Media

Icon, the men’s fashion and lifestyle brand of the Mondadori Group, presents a new special issue entitled “Beautiful Minds”: a manifesto issue with five exceptional cover stories, dedicated to young talented people selected for their inspiring stories of valour, courage and determination.

An issue celebrating all that is contemporary, increasingly enhancing fashion, its protagonists and the worlds that it embraces as a key to narrating society, also with a view to art, culture and current events.

They are Chiara Corapi, the nineteen year old girl who, during the violence on New Year’s Eve, in Piazza Duomo in Milan, decided not to look the other way and saved a girl of her same age: a courageous gesture that switched on a light in the darkness and a hope for the future; Manu Ríos, who, following the success on Instagram and YouTube today is the star of the Élite and La edad de la ira series; Harry Kirton, who, starting from scratch and with his determination, has become one of the stars of Peaky Blinders, a cult series now in its final season, and Evan Mock, actor and model among the stars of the reboot of Gossip Girl, who faces life and the ocean with temerity. Positive examples, accompanied by the wild vitality of the boys photographed by Bruce Weber for the fifth cover of the new issue of Icon, perfect portrait of freedom.

In the April issue of Icon, the story of the style and male passions continues, intertwining with the voices of other amazing people, capable of visions and inventions, able to influence what happens around us: Alvaro Pascual-Leone, the world-renowned neurologist who explains how our brains work; a fashion giant like André Leon Talley remembered by the great journalist Michael Roberts; Giacomo Bertagnolli, Italian flag bearer and Paralympic ski champion; Dave Gahan, frontman of Depeche Mode; the best-selling author Sally Rooney. And also entrepreneurs, industrialists, creative artist and musicians tell what is happening in fashion and beyond.

The contents of the new issue will also be amplified on Icon.it and on the brand’s social media. Always attentive to contemporary trends, Icon offers its community of readers and users a sophisticated look at the latest news, which extends from fashion to beauty, beverages, travel and cars, to reach a distinctive and increasingly broad and international audience.

For the launch of the new issue of Icon, at news-stands from 15 March, a communication campaign has been planned on digital out-of-home circuits in the main districts of Milan.

There is a war at the gates of Europe, a conflict that is also an attack against our values. In support of liberty, Grazia, the magazine edited by Silvia Grilli, has developed an extraordinary project entitled Buongiorno Grazia (#BuongiornoGrazia), for which it asked the young artist Bianca Cedrone to create 10 works which have become 10 collectable covers for this special issue.

“There are times when it is our duty to underline which side we are on. This is one of those moments and we are on the side of freedom. And we are declaring it with this extraordinary issue of Grazia and 10 covers that are works of art and represent what we believe in: peace, human rights, care for the planet, honest journalism,” said the editor of Grazia Silvia Grilli. “In attacking Ukraine, Vladimir Putin wants to subdue a nation that is on the road to self-determination. Begun as a “special operation”, the war led by the Kremlin’s boss has (thanks to the reaction of the free world) become a conflict between two different conceptions of history. On the one hand, progress, on the other, a retreat evoked by a bloodthirsty leader who rules through lies, oppression and death, and a view that the lives of others are of no value. Grazia, with honest journalism, devoid of fake news, knows which side it is on. This edition, with its values and commitment, wants to reassert the primacy of free information, rights and peace, because we must never take them for granted,” the editor concluded.

Each cover of this special issue represents one of the values that guide the Grazia brand, forming a collection of unique digital works, created with NFT technology, in which images blend with the exciting notes by the brilliant composer Giovanni Allevi. The collection is inspired by a desire to defend a freer and more inclusive world, more respectful of the planet and of people, where the uniqueness of everyone is the strength to pursue their talents and realise their dreams.

“This project with Grazia has allowed me to explore parallel realities and worlds with the dreamlike and surreal aesthetic that represents me,” said Bianca Cedrone. “Being able to explore such important values through my vision and imagination is an enormous satisfaction. And I believe it is important to convey profound messages through beauty and imagination and I hope that my work can serve as an example,” the artist concluded.

“A work of art must move consciences and focus attention on urgent issues. When the innovative Grazia project was presented to me, I immediately realised the important synergy that could be created for and in support of women,” said Giovanni Allevi. “The musical heart of Grazia NFT is represented in 3 themes in the different emotional approaches – rhythmic, poignant and dreamy – of my solo piano piece” “Woman Warrior”, a tribute to all the women warriors who in this historical period are carrying the weight of the tragic and difficult events we are seeing, thanks to their combative spirit, their courage and an unconditional love for life. I am thrilled to think that music, such an ethereal and impalpable art, can make a contribution to the creation of concrete change in our time,” concluded Allevi.

The collection of NFT digital works, which includes all ten covers, can be purchased on the manifesto.grazia.it platform, developed by Smartxchange Ltd. With this platform, for the first time ever, Grazia has made the world of NFT inclusive, simplifying the purchasing processes in a few clicks. The proceeds will go to support the ‘Emergenza Ucraina’ project for children and women of the Fondazione Francesca Rava N.P.H. Italia Onlus (#GraziaNFTforUcraina).

“I am deeply grateful to the editor Silvia Grilli who, with this wonderful initiative launched by the magazine Grazia, decided to support the Fondazione Francesca Rava, which is always at the forefront of helping children and families in difficulty, and is now also involved in the Ukraine emergency,” said Mariavittoria Rava, President of the Fondazione Francesca Rava NPH Italia Onlus. “A few hours after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the foundation took immediate action to respond to the most urgent needs of hospitals through Prof. Oleg Bodnar, head of the Pediatric Hospital at the Bukovnian State Medical University in Chernivtsi and a volunteer of the Foundation also in Haiti. We took prompt action on two fronts: sending convoys with drugs, medical, surgical and operating theatre equipment via Siret-Romania and warmly welcoming Ukrainian mothers and children arriving in Italy making enormous sacrifices. We need everyone’s help in order to save as many lives as we can and this wonderful project is of great help to us. I therefore launch an appeal to all readers of Grazia, for their support for the work of the Francesca Rava Foundation in this emergency.”

The special issue
This special issue of Grazia, on newsstands from tomorrow, is dedicated to the 10 values for which the brand is a spokesperson: PEACE, in the defence of a free world; ACTIVISM for freedom of opinion; INCLUSION, for the enhancement of diversity; BEAUTY, to embrace all types of bodies, sizes, and skin colour; FEMINISM, enhanced with new shades and power, for a sexy woman full of energy and free to love whoever she wants; VOICE, for reliable information, shared with a community of readers; INTERNATIONAL, because news travels very fast and comes from every source and part of the world; VISION of the challenges to be faced, the causes to fight for but also the discoveries, the achievements, including SAFEGUARDING THE PLANET; FASHION, for a style that intercepts and interprets the most contemporary trends.

Buongiorno Grazia is the first special issue of 2022 and has met with a lot of interest in the advertising market which continues to recognise the commitment and values that have always characterised Grazia. In fact, many clients have included the magazine’s initiative in their planning, leading to a total of over 100 advertising pages.

Focus Junior has brought out a line of Easter eggs created to help children discover the world of animals and its fascinating multicoloured creatures.

The new product stems from the licensing agreement signed by the Mondadori Group’s flagship brand in the kids segment, and Walcor, a leading producer of Easter eggs and chocolate coins.

The initiative is another example of the strength and unique position of Focus Junior. The wealth and dependability of its content has enabled the brand over the years to broaden its educational offer from the magazine to social media, from the web to the Academies and events and, more recently, to develop licensing opportunities: projects and collaboration with distinguished partners whose reputation has further enhanced Focus Junior‘s distinctive positioning.

A range of offers aligned with the brand philosophy, which have successfully extended from the design of play and educational areas to the publication of game-books, from collections of exercise books, schools materials and miniature flow-packs to the design of made-to-measure children’s bedrooms, as well as confectionery.

In this last segment, after the success of the projects developed in recent years with other important industry players, Focus Junior is renewing its position with an offer created in collaboration with Walcor to stimulate the interest and imagination of children.

THE EASTER EGGS «FOCUS JUNIOR ANIMALI DAI 1000 COLORI»
Inside their Easter eggs from the «Animali dai 1000 colori» line, kids will find a Focus Junior kit intended to allow small nature-lovers to deepen their knowledge: each egg will contain one of five packs of Carioca coloured pencils so that the child can give free rein to their creativity and colour the exclusive illustrations of five animals, available on the link https://wal-cor.it/progettispeciali/divertiticonwalcor/ together with an identity card providing a host of information and interesting facts.

A play-based learning experience, which kids can also share with the social community by publishing their coloured creations with the hashtag #PasquaDai1000Colori.

Focus Junior is the brand created to satisfy the natural curiosity of children between the ages of 7 and 13 who want to have fun through an intelligent new way of discovering the world. The brand is supported by an increasingly dynamic integrated communication system with wide popular appeal, which on all channels combines a broad variety of content with a play-based constructive approach.

Coinciding with the Milan Fashion Week, Grazia, the 100% Italian fashion brand edited by Silvia Grilli, has launched Grazia Gazette Milano Fashion Week: a special online resource (gazette.grazia.it), available also on Instagram, full of news and stories.

Through the brand’s contributors, it will cover the fashion shows, backstage scenes and events, with a careful look at the present and with a focus on the spread of an inclusive culture. A reference point for fashion enthusiasts, Grazia will be a witness of the behind the scenes of the fashion shows, meeting the protagonists and professionals of the runway shows, unveiling new trends and opening the doors of the fashion venues.
Along with articles and insights, videos in the reels format will have pride of place and can be shared in real time by followers and the fanbase of the brands. Five days of full immersion that will bring fashion back to the centre of the conversation, underlining the role of the city of Milan as an ambassador of emerging talent and outstanding personalities.

Grazia Gazette MFW is just the first in a series of projects – also developed in partnership with brand sponsors – that will appear in 2022, a year of recovery, redemption and rebirth during which Grazia will be a leading protagonist with interviews, surveys, insights and special issues.

Among the many activities of Grazia this year, there is much anticipation for the release of the Manifesto issue (on newsstands from 16 March) which will highlight the ten values that guide the brand. In this special initiative with a focus on culture, the young artist Bianca Cedrone will create ten covers, each inspired by one of the values of the manifesto. The artist will also create a collection of NFT artworks that will summarise the ten values of Grazia and which will be sold in series to finance a female empowerment project for new generations by the Francesca Rava N.P.H. Italy Onlus Foundation.
The Grazia Manifesto NFT collection Grazia will be available on a technological platform developed by Smartxchange Ltd. Full information about the project and on how to purchase the works will be available on the manifesto.grazia.it website.

With 21 international editions, Grazia confirms the capacity as a brand able to continuously evolve brand that has made it a point of reference for 3 million users and readers (Source: Nielsen Media Impact Data Fusion, June 2021) and over 1.6 million fans (Source: Shareablee plus Tik Tok and Pinterest Insight, January 2022).

2021 was a year of growth for AdKaora and Hej!, the Mondadori Group digital companies specialised in mobile advertising and conversational marketing, which, following AdKaora’s acquisition of Hej! at the beginning of 2021, form the nucleus of MarTech, a cutting-edge digital hub and leading player in tech advertising.

With their focus fixed firmly on the future and new challenges, the two companies evolved over the year through product innovation, using their strong technological and know-how synergies to create increasingly effective adv solutions for their brands.

Their success is also confirmed by the results reported by the hub, which posted aggregate gross revenues of more than 20 million euro (preliminary figures) – with the newly acquired Hej! contributing approximately 8 million euro –, an improvement of over 50% from the previous year on a pro-forma constant-size basis.

THE MARTECH HUB OFFER – The secret of the success of the two companies is the ability to support their brands step by step in achieving their targets through a technologically advanced, creative consultancy-based approach, which also enabled them to strengthen relations with key clients on the market.

“The synergies between AdKaora and Hej! blended naturally right from the start,” said AdKaora CEO Davide Tran. “For example, the integration of proximity marketing in correlation with the performance marketing campaigns, two different but closely related areas. The new developments of our MarTech hub are still under way, in 2021 we took a first step towards expansion on the Spanish market with the acquisition of 30% of Adgage, a Madrid-based company, through which we aim to export our own products and those of Hej!. I am very satisfied with the remarkable results we achieved this year, and the opportunity to work closely with the Hej! team of talents, with whom we immediately established a strong bond and a shared vision of innovation and the market. 2022 will be a year when these synergies generate full value to offer our clients an unbeatable integrated offer,” Tran added.

In 2021 AdKaora developed a series of new adv solutions based on constant observation of the market. As a result, the proximity marketing offer reached a new level, introducing channels such as DOOH and SMS, and extending planning with rich media formats with a high engagement impact. It also saw the development of Circle, the proprietary platform that enables brands and media centres to monitor campaign results in real time.

In the last quarter of 2021, in anticipation of the gaming trend, AdKaora launched the new native in-play offer: immersive display formats inserted in game dynamics, where the focus is on brand and product awareness, thanks to the high visibility afforded by the communication message.

Hej! also reported unstoppable growth. “2021 was the first year for Hej! on the Mondadori Group’s MarTech hub, and it was very exciting,” said Hej! CEO Stefano Argiolas. “We established a natural alchemy with AdKaora, a process of continuous contamination enabling both companies to set and achieve ever more challenging objectives. Together we design and develop integrated solutions to cover the entire marketing funnel. At Hej! we have continued to invest in innovation and the evolution of our solutions, guided by our sole mantra: tangible results for clients. By its nature, conversational marketing gives us a privileged view of user needs: a view we use for in-depth analyses of aggregate campaign data in order to improve results continually and bring innovation into performance marketing, a segment that has been tied to obsolete processes for too long,” Argiolas added.

Hej! conversational marketing has become an indispensable solution for many brands because of the quantitative and qualitative results it delivers. Thanks to its robust data drilling capability, Hej! can use artificial intelligence to offer clients even more detailed qualitative analyses and campaign insights, which help the entire chain to optimise results. Automated real-time analyses is an undeniable advantage for optimal performance.

Creativity, conversation and customisation merge in the conversational audio display format recently launched by AdKaora and Hej!, which aims to engage all the consumer’s senses when they are choosing a product, and strengthen their discovery. This dynamic multi-sensory experience creates greater product awareness for both online and in-store sales.

The two agencies are also working on the development of brand lift survey solutions, which measure the brand-consumer interaction in an advertising campaign, and identify the extent to which the customer journey changes in terms of awareness, perception, consideration and purchase probability.

CASE HISTORY AND SUCCESSFUL FORMATS – A demonstration of these initial synergies is the successful Somatoline Cosmetic campaign for Bolton, presented by AdKaora and Hej! at IAB Forum 2021: the combination of proximity marketing and conversational marketing made it possible to cover every stage in the funnel, with a multi-channel strategy that guided the user in both online and offline stores, creating a personalised conversation channel with the consumer and following them as the protagonist of their purchase decisions.

The project achieved important results in terms of engagement and visits: AdKaora’s Find&Go Now! obtained a 26.6% engagement rate, reflecting a high stimulus to action and effective activation of drive-to-store dynamics, which led to a 54.4% increase in visits to sales outlets. Consumers also showed an offline/online balance in their purchase habits: from Hej!’s Conversational Engaging Marketing format, 53.4% of users landed on the brand’s e-commerce and, an almost equal share, 46.62% on Find&Go Now!.

AdKaora, the Mondadori Group digital agency specialised in user-centric mobile advertising and proximity marketing, is continuing collaboration with Madi Ventura, a key player in dried fruit, which has decided to promote three seasonal product lines – Fichi e Datteri, Linea Difesa and BBMix Funzionali – with a new proximity marketing strategy.

The campaign, managed together with Asset Media, went online in November and December. It was designed to cover each step in the funnel from awareness to drive to store, and to combine the creative power of advertising formats with a strong impact on engagement with the advanced tools of footfall analysis, post-sales analysis, consumer insight and brand lift surveys, in a planning approach integrating online and offline strategy.

Two rich media formats with high engagement power designed by AdKaora Creative Studio were used to enhance brand awareness: the Swipe format for the Fichi e Datteri line and the Geyser format for the Linea Difesa and BBMix Funzionali lines. Swipe and Geyser are innovative interactive formats that give the user a unique brand experience through dynamic forms of interaction for a powerful, personalised discovery of the product: all their calls to action take the user directly to the brand site to obtain additional information, and, with the Geyser format, to see a short video presentation.

To promote footfall in the supermarkets involved in the campaign, the strategy also used a mixture of geolocal mobile display advertising formats and near-store, in-store and near-product push notifications, shown to customers in the vicinity of stores and set up to steer them to AdKaora’s proprietary Find&Go Now! technology, an interactive map that leads the consumer to the nearest shop where they can buy the product.

The campaign produced a positive engagement rate and boosted visits: the interaction rate was 21% with the Swipe format for Fichi e Datteri, 25% with the Geyser format for Linea Difesa and 28% with the Geyser format for BBMix Funzionali. For Find&Go Now!, the engagement rate was 25%, while the uplift for visits to the stores reached 68%.

To check the effect of the campaign, the AdKaora solutions were combined with sales and product data, collected through a qualitative analysis by CheckBonus and a quantitative analysis by IRI, both partners of the agency.

With CheckBonus, a variety of marketing tools was used to give visibility to the products – BB Mix Funzionali in particular – and obtain valuable insights in terms of sales drill-down, sales by retailer and sell-out analyses, together with socio-demographic breakdown and consumer behaviour data. A special survey provided information on the factors that influenced purchases, brand and product perception, and the positioning of the brand with respect to competitors.

The analysis supplied by IRI, which monitors the effects of advertising on product purchasing during a specific period, highlighted positive results in terms of sales uplift with a sales increment of 4.3%.

Matteo Giorgi, E-Commerce & Digital Marketing Manager Madi Ventura: “Proximity marketing is now an integral part of our communication strategies, which are evolving rapidly in a multi-channel direction. With AdKaora we created a complete proximity campaign and took it to another level: brand and product awareness, consumer engagement, and, above all, measurement of results (footfall and sell-out) and the impact of advertising on in-store sales. Insights into consumers were equally important, helping us to monitor the market. An enhancement of all the steps in the funnel together with close attention to KPIs.”

Alessandro Garziera, Partner & Head of Digital Asset Media: “A multi-product advertising campaign with innovative creative assets and monitoring of the entire funnel. The strategic decision to guarantee a complete view of the brand and the products using AdKaora’s innovative tools at the various digital touchpoints proved to be effective. The agency is satisfied with the results achieved.”

Davide Tran, CEO AdKaora: “We are very happy with this on-going collaboration with Madi Ventura and Asset Media, which enables us to support the client with a comprehensive communication strategy. A proximity marketing “booster” combining the effectiveness of our latest-generation rich media formats with advanced drive-to-store technological solutions, to maximise awareness of the different products, which benefited from enhanced concentrated interest, and to transform users into store visits. We achieved important campaign results as well as exclusive insights into the brand and consumers, which will be useful for future communication strategies. The results were only made possible by the integration of the advertising strategy with close monitoring of the KPIs required by the client.”

Mondadori Media announces its new all-digital brand The Wom: an innovative social media and web magazine dedicated to young millennials, a generation for whom uniqueness is a strength and a value that goes beyond labels to enhance them and others.

The brand name is an abbreviation of “woman”, with multiple meanings: The Wom powerfully overcomes gender differences (“Woman or Man”), celebrates all women (“Wonder Woman”, “Wonderful Me”), and talks the same language as users (“Word of mouth”).

Through an original editorial offer, The Wom promotes a culture that affirms free personal expression, as reflected in the claim “Be WOMderful, be yourself”: it addresses a community of people sensitive to the values of gender equality, self-acceptance and sustainability, with inclusive content and language typical of generation Z and millennials.

With the launch of this new female brand, designed to respond to the needs and interests of the new generations of women on their preferred channels, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web, Mondadori Media – the Mondadori Group’s social multimedia company, the leading player on social media in Italy with 57.5 million fans – is expanding its editorial offer.

«The Wom talks the same language as young millennials and generation Z. It’s an ambitious project that demonstrates Mondadori Media’s continuous capacity for innovation, rooted in digital expertise and constant attention to new languages and formats, making us a leading multimedia company on the web today and the first social destination in Italy. With The Wom we want to become a go-to for the under-35s on social media, affirming the uniqueness of each individual and providing inspiration in key areas of self-expression such as beauty or fashion,» said Andrea Santagata, general manager of Mondadori Media.

To safeguard its mission, The Wom is the first Italian editorial brand to introduce a Gender and Inclusion Committee. The purpose of the committee, an independent body, is to implement the values agenda of The Wom on the issues of greatest interest to the new generations. Its members will include such distinguished women as Benedetta De Luca, a law graduate and disability model, who, as Gender and Inclusion Editor, will ensure that the brand’s content and philosophy comply with all the principles that inspire The Wom, using appropriate language and sensitivity; Federica Gasbarro, an activist, biologist and green influencer, who, as Climate Editor, will raise the awareness of The Wom followers on climate-change-related topics; Victoria Oluboyo, a civil rights activist and intersectional feminist, and Ariman Scriba, a mental health advocate, who will focus on invisible forms of distress.

The Wom has already achieved extraordinary results: in the few months since the launch of the beta version on social media and the web, it has attracted an overall fanbase of 3.6 million followers, 90% of whom are women, and an audience of 5 million unique users per month, to become the leading brand in the under-35 female segment (source: Shareablee e Insight, January 2022; Google Analytics, January 2022).

The new brand stands out for the presence, on both Instagram and TikTok and online at www.thewom.it, of the main The Wom account and other 5 vertical profiles – The Wom Beauty, The Wom Fashion, The Wom Healthy, The Wom Life, The Wom Travel -, with features and inspirations relating to beauty, fashion, wellness, travel, lifestyles, to respond to the interests of this generation.

Another asset of The Wom is the production of short videos portraying the values of this generation, interpreted by a team of more than 50 creators from among the most popular names on Instagram and TikTok. They include gamer and cosplayer Antonella Arpa; creator and beauty influencer Martina Luchena; bionic model Nina Rima; curvy model Paola Torrente; beauty creator Arienne Makeup; body positive creator Giorgy Colella; beauty guru and influencer Damn Tee; creator and make-up artist Abbia Maswi; actress and creator Ludovica di Donato, for an output of more than 140 reels a month.

The Wom has a fluid design and hybrid mix of social media and web functions, such as a social media wall and tap browsing on the site in the style of Instagram stories. The look & feel of the www.thewom.it website has been created with moving “e(motion)al” elements, like the browsing ticker and the dynamic content-related palette of pastel colours.

The Wom stylistic identity is instantly recognisable thanks to Melania Gazzaruso, aka Memilus, a visual artist who narrates daily experiences with cartoon-style illustrations, accompanied by value-based phrases with which the community identifies.

The launch of The Wom is supported by a communication campaign designed by CasiraghiGreco&, for b2b publications and DOOH in the main districts of Milan; this will be followed in March by the launch of #TheWomPower, a special challenge on Instagram and TikTok for exceptionally normal “WOMder Women”, which will involve the brand’s top creators.

Marketing has been assigned exclusively to the Mediamond concessionaire, which will provide clients with innovative sponsored social and web formats, as well as unboxing videos, product testing reels and stories with brand editors. The Wom covers a variety of beauty- and fashion-related sectors, and also aims to expand into the pharma and travel areas through collaboration with creators and industry experts.

Ad hoc content, illustrations and social media cards will be completely customisable with the sponsor’s colours, maintaining narrative consistency and guaranteeing the integration of the adv message with the editorial content.

2022 will be a magical year for TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, the Mondadori Group benchmark brand in music, cinema and television.

The weekly magazine edited by Aldo Vitali has reached its 70th anniversary and is preparing to mark the event with a packed calendar of initiatives and events, which, throughout the year, will bring an ever-growing public of 5.7 million readers and users and 950,000 fans into contact with the most popular names in entertainment, confirming the special relationship that Sorrisi has always enjoyed with the stars.

The brand will be the protagonist of a series of exclusive and prestigious events: from the Sanremo Festival to the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest as well as the 79th Venice Film Festival, with an abundance of meetings, interviews, original content and initiatives for its users and readers in the magazine, on the website and on social media, culminating with a huge party at the end of the year.

«I’ve never seen such a young seventy-year old! Sorrisi has reached an important milestone, but it is not taking time off to celebrate. It is already looking to the future, and as the content of all our channels shows, no brand is more attentive to contemporary life. Sorrisi has a tradition: to get there first. It was the first entertainment magazine, the first to publish TV program schedules and song lyrics, to put the spotlight on local TV channels and, recently, to devote important space to the world of streaming. A special year lies ahead, involving unprecedented numbers of our readers and fans and giving them the opportunity to enjoy uniquely exciting experiences,» said Aldo Vitali, editor-in-chief of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni.

IT ALL BEGINS AT SANREMO – The celebrations get off to a start at the Sanremo Festival: Sorrisi is taking its community into the heart of the 72nd edition of the year’s most eagerly awaited song contest with a non-stop social schedule on its Instagram and Facebook channels, which last year beat all the audience records.

The real-time reports over the five days in Sanremo will be hosted by Aldo Vitali. Every morning, the magazine’s editor will welcome the Sorrisi public to a special breakfast with an exclusive guest from the artistes competing in the festival: from Gianni Morandi and Ana Mena to Iva Zanicchi and Elisa, ending the week with Highsnob e Hu.

Space will also be devoted to make-up and beauty in the daily “Commenta il look” feature, with tips from Rajan Tolomei: the Make-Up Artist from Max Factor Italia, an exclusive partner of Sorrisi, and the editorial team will comment on all the competition outfits, and create a short make-up video every day so that the beauty looks trending on the stage of the Ariston theatre can be tried out at home.

Another must is the “Diari degli artisti” format, returning after last year’s success with the contribution of the stars at this year’s Festival, who will be telling the Instagram community about their day in the delightful town of Sanremo, from their morning call through to the moment when they step on stage, with all their emotions, good luck rituals, backstage activities. Ana Mena will take fans inside her life as a popstar, showing all her preparations for the evening, from her choice of outfit to her fitness routine; Sangiovanni will offer the community an original photo diary of his Sanremo week, accompanying his snapshots with suggestions, thoughts and reflections, while Noemi will front an original Posta del cuore with the best songs to listen to.

At the end of each packed afternoon of meetings, live streaming on social media and exclusive interviews, readers and users will be entertained by the not-to-be-missed Aperitivo con il direttore, starting at 7 p.m. with the special participation of Valeria Angione. The young actress and content creator from Naples, a hugely popular figure on the web, will join Aldo Vitali to comment on the progress of each evening’s competition in her unmistakeable ironic style.

THREE SPECIAL ISSUES – Italy’s best-selling and most widely read weekly magazine is bringing out three special issues, devoted to the best of the Italian music festival, with an extraordinary circulation of 1.5 million copies. The first of the three specials provided an exclusive preview of the lyrics of the songs in the competition, with a must-have cover photo showing all the singers together with the Festival’s presenter and artistic director, Amadeus.

The issue out today offers interviews with the co-presenters of the Festival, with a raft of original content and, once again, the lyrics of all the songs. Readers will also find instructions on how to take part in the great Sorrisi 70 competition, an annual competition launched by Sorrisi to thank the public for their loyalty and affection on its 70th anniversary. Three super prizes will be awarded: a Fiat Panda Hybrid, two Costa cruises for the entire family and a Polello jewellery set designed exclusively for Sorrisi (for info and the competition rules: sorrisi70.sorrisi.com).

The third special issue, on news-stands on Tuesday 8 February, will provide a report on the whole week at Sanremo, with the best photos from the five evenings and the first cover photo of the winner, photographed exclusively for Sorrisi.

(source: Nielsen Media Impact Data fusion, May 2021)
(source: Shareablee e Insight, October 2021)

Focus, the Mondadori Group brand leader in spreading scientific knowledge, has completed its first 30 years and is looking to the future with Focus Next 30: a multi-touchpoint special project which will accompany readers and users throughout 2022, exploring key themes in science, technology and the environment and examining the innovations that will fuel development in these areas over the next 30 years, with contributions from distinguished international figures.

The initiative leverages the strength and the successful formula that have always characterised the brand.

Focus has been a household publication since 1992, satisfying people’s curiosity and desire for knowledge with an unmistakeable clear and direct style which, combined with contributions from scientists and specialists, has made the brand a go-to magazine for a community of 5.2 million readers and users (source: Nielsen Media Impact Data Fusion, May 2021).

In its 30 years, Focus has been a reliable source of information on science, technology, the environment, medicine, nutrition, lifestyles and sustainability, in print, on the web, on social media, through local events such as Focus Live, through Academy for schools, TV and podcasts: a complete multimedia information platform, making new discoveries accessible and exciting for an ever growing public, helping readers and users distinguish fake news, learn about history and make their way in the various branches of knowledge.

The great questions of yesterday, today and tomorrow will be at the heart of the Focus Next 30 special project: a year of events and discussions on all the brand channels to get ready for the changes coming in the next 30 years. The journey begins with the innovations recounted by Focus since it was first published and will move ahead – with the faces of tomorrow, chosen from the top names in the scientific community – to look at how our world will change.

“We want to give this 30th anniversary the meaning that any birthday can have: to change, grow and become even more what we already are. Out of interest, I leafed through the issues from the first year of Focus, 1992. Two things struck me straightaway: the same sense of eager curiosity we still have today and the incredible strides that have been made in science, technology and medicine in just thirty years. So, with each issue, you’ll find the format that came to mind. It will be a fascinating journey through the past, present and future, highlighting the extraordinary capabilities of scientific research, the speed of improvement, our aptitude for progress through intelligence and the human soul,” said Raffaele Leone, editor-in-chief of Focus.

Renewable energy, sustainability, medicine of the future, home automation, mobility, food, cybersecurity and much else: for each topic, every month Focus will turn to an international specialist, young talents from the worlds of science and information, who will share their vision with the brand community, offering a new perspective on the future.

In the latest issue of Italy’s most widely read monthly magazine, on the news-stands from 22 January, the cover story will look at digital medicine, intelligent apps that follow patients and the growing use of technology to link physicians and patients remotely. The magazine will also examine the volcanic eruptions forecast in the first issue from 1992, to discuss the future of this discipline.

Another important feature in the new issue will be fourth-generation nuclear energy, particularly of interest given the possibility that the European Union will include it as a sustainable source of energy. The nuclear question will be linked to a survey to investigate the opinions of Focus readers and users. The questionnaire will be available on the brand website and social profiles, which will also publish its findings.

The Focus Next 30 project will continue throughout 2022 on all the channels of the Focus system with a circular dynamic offer: in the magazine readers will find a theme-based dossier starting with an article published in 1992, the first year of Focus, to investigate the changes and developments that have taken place since them and the forecasts and expectations for the coming years.

On Focus.it, users will be able to look in detail at the themes covered by Focus Next 30 in a special section providing in-depth features and exclusive video-interviews on the theme for the month.
On social media, Focus Next 30 will offer a range of content designed to engage the brand’s 4 million fans (source: Shareablee e Insight, December 2021), with live content, posts, surveys, quizzes, as well as podcasts – where Focus currently has more than 2 million downloads – with the Focus Storia special documentary series “Focus Next 30, dal passato al futuro”.

The Focus Next 30 initiatives will culminate with the new edition of the Focus Live event, an important festival of knowledge hosting researchers, scientists, explorers, artists and communicators, with a packed schedule of meetings and activities. Starting in the spring, this year’s Focus Live, to be held in November, will be flanked by a series of live and digital events, including talks, meetings and round tables on the subjects covered by Focus Next 30.

Grazia USA, the American edition of Grazia created under a licensing agreement signed by the Mondadori Group with Pantheon Media Group LLC, has been named “Best New Magazine Launch” of 2021.

Grazia USA was chosen for the honour out of more than 120 new publications launched in America during the past year thanks to its ability to combine quality content with cutting-edge images in the magazine’s inimitable refined style. The honour was awarded as a result of the ranking drawn up by Samir Husni, founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the School of Journalism and New Media of the University of Mississippi.

The acknowledgement crowns the success of the first 100% Italian fashion brand on one of the world’s biggest and most important markets for fashion and luxury goods.

Present on the American market through the global digital first platform graziamagazine.com, Grazia USA launched its first quarterly print issue on 23 September 2021 under the title “Evolution”. The 356-page special edition celebrated three women who have risen to success on the American cultural and social scene, featured on three exclusive covers: nine-time Olympic medal winner Allyson Felix, British supermodel and designer Alek Wek, and Canadian singer, actor and activist Jordan Alexander

The début of Grazia USA marks a turning point for American fashion magazines in a year when the United States saw twice as many new print magazines launched as in 2020.

The brand has been a success with American readers right from the start for its unique cosmopolitan blend of fashion, art, culture and beauty, as well as design, travel and entertainment, putting new generations in contact with the most influential, renowned names in the fashion industry thanks to distribution through the world’s most exclusive retailers.

“We’re proud of this acknowledgement obtained by Grazia USA and very happy with the results achieved by our partner Pantheon Media Group in the United States. Our brand’s business model based on a global multi-channel approach has great potential for development on other markets too, combining authoritative content with strategic use of data for positioning that really makes us stand out,” emphasised Daniela Sola, International Business Managing Director for Mondadori Media.

“It’s a great honour to receive this award. I’m very proud of the work the editorial staff of Grazia USA has done, leading to creation of an outstanding product that meets the requirements of both readers and advertisers. We’re lucky to have our partners’ support conveying quality content about fashion, luxury, entertainment and much more to over 400,000 certified readers and millions of site visitors every month,” said Brendan Monaghan, Chief Global Brands Officer and Executive Vice-President of the Pantheon Media Group.

Grazia is the first 100% Italian fashion magazine to have exported its successful formula all over the world, from Italy to the United States. The Mondadori Group brand, which now has a total of 21 editions in 23 countries, reaches a global audience of 15 million readers and 45 million unique visitors, with more than 30 million followers on social media.