedrock and enabler of the Group’s growth. This has also allowed us to connect easily and in a natural manner with end Customers. With increasingly customised forms of communication, there will be even more access opportunities to new services, not just for the purchase of cars, but also for the protection of people.
People will play a central role in this process. The web, social media and apps for mobile phones are now vital ‘locations’ where we can look for information or exchange communication. Online just as it is in-store, the quality of a relationship stems from the speed and professionalism with which our people respond to a customer’s requirements. In this sense, we believe that the physical component of the experience is crucial for creating trust and relationship mechanisms: the extensiveness of our network is increasingly well connected to our digital presence, and viceversa.

The COVID-19 emergency has shocked businesses, organizations and consumers. What are the main critical issues you are facing in your company both from the production and distribution point of view?

It’s very challenging right now for any business to plan with any certainty. Countries are in different lockdown phases which affects supply chains at one end and retail consumption a the other. Its not like a recession or financial crisis, its effectively an overnight shutdown of society and business. Most of my international clients are therefore scenario planning best, middle and worst case scenarios and are in constant touch with national markets to understand the local situation. Then adapting their immediate, next 1, 3, 6 and 9 month plans as t’s hard to focus beyond that when such fundamental disruption hits.

How do you think this crisis will change consumers’ needs, habits and purchasing behavior and the dynamics of interaction with distribution?

I see a shift in many ways – with future needs being more based on personal security and well being. I think the move out of the crisis will be governed by prevailing laws and guidance re restrictions so no sudden return to normal. Consumers will want to reconnect with people, enjoy the basic freedoms they’ve lost and then return to things like travel, holidays and bigger purchases – assuming they financially survive and have work or other asset based wealth. Even then I suspect more caution in their spending behaviour and some fundamental shifts in most people’s values. Brands will respond and are already doing so with a shift even more to on line and it will be the stronger brands that survive then prosper as weaker ones struggle. Some sectors face real challenges – cruise ships for example. They have massive trust and personal safety issues to resolve. And personally I hope to see some convergence in all our values as consumers with the wider climate change challenges which threaten us beyond this pandemic.

What do you think is the change and the role that commercial distribution / intermediation will have versus this new situation? Will it interfere or encourage change?

It will encourage change, it’s inevitable. Weaker distribution partners and retailers will struggle to cope and many will likely fail. Future forecast sales and investments will be done with more caution and I think we will see in many sectors a reduction in reliance and spend on things like exhibitions, events and trade shows with a further shift on line. I also suspect the face of retail will continue its accelerated change to online, the high street and shopping centre fare existential challenges right now not helped by the pandemic.

What are the marketing and communication strategies that your company is developing to face the situation now and in the next future?

Right now I am working with my clients to help them be relevant and appropriate in their current communications during the crisis. We are also helping try solve some short term operating challenges whilst setting up realistic post crisis recovery scenario plans, including new product launches. The key thing is always being to focus on our client’s core brand values and to keep being relevant, helping their intermediaries and consumers navigate these uncharted waters. Overall, I am quite sure we will all get out the other side of this wiser and leaner. This disruption is unprecedented in scale and suddenness and is very testing for everyone. Hopefully too, the post pandemic “new world” will also be a kinder place than before and society will put more value and investment into the essentials like healthcare or at least more than it did until now.

Hopefully, the post pandemic “new world” will also be a kinder place than before and society will put more value and investment into the essentials

By:  2facethechange by Pubblimarket2 (open document)

The COVID-19 emergency has shocked businesses, organizations and consumers. What are the main critical issues you are facing in your company both from the production and distribution point of view?

Basically over night the world has stopped and we needed to adapt. Our production is temporarily closed, while other units work from home or part-time in the office. We are getting use to the remote work, which is one positive thing in this situation, but the challenge at this time of the year is order collection by our distributors. They can’t make any visits to their accounts: also there is uncertainty in the market as things are changing daily, without any finish date to look at.

How do you think this crisis will change consumers’ needs, habits and purchasing behavior and the dynamics of interaction with distribution?

It is still very early to say that, but we already see from other industries that people are changing their habits, are buying online things that they did not before (i.e. food). We also need to take in consideration that nobody knows how long this crisis will last and how big of an impact will have, but one of the consequences could be that there will be less travel in the future and more meeting in the digital landscape.

What do you think is the change and the role that commercial distribution / intermediation will have versus this new situation? Will it interfere or encourage change?

The role of distribution already emerged from just »moving boxes« to a real competent local partner who also develops the brand in a specific market. Not just the intermediates, but we will all have to adapt to this new reality that this could mean less physical contact and more online interaction. Having a strong local partner is extremely important for being successful.

The role of distribution already emerged from just »moving boxes« to a real competent local partner who also develops the brand in a specific market.

What are the marketing and communication strategies that your company is developing to face the situation now and in the next future?

Like I already said, things are changing daily and making some long term strategies is impossible at this stage. We are looking into options how we will execute some events in the upcoming months that will, as far as it looks now, need to be in digital format. We are did an interactive sales tool for our distributors and sales reps, who can use it instead of the printed catalogue. From the communication point of view on social media the inspirational content or wellbeing initiatives (home workouts) works best.

What impact has lockdown had on you, and how are you planning to tackle this restart phase?

First of all, we’d like to say a few words about the last two weekends between the end of February and the beginning of March… it was such an incredibly busy period. There were masses of people raring to get out on the slopes – just like the first day of the ski season. So, with the first anti-Covid-19 measures to limit capacity starting to kick in, long queues formed at the ski-lifts and cable cars. Some skiers were even getting taxis to take them up to Bormio 2000 so they could get onto the perfectly groomed slopes as quickly as possible and enjoy the wonderful sunny weather. It was really crazy. Then, on the 8th of March, everything suddenly shut down: it was surreal, hard to get your head around. So that’s how our lockdown began, and it lasted until 18 May. During lockdown we stayed in contact with our customers by mail or phone, mainly to organise the return of rented equipment and, in particular, the seasonal ski gear used by families and children. We were asked all sorts of questions: about the weather conditions, and even about the various alleged sightings of the Trentino bear in Bormio… it was clear there was a strong desire on the part of our clients to keep in touch with us. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to adapt our website to e-commerce quickly enough (it remains restricted to booking rentals), which would undoubtedly have given good results. Without any money coming in for over 2 months, the lockdown period was really tough for us. We were also very concerned for our staff and co-workers, primarily as regards their health and safety, obviously. We decided to keep our workforce on until the end of the season, because we are convinced that the success of our business is also partly due to them.

We were asked all sorts of questions: about the weather conditions, and even about the various alleged sightings of the Trentino bear in Bormio… it was clear there was a strong desire on the part of our clients to keep in touch us.

How will the layout of your stores and your relationship with your clients change, if at all?

Our prime concern on reopening was to ensure the maximum safety of our customers. After sanitising the entire store, we created a signposted pathway to guide customers around the premises, with hand sanitizer stands, gloves and plexiglass barriers. All with the aim of making our customers feel safe and protected in our store. After reopening, we noticed a desire on the part of our customers to converse and interact with us, to talk about their experiences during this period. On the whole, the attitude of people is warm and friendly and they spend more time in the shop. This is perhaps partly due to the fact that we have always tried to make our customers feel they are “amongst friends”; over time this has created real customer loyalty, unlike many other stores where the buying experience is faster and less personal. Over the last few weekends, we have had a steady flow of customers from the surrounding valleys, and holiday home owners from Milan and Brianza have also arrived. Many of these have popped in to see us, and to buy something while they were about it; some were looking for discounts on winter wear and others for summer items. There is definitely a great deal of interest in sports and activities such as cycling, running, trail running and trekking. I think that these first few weeks have been positive; they have given us confidence in the future. We hope that further benefits will come from the reopening of the borders, because our area is fantastic for road biking, with 3 great climbs – the Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo passes – normally frequented by cyclists from all over the world. Obviously we won’t be having many foreign visitors this June, but we hope that if the weather stays fine the season can extend well into September; and seeing as the Giro d’Italia has been moved to October and is due to pass over none other than the Stelvio…

What will your relationship with your principal suppliers be like?

In the period immediately after lockdown, we realized that we still had several deadlines for winter goods to meet for March and April, and others were also scheduled for the summer season. I have to say that our relationship with suppliers remained solid and mutually supportive: we tried to help each other out by finding solutions that were satisfactory for both sides and we hope that this relationship will continue in the future. For sure, the situation over the next few years is not going to be easy: we have lost the certitudes acquired over the years (ours is a long-established business that has been in activity for 58 years). We also think that companies are going to change their approach in the future, that they will try to have greater visibility in certain specific well-located shops, perhaps adopting hybrid retail solutions combining online with physical stores, and strive to have a closer relationship with shop owners. For our part, we will increasingly represent a real, physical showcase for brands, rather than a virtual one.

As retailers, we will have to become more and more multitasking, offering different types of sales channels and services

Will e-commerce be part of your offering?

During this lockdown we realised that not being able to sell our goods online penalized us heavily in terms of revenue. This situation has certainly made us think a lot, and we are already preparing to implement an e-commerce platform shortly, also because it is in any case a good way of increasing our shop’s visibility. As retailers, we will have to become more and more multitasking, offering different types of sales channels and services. For example, during lockdown we faced the problem of not being able to show our cycling clients, who come from all over the world, the new Ciclo collection which features bike-maps of our three famous mountain passes. Despite everything people wrote to us, to show their solidarity perhaps, and seemed keen to look around our store and perhaps even buy something… We undoubtedly need international tourists to come back as soon as possible because, in our case, foreign clients represent around 70% of the total. We have to try and work out what is going to happen this winter, since at the present moment there are no certainties… the media and doctors talk about a possible second wave of the virus and this sort of talk is certainly not good for our kind of tourism, which requires advance planning and set dates. We hope that with the arrival of a vaccine, travel planning will become more stable once again.

Sportler and the Covid-19 emergency: how did you deal with and manage the lockdown period? What is the scenario like that you are facing in phase 2? What are the main topics you are working on in terms of marketing? What strategic activities are you going to implement in the short term?

Like everyone else, we never expected something like this to happen and so it constituted a major shock for us. Our board -considering the dramatic evolution of the situation- made the decision to close all our stores two days before the official lockdown notice. We dealt with the forced closure by increasing the resources invested on our e-commerce platforms and by boosting our digital and social channels. With the social media pages ‘Learn-Move-Talk’ we tried to keep a close and constant direct relationship with our customers, by offering a programme of home workouts, training sessions, and product presentations as well as interesting talks with top athletes who collaborate with our premium brands. We have launched a new digital consultancy service that we now want to develop and implement in multiple stores. Moreover, we have managed to launch our new app in record time, it will certainly become one of the most important strategic channels for us in the coming months.

With the social media pages ‘Learn-Move-Talk’ we tried to keep a close and constant direct relationship with our customers

How has consumer buying behaviour changed (if you think it has changed at all)? What trends do you foresee for the future and what strategies is Sportler adopting to reformulate its offer from a commercial and communication point of view?

In this period of ‘forced introspection’ we came up with several possible scenarios and developed plans B and C, with predictions ranging from critical to apocalyptic… Well, many of these have been completely (and happily) discarded in these first 20 days of lockdown easing. We imagined a consumer who would have been afraid to enter the shop, instead we found a clientele anxious to get back to sports (bicycles more than anything else) and who at the moment does not seem to have changed their purchasing habits too much. The Sportler customer was already largely a multichannel consumer; and has clearly exploited the research and validation phase on our digital channels: the current conversion rate and the feedback from our teams tell us that those who enter our stores are much more decisive consumers, who are sure of their purchases. Obviously, the inevitable drop in in-store traffic also weighs on these parameters but – at the moment – we are far from the hypothesised pessimistic estimates. In terms of commercial proposals, the challenge will be to be more flexible in the range of products on offer so that we can quickly seize opportunities and trends as and when they come. As far as communication is concerned, the mix of medias we use will change – at least in this first phase – and probably so too will our investment in certain activities that are currently limited (e.g. events) to others that allow us to communicate in a constant and direct way with our customers (e.g. digital and social media, above all).

…the mix of medias we use will change – at least in this first phase – and probably so too will our investment in certain activities that are currently limited (e.g. events) to others that allow us to communicate a constant and direct way with our customers (e.g. digital and social media, above all).

Given the current situation that is full of unknowns, what will Sportler’s relationship be like with your main suppliers?

Ever since the first days of the lockdown, we have tried as much as possible to have a constant exchange with all our suppliers in order to find the best solutions to manage phase 1 and – above all – to better plan for our recovery.

In addition to taking the necessary measures to guarantee social distancing, will the layout of the Sportler stores be reviewed to take into consideration the new relationship that is developing with customers?

The first step was, of course, to prepare the necessary measures to ensure the safety of our customers and our team within all our 25 stores in Italy and Austria. For the moment, we do not foresee substantial changes to the layout of our stores. We had already started working pre-Covid to improve the shopping experience of our customers and we will certainly continue to offer consultancy services (that will, perhaps, be increasingly more personalised) and implementing all those omnichannel strategies for which we were already receiving very positive feedback, on all the click & collect services.

By: 2facethechange by Pubblimarket2 (Open document)