Media

It was a great success for the super-exclusive party held by TV Sorrisi e Canzoni on Sunday 4 February. As per tradition, it kicked off the most eagerly awaited week in the world of Italian music and television, together with the artists and cast of the Sanremo Festival.

Celebrating with Sorrisi was a range of more than 400 guests for a great event of music, entertainment and emotions. This year, the event took place in a prestigious location: Villa Emma, inside Miramare The Palace Hotel, which will host Sorrisi for the entire week of Sanremo.

The guests necessarily included the singers competing at the Festival: Alessandra Amoroso, Alfa, Angelina Mango, Annalisa, Big Mama, bnkr44, Clara, Dargen D’Amico, Diodato, Emma, Fiorella Mannoia, Fred De Palma, Gazzelle, Geolier, Ghali, Il Tre, Il Volo, Irama, La Sad, Mahmood, Maninni, Mister Rain, Negramaro, Renga and Nek, Ricchi e Poveri, Rose Villain, Santi Francesi and The Kolors.

Together with director Aldo Vitali, special host Giulia Salemi — a much-loved social media influencer with a community of nearly 2 million Instagram followers — presented the schedule for the Sanremo week, from the breakfasts, with interviews with the artists Geolier, Annalisa, Alessandra Amoroso, Emma and Angelina Mango, up to the eagerly awaited Aperitivo event, which will see her chatting with guests and competing singers such as Clara, la Sad, The Kolors, Il volo and Negramaro.

A unique moment preceded the Party: the presentation of the Telegatto — the most beloved Italian award in entertainment — to Amadeus, now at his fifth consecutive — and successful — time presenting the Festival della Canzone Italiana and one of the undisputed stars of the event in recent years. The award was presented at Villa Emma upon the inauguration of the new location, where Amadeus and the director kicked off the exclusive party with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Opening Party was full of emotions and featured an exclusive musical performance by Italian singer-songwriter Levante, followed by a DJ set organised by MTV Music Italia.

At the party, guests could also immerse themselves in the magic of 30 works created using artificial intelligence, each a masterpiece that visually interpreted the lyrics of the songs in the competition. This unique content anticipates other surprises by TV Sorrisi e Canzoni on its view of AI applied to lyrics and images, with the valuable collaboration of Eddy Anselmi, a pop music and custom historian, journalist, TV writer and radio host.

The evening was attended by client partners involved by Piemme: Caffè Motta, Divani&Divani by Natuzzi and Calligaris, INSTAX by Fujifilm, Koelliker Group – Mitsubishi, Profumiamo Profumiamo, Vitality’s and Witor’s. As the exclusive dealer of Sorrisi and Mondadori Media magazines, Piemme participated in developing their partnership projects, contributing to further enhancing the experience and impact of the exclusive TV Sorrisi e Canzoni party. Through its advertising expertise and ability to create strategic synergies, Piemme played a key role in enriching the event with targeted communication and marketing initiatives, thus amplifying the value of the brands and offering guests an even more engaging and memorable experience. A customised communication pathway was developed for each client, organised around storytelling and brand integration, to preside over the most popular and best-loved music event in Italy.

Click for the video and photos (credits: Alessandro Zambianchi and Iwan Palombi) at the Opening Party of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni at Sanremo.

Click here to see the presentation of Telegatto to Amadeus.

TV Sorrisi e Canzoni is the leading brand for TV and entertainment fans, reaching a total monthly audience of 2.6 billion readers (source: Audicom, Audipress system 2023/II), 3.1 million users (source: Audicom, November 2023) and over 1 million fans (source: social insights IG, FB, Twitter, YouTube) through a multi-channel system consisting of the magazine, website, social networks and events, and related products.

Chi, Italy’s most-read gossip magazine, which tells the stories of Italy’s best-loved personalities, with an audience of almost 1.5 million readers and 800,000 followers on Instagram, is bringing its team to Sanremo for the first time to share the most exciting moments and scoops with its audience in the week dedicated to the 74th edition of the Festival hosted by Amadeus for the fifth year running.

The editorial team will move to a very special location: a villa near the sea that will become its headquarters for the duration of the music competition. From there, journalists and social media faces from Chi, Azzurra Della Penna and Valerio Palmieri, social media manager, Carmen Pugliese, and video correspondent, Gilberto Savini, will present a schedule packed with events that viewers will be able to follow minute by minute on Chi‘s Instagram channel.

Every day, starting from Tuesday, 6 February to Sunday, 11 February, the morning begins with Caffé Forte with Valerio Palmieri, who will greet followers with the topic of the day, the most discussed and debated topic in the press and on social media. This will be followed by CHI veste CHI? (WHO wears WHO?) with Azzurra della Penna for commentary on the looks sported by the Festival’s stars on the Ariston stage.

Then there’s an unmissable event in the early afternoon with CHI c’è alle feste? (WHO’s at the parties?), the exclusive, cosmopolitan show that will see Gilberto Savini lead audiences to discover the Sanremo night-time parties, with exclusive interviews with the stars, talents and influencers that will liven up the most in places in the city every night.

In the late afternoon there’ll be the classic event, Casa Chi, with Valerio and Azzurra along with Sophie Codegoni, an influencer and presenter with 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Together they will conduct interviews with the Festival’s guests, singers and talent stars every day from the villa’s lounge.

But it doesn’t end there. The schedule will also see unforgettable moments with shows by Carmen Pugliese and Gilberto Savini: In CHI c’è in stanza? (WHO’s in the room?), the two presenters will go inside stars’ rooms, who will show off their outfits and reveal their good luck charms, while in CHI c’è in hotel? (WHO’s in the hotel?), they’ll interview fans outside the hotels as they wait for their favourite artists.

Finishing up the day’s packed schedule is CHI ci tiene sveglio? (WHO’s keeping us awake?), with special guests who will burst into our living rooms and kitchens to keep us company during the long nights of the Festival.

Chi’s official partner in Sanremo is Caffè Motta. Piemme, Chi’s exclusive concessionaire for magazines and social media, plays a crucial role in the brand integration project that has led to the collaboration between Chi and its client, Caffè Motta, for the 2024 edition of the Festival.

Chi’s Instagram link

Chi, Italy’s most widely read weekly gossip magazine, with an audience of almost 1.5 million readers and almost 800,000 followers on Instagram (Source: Audicom – Audipress system 2023/II), tells the stories of the public’s most loved and followed personalities, ranging from the world of entertainment to politics, from sport to fashion and lifestyle. The attention given to photo quality, the constant search for news and above all the exclusive and trusting relationship with celebrities are what make the magazine unique. Making a name for itself from the very start thanks to its absolutely original format for Italy, Chi combines the stories of the ‘natural stars’ and gossip with space dedicated to fashion and beauty.

TAAG!, the Mondadori Media talent agency established in September 2023 and dedicated to artists from the world of entertainment, will attend the 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival with three talents who are already well-known faces in the world of entertainment.

Giulia Salemi – TV presenter and influencer, with a community of more than 2 million followers – will be alongside Aldo Vitali, Director of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni for the first time as a special host for the activities that the brand will organise during the week of Sanremo, starting with the exclusive party on Sunday, 4 February, which will see her on stage together with Aldo Vitali. On Monday, 5 February, she will kick things off as a guest on Sorrisi during the morning A colazione con il direttore and in the evening she will join him in the eagerly awaited Aperitivo format to interview and chat with the guests and artists in the competition.

Pierpaolo Pretelli – presenter and performer – will also be there from Monday, 5 February to Friday, 9 February as Alberto Matano’s special correspondent for La vita in diretta on Rai1. From Tuesday, 6 February to Saturday, 10 February, Pretelli will host the entertainment from the Suzuki stage in Piazza Colombo for the evenings, when the Festival’s 5 special guests will perform.

Finally, Giorgia Venturini – presenter and face of X-Style, the Canale 5 television format dedicated to new trends in fashion, outfits, personalities and lifestyle – will be one of the voices of Radio Montecarlo during the Sanremo Festival with interviews with competing artists and guests. Giorgia will also be one of the stars of Casa Chi, which will move to Sanremo for the first time with pioneering formats and exclusive interviews.

TAAG! affirms its commitment and its ability to be aligned with the biggest Italian events, thanks to its roster of talent, with widespread distribution throughout the country.

TAAG! It’s Mondadori Media’s new talent management agency working in the world of entertainment, with the aim of searching for and managing cross-skilled talent in today’s and tomorrow’s entertainment scene. The agency’s mission is to support its talents in building growth paths and promoting them through integrated storytelling and innovative communication projects.

During the exclusive evening Live Vision – the Future of Brands, the media showcase organised at the Spazio Gessi in Via Manzoni in Milan by Mondadori Media Area Magazine and Piemme Media Platform, Mondadori Media’s exclusive retailer, the directors presented the values and future strategies of the publishing brands in an innovative way, answering questions posed by the talents of the TAAG! interacting with a special middleman: artificial intelligence.

Carlo Mandelli, Director of the Mondadori Media Area Magazine, said: “Piemme is the ideal partner for enhancing some of our brands, due to its important network of investors in strategic sectors. The collaboration, which started a year ago with TV Sorrisi e Canzoni and Chi, and more recently with the Focus system, is generating excellent results. For the future, thanks also to this collaboration, we plan to continue pursuing a multimedia strategy, offering exclusive content on all platforms, from magazines to digital, from events to talent”.

Walter Bonanno, Director of Piemme S.p.A., stated: “Our corporate strategy is focused on the development of advertising and storytelling, and I would like to emphasise the strategic role of the partnership with Mondadori Media in enhancing the publishing brands. Looking to the future, we reaffirm our commitment to a multimedia strategy that integrates all available platforms in a comprehensive and effective way. We will continue to invest in creating exclusive, high-quality projects, while keeping a close eye on emerging trends and the needs of our audience. We also want these initiatives to not only inform and entertain, but to inspire and stimulate critical thinking among readers and users. So, we’re excited to continue our collaboration with Mondadori Media and to work together to build a successful future”.

Here is what we can expect in terms of future brand strategies.

FOCUS

Science populariser Marco Martinelli interviews Raffaele Leone, editor of Focus, Focus Storia and Focus Live.

The Focus brand, founded around the principle of spreading science so that it’s accessible to everyone, and not just enthusiasts, has always been committed to making science current and relevant in various areas of everyday life, reaching a generalist audience through its platform.
Focus will continue to focus on its multi-channel strategy, which includes a magazine, website, social media, videos, talks, podcasts, a TV channel, an academy for students interested in science journalism, and a science outreach festival. Emphasis will also be placed on training, especially for students and teachers, and in-depth study of areas such as sustainability, green energy, mobility, robotics, artificial intelligence, health, and many other topical issues.
Focus intends to maintain its position as a leader in science popularisation, increasing its reach and positively influencing the general public’s understanding of science, thanks to teamwork involving the entire editorial staff and talent involved.

FOCUS JUNIOR

Science populariser Marco Martinelli interviews Sarah Pozzoli, Director of Focus Junior, Focus Wild and Focus Pico.

The values of Focus Junior are centred on an educational approach that stimulates curiosity and critical thinking in children, with a strong focus on STEM subjects – environment, sustainability, art and history.
The goal for Focus Junior is to remain at the forefront of children’s education and information, adapting to the changing needs and interests of the new generation. Thus, the strategy envisages strengthened collaboration with schools and companies to promote innovative educational projects; expanded digital and interactive content to better engage children in the technological age; a focus on topics such as climate change, fake news and science journalism to educate children to become informed and aware citizens; and the development of new initiatives and workshops that encourage hands-on, experiential learning.

TV E SORRISI

TV host and influencer Giulia Salemi interviews Aldo Vitali, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni Director.

Thanks to its authority, recognisability, credibility and clarity, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni has been a leader in the world of entertainment, television and show business for over 70 years. The management of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni stands out for its ability to provide exclusive previews, in-depth interviews and a broad spectrum of content ranging from TV to music, from cinema to streaming, as well as integrating topics such as travel, food, mobility and current affairs.
For the future, the strategy will focus on innovation and adaptation to new trends in media and entertainment, including through collaboration with talent. There will be an increased focus on interactivity and personalisation, thus responding to the needs of an audience seeking tailor-made and technologically integrated entertainment experiences. However, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni will continue to direct the tastes and preferences of the Italian public, continuing to provide rich and varied content and remaining an authoritative standard in the sector.

CHI

Host and performer Pierpaolo Pretelli interview Massimo Borgnis, director of Chi.

Founded on values like engagement and interaction, with a strong commitment to social media and innovative formats such as ‘CASA CHI’, the Chi brand stands out for its credibility and authenticity, offering real stories and exclusive scoops. Chi also explains trends and lifestyles, influencing consumption and becoming not only a cultural standard, but an entertainment one, too. Chi differs from traditional gossip magazines in several respects, relying on a special, trusted relationship with celebrities and offering exclusive interviews and insights into their lives, projects and passions.
The brand will continue to go beyond just gossip, offering an in-depth and respectful account of public figures and offer a wider range of content, focusing on fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel, cooking and wellness.

The evening closed with a DJ set by Federico Chimirri, DJ, chef and influencer.

Mondadori Media is Italy’s leading multimedia publisher, with a distinctive positioning and audience on the publishing market. The Mondadori Group’s social multimedia company caters to the passions of the Italian people through its brands – food, beauty, fashion, health and wellness , science and tech – and reaches more than 27.5 million unique users every month (source: Audicom November 2023) and more than 100 million fans (source: Comscore Shareablee + Pinterest Insight December 2023).

Piemme has six of the most important newspapers (Il Messaggero, Il Mattino, Il Gazzettino, Corriere Adriatico, Nuovo Quotidiano di Puglia and Leggo), websites (online platforms for the respective newspapers and licensed third-party sites: Aranzulla.it, Centro Meteo Italiano, Funweek.it), magazines (Molto, Mondadori Media, Mondadori Scienza, Periodici San Paolo), TV (Telenova), Piemme designs projects tailored to customers’ settings, producing multimedia campaigns that synergistically integrate print and digital, radio and TV. Piemme also manages local advertising on Radio Subasio and RCS media in its reference areas.

Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, the leading brand in the entertainment world, like every year, will take its audience through the most exciting moments of the 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival, hosted for the fifth year running by Amadeus.

Once again this year, as per tradition, the leading entertainment brand – with an audience of over 2.6 million readers and 3,1 million users per month – will open the week of Sanremo Sunday, 4 February with an exclusive Opening Party and will follow the event day by day with unmissable interviews, dedicated content and exclusive behind-the-scene features that will be published in the magazine, on the website and on the brand’s Instagram channel.

Aldo Vitali, editor of Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni, said: “This year we’re staying faithful to the tradition of returning to Sanremo by relocating part of our editorial staff that will report on the Festival minute by minute, but with many clear changes. This is because Sorrisi has always been in step with the times. For example, we changed the location of our headquarters to a multifunctional location that will allow us to hold parties, meetings, interviews, breakfasts and drinks with the stars and activities with our sponsors. We have also strengthened our social and digital team to be continuously in direct (and always loving) connection with our readers and followers”.

WHAT’S NEW IN THIS EDITION

A new location

For the first time ever it will be Villa Emma, at Miramare The Palace Hotel, that will host the editorial staff of Sorrisi, which, for the occasion, will move to Sanremo to follow the festival live. Villa Emma will be the brand’s headquarters and the venue for interviews with all the competing artists and the many guests and personalities from show business, as well as for photo shoots to create unedited content that will supply the brand’s digital pages and specials.

A rich programme schedule and special host Giulia Salemi

A rich schedule of activities, starting in the early morning with a special breakfast with the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Aldo Vitali, who will chat over coffee every day, starting on Monday with Giulia Salemi, followed by the artists in the competition: then Geolier on Tuesday, Annalisa on Wednesday, Alessandra Amoroso on Thursday, Emma on Friday and Angelina Mango on Saturday. Also returning is the eagerly awaited event in the evening slot, Aperitivo con il direttore, which this year will see Aldo Vitali accompanied by Giulia Salemi, the host and influencer with over 2 million followers on her social networks. Together they will interview singers on the level of Negramaro, The Kolors, Il Volo, Clara, and many others. Giulia Salemi, an exceptional host for the Millennial point of view, is at Aldo’s side for the first time to provide the audience with fun moments with the Sanremo artists and guests and is the second new feature of this edition.

A Sorrisi league for FantaSanremo

Sorrisi has cemented itself as a benchmark for fans of the music scene. In order to actively involve its audience in the long-awaited singing contest, the trendsetter brand opened its own league of FantaSanremo, inviting fans to participate with the editorial staff in the game that has sprung up spontaneously around the Festival.

THE FESTIVAL STORY BY THE STRENGTH OF THE BRAND

Sorrisi special issues

In keeping with tradition Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni will dedicate three special issues to the Sanremo Festival, with an exclusive total print run of 1.5 million copies. The first issue, on newsstands from 30 January, with a cover featuring the iconic shot of all the competing singers together with the host and artistic director of the Festival, Amadeus, will contain a preview of all the song lyrics inside. On Tuesday, 6 February, to coincide with the opening night, the second issue will be on newsstands with a cover dedicated to Amadeus together with the co-hosts. Finally, on 11 February, the magazine will come out with a double cover, one of which will be dedicated to the Festival winner, shot on Saturday night in the editorial office immediately after the announcement, with an exclusive report on the Festival.

The website and social media coverage

The Sorrisi brand will also begin to play a larger and larger leading role in digital channels. The website Sorrisi.com will be dedicated entirely to Sanremo for the whole Festival week: all the song lyrics, many in-depth reports, transcripts, playlists and reports of the evenings, exclusive news, interviews and many other surprises will be available here. The media coverage will also be complemented by the Instagram account, where Sorrisi will offer a unique schedule of events so as not to miss anything from the week’s most important music events: interviews, backstage content, pictures and exclusive content.

This year many brands have decided to join Sorrisi during the activities that will take place during the week at its headquarters. We would like to thank: Caffè Motta, which will provide the editorial staff and guests with relaxing moments for the entire duration of the Festival; Divani&Divani by Natuzzi and Calligaris, which will furnish Villa Emma with designer sofas, armchairs, chairs and tables and the exclusive glassbox; INSTAX by Fujifilm, which will create a photo wall to tell the story of the Festival through snapshots taken during the week; the Koelliker Group, Mitsubishi’s sole importer in Italy, for the Eclipse Cross PHEV done up in the Sorrisi colours, which will whizz around the city to accompany the editorial staff to many important events; Profumiamo Profumiamo, which will fill the villa’s rooms with selected fragrances; Vitality’s, whose products and hairdressers will prepare the guests of the editorial staff for interviews; Witor’s, the Italian chocolatier since 1959, which will offer sweet moments to the working editorial staff and their guests with its pralines from morning to evening.

TV Sorrisi e Canzoni is the leading brand for TV and entertainment fans, reaching a total monthly audience of 2.656 million readers (source Audicom – Audipress system 2023/II), 3.1 million users (source Audicom, November 2023) and over 1 million fans (source social insights IG, FB, Twitter, YouTube), thanks to a multi-channel system comprising the magazine, the website, the socials, and the events and side products.

TAAG!, Mondadori Media’s talent agency created in September 2023 and dedicated to artists from the world of entertainment, has signed a collaboration agreement for the digital and commercial management of artists Andrea Delogu, Bianca Guaccero and Vanessa Incontrada.

The agreement is part of TAAG! ‘s strategy that focuses on research and management of cross-functional talent, representing the different facets of the entertainment world, and aims to broadcast the world of brands through its talent, exploiting the potential of digital platforms.

Carlo Mandelli, Director of Mondadori Media’s print department: “A few months after the creation of TAAG! we are very happy to kick off the collaboration with Andrea Delogu, Bianca Guaccero and Vanessa Incontrada: this agreement marks a turn in the blueprint of collaboration with management for the management and digital promotion of artists“.

Mondadori Media will also handle searching, completing and executing advertising agreements and sponsorships related to the artists’ image through its talent agency TAAG!

TAAG! is Mondadori Media’s new talent management agency working in the world of entertainment, with the aim of searching for and managing cross-skilled talent in today’s and tomorrow’s entertainment scene. The agency’s mission is to support its talents in building growth paths and promoting them through integrated storytelling and innovative communication projects.

From Tuesday to Saturday, 6–10 February, Marlù Webboh Vibes will take place during the Sanremo Festival. This true novelty involves a happening show with 20 hours of pure entertainment set on a truck transformer in the Festival Village, located in the Villa Ormond Park in Sanremo.

Webboh — a Mondadori Media brand and the first Italian community dedicated to Gen Z — and Marlù — the jewellery brand developed through the creative initiative and partnership of sisters Morena, Monica and Marta Fabbri — will animate the stage from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. during the five days of the Festival, with talks and live shows featuring singers from the Sanremo competition, young musical talents, creators and the most popular TikTokers of the moment.

In addition to real-time social media commentary, a special website and organic amplification by the creators, the event will also be streamed live to capture the highlights and engage home audiences.

The show will unfold in three specific moments. The first is a salon hosted by Jody Cecchetto and the two faces of Webboh — Arianna Madonna and Claudia Mariani — who will host the singers competing at the Sanremo Festival. The second is a Talky Time dedicated to fun Sanremo-themed games and challenges, but also to serious current social issues, in the company of ACapoDelGlobo, Ramon Agnelli, Arienne Makeup, Giulia Bellu, Diletta Begali and Ella’s Books and the Opposite, all creators and talent from the Power Talent Agency roster. Finally, the third is ‘Unplugged – Spazio al talento’, a real showcase for established and emerging singers, presented by Andrea Prada.

Expressing the words of artists and singers who can make a difference, the stage at Marlù Webboh Vibes will be tinted every day with a colour symbolising the topic being addressed: environmental protection (GREEN), eating disorders (PURPLE), discrimination of LGBTQ+ people (PINK), animal protection (RED) and bullying (BLUE).

On Wednesday 7 February, to commemorate the International Day Against Violence and Bullying, the results of a survey conducted by Webboh Lab will be presented directly from the stage of Marlù Webboh Vibes, delving into the causes and effects of a social phenomenon that seriously affects young people today. The National Centre Against Bullying Bulli Stop, which already works with Webboh, will take part in ‘Talky Time’.

The commitment of Webboh and Marlù to such topics does not end there. As part of the initiative ‘Le parole possono fare la differenza’ (‘Words can make a difference’), the singers and guests being interviewed will be asked to leave a meaningful sentence or word. For their contribution, Jody Cecchetto will present the ‘Marlù per il sociale’ (‘Marlù for Social’) award. On Saturday 10 February, the last day of the event, Lorenz Simonetti (a creator and young singer-songwriter famous on social networks) will present the song ‘La Canzone di tutti’, which sets to music the most meaningful words expressed not only by the artists, but also by the public.

The collaboration between Webboh and Marlù — realised thanks to Brand On Solutions, a unit dedicated to special initiatives by Mediamond, the Mondadori and Mediaset advertising company — is a true integrated partnership. From naming of the event to the creative concept, to the coordinated image across communication platforms, to the amplification of Webboh on social media and the creators involved, the aim is to reach and raise awareness among the broadest Gen–Z audience possible with exclusive, specifically developed value-based content.

To maximise communication in promoting Marlù Webboh Vibes, Mondadori Media has involved social media, the Webboh brand website and the Mondadori Media network, as well as the creators and talent of Power Talent Agency. It has also overseen coverage in the country in collaboration with the Festival Village, sponsored by the City of Sanremo, both within the Village and on maxi-screens positioned in strategic squares of the city.

Entrance to the Festival Village is free of charge. Registration at https://www.ilvillaggiodelfestival.it/registrati/ is recommended.

Webboh is the social media platform for Gen Z. Created in April 2019, it has been part of Mondadori Media since February 2023. It currently has a fan base of 4 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, 70% of whom are under 24. The website receives 3.7 million unique users per month (source: Audicom, November 2023). It is one of the top ten most influential Italian social media companies, as well as the first targeting Generation Z for engagement and video views (source: Top Italian Prime Communication Media Rankings by Sensemakers). The topicality, authenticity and interest generated by the content is guaranteed by its bottom-up editorial model: the community is involved in every part of the creative process.

Marlù was founded in 2001, growing out of an innovative entrepreneurial and creative idea by sisters Morena, Monica and Marta Fabbri. In just a few years, it conquered the leadership of an unexplored product category — in terms of price range and material — outside the traditional fashion and fine jewellery sectors. It presents a new way of thinking and creating fashion accessories and offering exclusive creations and products to anyone wishing to wear something unique and personal. Marlù’s strong presence in Italy has developed into a network of proprietary retail shops through single-brand stores in Riccione, Naples, Catania, Bari, Molfetta, Caserta, Trapani, Matera, Rome, Florence, Rimini, Bologna, Verona, Parma Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Palermo and Milan. Today, the Marlù group has more than 400 employees, a distribution network of nearly 50 single-brand shops and more than 1400 multi-brand shops including corners and spaces

Travel Kids – Italy in Intercity with Focus Junior is the new podcast channel designed for children (6–12 years old) and parents travelling. Created in collaboration with Trenitalia – the parent company of the FS Group’s Passenger Hub – its 100+ podcasts will accompany families on an incredible step-by-step story across Italy and the Islands: odd stories, amusing anecdotes about places, characters, objects, science, nature, animals and much more.

Podcasts are a winning tool to disseminate culture and entertainment: people listen to them to learn, study and laugh. In Italy, every month 12 million people listen to podcasts (Ipsos research), with numbers steadily increasing year after year, especially in the younger age groups. Focus Junior, the leading brand in the kids’ sector, and Loquis, the first platform for listening to and narrating the world via geolocalised podcasts, will take the young passengers of Intercity, the Trenitalia Business management company headed by Luigi Corradi, and their families on a journey to discover the many wonders of Italy: from the incredible story of Ciro, the baby dinosaur preserved at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Milan, to the reason why the Tower of Pisa leans, along with stories of pirates and witches in Liguria, to the mystery of the Riace Bronzes in Calabria.

“Italy is the real Wonderland, where every place has curious stories just waiting to be told”, said Sarah Pozzoli, Focus Junior Director. “Thanks to this initiative, created in collaboration with Loquis and Trenitalia, Focus Junior has been able to narrate the history and beauty of Italy through podcasts designed specifically for children and young people, with a light but authoritative tone and a rigorous eye for content. Travel Kids is in line with our mission “to entertain while discovering the world”, in this case our peninsula, a true treasure rich in history, culture and biodiversity”.

Focus Junior and Loquis will stimulate the imagination and curiosity of young people with relaxing and educational content, using simple and entertaining language suitable for the whole family. The narrators for this project will be Andrea Lucchetta, former Italian national volleyball team player, and Creator Alessio Bourcet aka Pika Palindromo.

“Loquis is a very special kind of navigator: instead of providing directions, it tells us about the places we visit”, said Bruno Pellegrini, CEO of Loquis. “We created it because we are convinced that knowledge of the world and its locations is as necessary as ever in this time when people are withdrawing into virtual worlds. This is why we are very happy to create a project dedicated to the youngsters, creating educational entertainment, which is one of the social aims of Loquis, where the smartphone is just a tool for listening to stories dedicated to the beauty of our cities, leaving the eyes free to enjoy them”.

For Domenico Scida, Trenitalia’s Intercity Business Director, “This is an initiative designed for families and children who can travel by Intercity and share moments of leisure and culture”. “We are happy”, added Scida, “to start an important collaboration with Loquis and Focus Junior, to accompany and entertain all children travelling on our trains, with an increasingly customised service, recounting curiosities and anecdotes about Italian cities, from North to South, in a fun and dynamic way”.

The first 50 podcasts are already available on the Milan-Lecce, Taranto-Reggio Calabria and Milan-Ventimiglia routes. 100 podcasts are expected by mid-January 2024, on all parts of Trenitalia’s Intercity network.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will be participating in National Space Day celebrations with a series of initiatives to promote research and the Italian space industry. The event is organized by the diplomatic-consular network, Italian Cultural Institutes and Italian Trade Agency Offices.

‘The strong support for Italian National Space Day reflects the priority given to space diplomacy, which is an integral part of our foreign and security policies and a tool for internationalising businesses,’ says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani. He reiterates that ‘by reinforcing the network of Space and Science Attachés working at embassies and consulates, [the Ministry] supports companies in seizing opportunities related to the new space economy to encourage investment.’

’This year’s edition,’ adds the Deputy, ‘is particularly significant in view of the International Astronautical Congress, which will be hosted by Italy in Milan in October 2024. This is why we wanted to launch “The Italian Spaceway” project, an exhibition on Italian space research and industry that will travel the world from now until late 2024.’

‘The Italian Spaceway’ is produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the IAC 2024 Milan Organising Committee and curated by Focus, the science communication brand of the Mondadori Group. It recounts the contribution of Italian research and Made in Italy products in the development of space technologies, with a focus on sustainability. The exhibition presents an engaging and interactive experience to stimulate reflection on the need to protect space and preserve its sustainability in order to protect planet Earth.

Italy is a leading country in the space sector and among the first in the world in terms of activities and research: €7 billion of public investment in the 2021–2026 period, €2 billion in turnover, 300 companies, 12 districts and 6,000 employees.

When asked about the causes of violent behaviour against women, 83% of young Italian women believe that the main reason is the cultural environment in which they live every day.

Webboh Lab put forward an instant survey for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to which 8,000 girls and women between the ages of 12 and 20 responded. 71% of today’s teenage girls, who will be tomorrow’s adults, blame the culture of male dominance and sexist mentality for violence against women.

According to the young girls and women questioned, the cause due to “behaviour” is entirely marginal: violence, for them, does not stem from stressful states or psychological problems, but from a society that has normalised the position and social power of men, role expectations, and attitudes exalting strength for too long, without any self-criticism, looking for the cause in the ‘monster’, in order to take away responsibility.

The research shows that, in the perception of girls, there are at least five profiles of violent men: the self-absolvers (43%), i.e. those who continually justify their violent behaviour, reflecting a culture that perpetuates it; the medievalists (19%), who are linked to entrenched gender roles and family dynamics; the amplifiers of violence (17%), who experience aggression as an echo of bad media reports about the violence in the world around them and the impact on society; the underpressured (12%), represented by those who struggle with personal stress and family pressure; the de-empowered (9%), who blame power and gender role imbalances for their violence.

The identification of complex and different profiles of violent men makes it clear that multiple measures acting on different levels are needed. Solutions proposed by different experts that emerged from the interviews – from affective education to psychological counselling, from awareness-raising activities to the adoption of more restrictive measures when the first signs of aggression appear – must be applied in a targeted manner for each behavioural profile and for the individual subject.

Webboh Lab, created from the meeting between Webboh (3 million followers on social media) with the research institute Sylla, with Chief Science Officer, Professor Furio Camillo, is the first Permanent Observatory on Gen Z. Webboh Lab’s commitment is to gather the voice of the younger generation, to investigate and explore the issues in order to bring them to the table of those who make decisions for them, the adults of tomorrow.