2024

AdKaora, an international digital agency with full-funnel advertising solutions under the Mondadori Group’s MarTech Pole, has created a proximity marketing strategy outside Italy for Safilo Group, one of the most important companies in the eyewear market, to promote the Marc Jacobs eyewear line.

The purpose of the campaign, which went online in April and was managed together with OMD, Omnicom Media Group’s media agency, was to cover the entire customer journey, increasing brand awareness of the product line and stimulating drive-to-store for points of interest in France.

The AdKaora Creative Studio customised a rich and advanced media format with a highly interactive and innovative character to users a unique experience in discovering the brand. Using the Find&Go Now! interactive map, customers actually entered the shops, increasing footfall and passes by the shops where the product was sold.

The proximity marketing developed by AdKaora covered all steps in the funnel, from awareness to consideration to stimulating footfall in shops, through a mix of display formats, rich media and integrated channels that denote proximity.

The campaign recorded a 25.7% engagement rate thanks to the Find&Go Now! map and a 17.3% increase in shop visits.

 The complete success of this strategy was also due to inclusion of the Brand Lift Survey (BLS) tool by AdKaora and Hej! which relied on user interception and user activation to gather valuable information on the target audience tied to precise campaign objectives and KPI measurement.
The objectives of the BLS included:

• analysing brand consideration and brand favourability, i.e. the degree to which users prefer and favourably consider the brand and product;
• extracting more details on the target audience in terms of socio-demographics;
• analysing the perception of competitors;
• collecting insights and KPIs from the entire marketing funnel.

The advertising recorded a 50% increase in brand consideration and a 38%increase in brand favourability, confirming users’ positive sentiment towards the brand. Marc Jacobs also verified the product’s discriminating factors and learned a little more about the target group, such as geographic composition and brand perception amid the competition due to AI-integrated conversational marketing technology.

The Mondadori Group announces today that essential terms and conditions have been defined for the acquisition, by its subsidiary Mondadori Media, of 51% of the share capital of Waimea S.r.l., that holds all the intellectual property and economic exploitation rights pertaining to the image of Benedetta Rossi and Marco Gentili. Waimea is 97.9% owned by Benedetta Rossi and Marco Gentili (individually and through the company Maui Media) and 2.10% in equal amounts by Emiliano Messeni and Marco Iacobellis.

Benedetta Rossi is Italy’s best-known creator in the food & cooking sector. Her content creation activities range from the digital sphere – where she has a total social media fan base of over 17 million followers and 4 million unique monthly users of her website (Audiweb, May 2024) – to traditional media including, in particular, TV, where she has for many years starred in various programmes dedicated to cooking. Benedetta Rossi is also the most important cookbook author of recent years, with 9 books published with the Mondadori Group between 2016 and 2023, selling over 1.5 million copies in total.

As a result of this transaction, through the coordinated and synergistic management of activities linked to the Fatto in casa da Benedetta and GialloZafferano brands, the Mondadori Group intends to create the leading multimedia player in the food & cooking sector, both in digital and traditional media. The more than 87 million followers worldwide that Benedetta and GialloZafferano together will be able to reach will make them the world’s second most important social media operator in the food & cooking sector (internal processing of market data).

Antonio Porro, CEO of the Mondadori Group, commented: “Welcoming Benedetta Rossi and her brand into the perimeter of the Mondadori Group will allow us to achieve synergies on different levels: audience, content production and, more generally, know-how, particularly through a series of initiatives that will involve our different business areas. As a result of this acquisition, we are certain to become one of the leading global multimedia players in the food & cooking sector, an area of national pride”.

Benedetta Rossi commented: “We have been working with the publishing houses of the Mondadori Group for many years and have established a strong relationship of trust. Given Mondadori’s significant digital experience in the food sector, when with Marco we took the decision to strengthen our structure with a view to consolidating what we had achieved, and lay the foundations for a further development phase, it came naturally to think of the Mondadori Group as the best business and strategic partner”.

Future development will rest on the centrality of Benedetta Rossi as the person who can guarantee quality and reliability. The strategic partnership is also intended, through greater investment aimed at growing the company through which Benedetta currently operates, to broaden the media success already achieved in the food & cooking sector into new neighbouring sectors and towards new opportunities, even by diversifying the current business model.

The transaction involves the initial acquisition by Mondadori of 51% of the share capital of Waimea – whose revenues and EBITDA in 2023 amounted to € 4.5 million and € 2.7 million respectively – on terms that reflect an Enterprise Value (for 100% of the company) of € 13.5 million, on a cash&debt free basis. Consequently, the price, which will be paid in full in cash on the closing date, is € 6.9 million. The terms of the transaction also provide for a variable component (so-called earn-out) – to be defined on the basis of the results of the two-year period 2023-2024 and of the financial year 2026 – the value of which, also due a contractual “cap” mechanism, is expected to reach a total amount not exceeding € 3.2 million. Following the acquisition, the ownership structure of Waimea will see Mondadori Media holding 51% and Benedetta Rossi and Marco Gentili (through Maui Media) 49%.

The agreements signed also provide for put & call options on a further 19% stake in Waimea’s share capital (exercisable after the approval of the 2028 financial statements), the exercise terms/strike price of which are linked to Waimea’s performance (turnover and EBITDA) in 2028. Exercising these options would allow Mondadori Media to increase its stake in the company to 70%, while keeping Benedetta Rossi and Marco Gentili shareholders at 30%, consistent with the long-term strategic partnership established by the transaction.

Benedetta Rossi and Marco Gentili will remain directors with full autonomy in the management of the business. Advertising sales will continue to be managed by the advertising concessionaire Talks.
Finalisation of the offer documentation and closing of the transaction are expected to take place by the end of 2024 and will be promptly disclosed to the market.

Today, Alice Cairati takes up the position of Communications and Promotion Manager of the Piemme, Sperling & Kupfer and Electa publishing houses, reporting directly to General Manager Stefano Peccatori.

Born in Milan in 1984, she graduated from the University of Milan with honours in Philosophical Sciences. Cairati began her professional career with the Mondadori Group 13 years ago, at the Mondadori Electa publishing house. After three years of experience in marketing, she shifted to communications and events in 2014, before becoming Communications Manager for the Varia line of Mondadori Electa, Sperling & Kupfer, Piemme in 2019.

The new communications structure entrusted to Alice Cairati was designed to develop integrated communication plans, in which the press office, digital communications and promotion are coordinated strategically and effectively. In this respect, Cetta Leonardi is head of the Radio and TV Press and Promotion Office, Alessandro Ventura is head of the Digital Communications and Promotion Office, while Cairati remains responsible for the Events Office.

Mondadori Store, the largest network of bookshops in Italy, presents to the public its new concept of bookshop, located in the Campania Shopping Centre in Marcianise, the largest shopping centre in the region.

The inauguration and ribbon cutting will take place on Tuesday 16 July at 10:30 a.m.

This Mondadori Bookstore, in the Province of Caserta, offers entirely new spaces, layouts and furnishings that enhance and highlight the wide range of books available, as well as service that is increasingly attentive to the needs of every reader, providing a point of reference for all culture, reading and entertainment lovers.

‘We are happy to present the bookstore in Marcianise to the public in Campania, creating a true cultural reference point for the entire region. Today, the shop has a completely renewed layout and range, in line with our Mondadori Store format. This project is part of the strategy of continuous renewal, enhancement and development of our network of bookshops, once again confirming Mondadori Group’s commitment to spreading culture and promoting reading through strong outlets around Italy, from large cities to small towns,’ said Carmine Perna, Managing Director of Mondadori Retail.

The new point of sale, with an area of 1000 m², offers more welcoming spaces — bright, modern and innovative — that enhance and emphasise the vast product range of Mondadori Store: a catalogue of more than 25,000 titles — from best sellers to the great classics, including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous topics — e-readers, stationery products, gift boxes and gift cards. There is also a We are Junior area specifically designed for young readers. In this section, even the youngest readers can find a rich selection of books, illustrated fairy tales and educational games. The bookstore also houses a wide selection of comics and manga in the dedicated Just Comics department, with superhero comics and graphic novels. Finally, the bookstore works with the shopping centre to offer a rich calendar of events, meetings and signings with some of the best-known personalities in entertainment.

The Mondadori Bookstore in Marcianise also serves readers online: customers can keep up to date through the Facebook and Instagram pages. They will also be able to get in touch with the store through Mondadoristore.it digital services to check if a book is available, order it and pick it up in the store, choosing from a catalogue of over 1 million titles.

On Monday, 15 July at 3 p.m., Mondadori Bookstore | MA, the new eco-sustainable bookstore concept, will open to the public in Vigevano (PV) at the Il Ducale Shopping Centre.

With this new store – the second in Lombardy – the number of Mondadori Bookstore | MA stores in Italy rises to 12: innovative cultural hubs, dedicated to spreading culture and promoting reading and entertainment, while fully respecting sustainability.

The bookstore format is inspired by the Japanese philosophical concept of MA (間), “an undefined space between heaven and earth where man can empty his mind and nourish his soul”, said Antonio Serpe, Chief Retail Officer of the Mondadori Bookstore | MA Italia bookstores. The bookstore describes itself as a ‘young, green and smart’ space, where people can take a break and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, devoting themselves to reading and getting in harmony with nature. A completely innovative way of understanding, promoting and doing culture.

The new Mondadori Bookstore | MA in Vigevano has an eco-friendly vibe, from the materials used for its construction — marine poplar, recycled iron and sustainable water-based paints — to the design itself — tall, curved furniture reminiscent of tree trunks, bonsai trees and sansevieria that personalises the 150 m² space. The store also offers more than 30,000 titles, from the great classics to best sellers, including fiction, non-fiction, detective stories and more. And that’s not forgetting the We are Junior department, which includes children’s books, educational games and illustrated fairy tales to stimulate little ones’ imagination; and the innovative Just Comics department dedicated to manga and comics for Generation Z. There is also a space dedicated to exhibitions and photo displays, which will host ‘L’ultima Luce’ (The Last Light) by artist Alessandro D’Amore for the opening, as well as a forum dedicated to events, ready to host presentations and signings, and, finally, a free reading zone.

Mondadori Store, the largest network of bookstores in Italy will inaugurate a new store in Rome on Saturday, 13 July, located in Via dei Prati Fiscali, close to the Montesacro district, one of the capital’s most well-known areas.

With this opening, the public will have a new interactive meeting place and a true cultural stronghold entirely dedicated to the world of books and entertainment, which will expand the already extensive network of Mondadori Bookstores in the area.

“This is the fourth bookstore I have opened in Rome with my children, after the ones in Torrevecchia, Boccea and Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, and of all of them, it’s the largest one with the most products. The aim is to create a meeting place for the many families and to therefore be a true cultural stronghold throughout the Rome area”, said Francesco Mari, Mondadori Store franchisee. “I have found the Mondadori Store to be network a key strategic partner to help encourage and promote cultural experiences such as book talks and events in bookstores, aimed at all the inhabitants of the area, but above all to collaborate synergistically with local schools, organising workshops exclusively dedicated to students”, Mari concludes.

The new bookstore covers 170 m² and offers a selection of 15,000 titles, from the great classics to best sellers, including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous. Special attention is paid to younger readers with the We are Junior format, which includes educational games and picture books to stimulate their imagination with the strangest stories, and the department dedicated to the manga and comics phenomenon Just Comic. There is also a permanent area dedicated exclusively to events. Areas dedicated to #BookTok, for the new generation of readers, local publishing, as well as stationery, toys, gift cards and gift boxes, also expand the store’s offer.

The Mondadori Bookstore in Prati also serves reads online: customers can get updates on the Instagram page. They will also be able to get in touch with the store through the Mondadoristore.it digital services to check if a book is available, order it and pick it up in the store, choosing from a catalogue of over 1 million titles.

As of Monday, 15 July, Frida Sciolla will join Mondadori Group as Communications Manager for the Children’s Business Unit (Mondadori, Rizzoli, Fabbri and Piemme with the Battello a Vapore and Geronimo Stilton brands) and De Agostini Libri (De Agostini, UTET), reporting directly to Lorenzo Garavaldi, General Manager of the Children’s Business Unit and Managing Director of De Agostini Libri.

Frida Sciolla will be responsible for defining the communication guidelines of a strategic and diverse area, focusing her expertise, imagination and experience on the various editorial products.

Born in Savona in 1977, she graduated from the University of Bologna in Communication Sciences and worked on the first year of the Masters in Publishing directed by Umberto Eco. She spent fourteen years at Bompiani publishing house, first as Press Officer, then as Press Office Manager, following releases and supporting leading Italian and international authors. Sciolla then joined HarperCollins Italy, where, starting in 2017, she held the position of Communications and Press Office Manager.

Mondadori Store, Italy’s largest bookstore network, will inaugurate a new bookstore tomorrow in Termoli (CB) in Corso Umberto I, a central area of the city just a few steps from the railway station and the main square.

The store – led by a team of professional booksellers – expands the already extensive Mondadori Store network in the area, in line with the network’s strategy of spreading culture, encouraging reading and creating real centres dedicated to the world of books and entertainment.

“I am delighted to work on this project with the Mondadori Store network of bookstores, since we share the same goals: to develop places dedicated to culture, making it accessible to everyone and satisfying the tastes of an increasingly varied public”, said franchisee Antonio Verderame, who has now opened his twelfth bookshop after three other stores in Salerno and Pagani, Mercato San Severino, Cava de’ Tirreni, Castellabate, Manduria, Baronissi, Arezzo and Pontecagnano Faiano. “Furthermore, by focusing on the quality of the shopping experience, multi-channel services and events, we always put the needs of our customer-reader first”, the franchisee concluded.

The new bookstore covers 50 m² and offers a selection of around 5,000 titles, from the great classics to best sellers – including fiction, non-fiction and miscellaneous works – and that’s not forgetting early readers with the We are Junior format, which includes educational games and illustrated books to stimulate children’s imagination with the most fascinating stories, and the department dedicated to the phenomenon of manga and comics, Just Comic. Areas dedicated to #BookTok, for the new generation of readers, local publishing, as well as stationery, toys, gift cards and gift boxes, also expand the store’s offer. 

Il Mondadori Bookstore di Termoli also serves readers online: customers can be updated on all the activities and events planned through the Facebook and Instagram pages. They will also be able to get in touch with the store through the Mondadoristore.it digital services to check if a book is available, order it and pick it up in the store, choosing from a catalogue of over 1 million titles.

Building on the incredible participation in the first two editions, MypersonalTrainer Days, the event promoted by the City of Milan that turns the city into an ‘open-air gym’, is back again this year. This third edition, called More than Wellness, will be even more exciting and inclusive. The schedule contains hundreds of free activities open to the public for everyone interested in a healthy and active lifestyle, from fitness to sport, but also fitfood and beauty.

The MypersonalTrainer Days event held in September 2023 saw the participation of 10,000 people, 20 partners and 50 guests in more than 500 activities. This year, the aim is to further expand and diversify attendance through two days of fun for all fitness lovers, families and four-legged friends. The event will be held on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 2024 at the Arco della Pace and across Piazza Sempione, a green area that the people from Milan have always dedicated to sport and moments of relaxation and well-being.

Top Novelties for the 2024 Edition

New this year is the Multisport Arena, a versatile and multifunctional area to test yourself in various sports, from more traditional ones such as tennis and volleyball to trendy activities, including korfball and floorball, as well as a minigames hub designed for all ages. The 2024 event will also feature surprise activities by MypersonalBeauty related to beauty, and the creation of a phytofood menu in partnership with Dazi Milano.

Workouts, Silent Fitness, Mypt Urban Walk and Talks with Guests and Experts

As for fitness, don’t miss out on the workouts, as well as the acclaimed Silent Fitness sessions. Also returning are the Mypt Urban Walk, the famous walk in Parco Sempione, and the climbing wall to practice free climbing, as well as 3-on-3 basketball for great competitions among friends. There will also be numerous indoor experiences, with a Talk Zone where special guests will be present for in-depth meetings and free medical consultations.

Opportunities for Brand Partners

Once again this year, there are many special opportunities in full synergy with Mediamond and its Special Initiatives team, Brand On Solutions, to present original and engaging projects to the market and individual brand partners. An advertising campaign was created for Mypersonaltrainer Days by the marketing agency Casiraghi Greco& across multiple media outlets: newspapers, DOOH communications, radio, magazines, and social and digital platforms. In particular, the various MypersonalTrainer social and web profiles will recount the details of all the steps in the event, activities and partners involved, from the teaser phase to non-stop coverage over the two days, ending with a follow-up dedicated to the most significant and exciting moments of the event.

Brand Partners Already on Board

Through concerted work with Brand On Solutions, specific presence and visibility paths were designed and studied with all the brand partners that have already joined the event. Main partners: Dicloreum Ice, Dorelan, DR Automobiles, Givova. Partners: Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Danacol, Garden Gourmet, Gold Collagen, Humanitas University and Rio Mare.

For information and updates: https://www.my-personaltrainer.it/myptdays

Mypersonaltrainer is Mondadori Media’s leading brand in the world of health, wellness, healthy and functional sports nutrition, with 14 million unique monthly users (source: Audiweb Total Digital Audience January 2024) and over 6 million followers on social media (source: Comscore Shareablee and Social Insights April 2024).

Great news for English language learners due to the ‘Oxford Test of English Advanced’, the new exam aimed at students wanting to certify their proficiency in English at an advanced level: levels B2 and C1 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

This new test — developed by Oxford University Press (OUP), a leading publisher, and distributed in Italy exclusively by the educational publishing house Rizzoli Education — is the only language proficiency test accepted and certified by Oxford University.

According to a recent survey conducted by Oxford University Press, 91% of students prefer a test that is also valued in the job sector and by educational institutions. Such is the case with the ‘Oxford Test of English Advanced’, which is already recognised for admissions to postgraduate programmes at Oxford University.
Oxford University Press also extended its survey to English teachers, which revealed, in particular, that:

• 85% of respondents expect an increase in students interested in obtaining English certification in the next 12 months;
• 88% of teachers expect an increase in the importance of learning English in their country;
• more than 90% recognise the importance of English for both students’ employment and their personal and professional development.

The main features of the Oxford Test of English Advanced, which joins other English language proficiency examinations by Oxford University Press (Oxford Test of English and Oxford Test of English for Schools) are as follows:

• alignment with CEFR descriptors: developed following the latest versions of the descriptors in the CEFR Companion Volume, the test assesses the examinees’ actual skills, which are indispensable in academic and professional environments such as mediation and presentation;
• convenience: certification is fully online and available year round, for maximum flexibility;
• adaptation: the exam lasts approximately two hours and is adapted to the student’s reading and listening levels, minimising stress and providing an accurate reflection of English language proficiency. Like the other tests in the Oxford Test of English suite, it is not possible to fail: a result is always obtained.

Upon presentation of the ‘Oxford Test of English Advanced’ in Rome at an event organised by Oxford University Press in collaboration with the British Embassy and Rizzoli Education, Anthony Calanducci, Head of Italy at Oxford University Press English Language Teaching, said: ‘We are happy to present the Oxford Test of English Advanced, thus expanding our range of educational solutions for teachers and students. For students, the possibility of being assessed is an indispensable tool, as it provides an opportunity to demonstrate their level of English proficiency. With this new test, Oxford University Press provides a fast, flexible and reliable assessment tool, perfect for anyone wanting to prove their competence at a higher level (B2–C1). The Oxford Test of English Advanced helps to establish educational standards and benchmarks, ensuring that learning objectives are aligned with the desired outcomes. In essence, it is not only about measuring knowledge, but also about promoting growth, inspiring progress and improving the quality of education,’ Calanducci concluded.

Andrew Nye, Director of Assessment at Oxford University Press English Language Teaching, added: ‘Our English language proficiency tests are the result of years of rigorous research to ensure the highest standards in English language assessment. All levels of the Oxford Test of English have been designed and developed by OUP and a team of independent education, language and assessment experts. The process lasted several years, and great care was taken at each stage to ensure reliability, accuracy, alignment to the CEFR and quality.’ He continued: ‘This alignment with international standards implies the presence of mechanisms to ensure a high level of quality, such as the validation of test questions with different language groups to ensure that the questions are balanced and reliable. Our processes are also audited by Oxford University to ensure that they meet the highest testing standards,’Nye concluded.

Santiago Ruiz de Velasco, Director General of OUP English Language Teaching, emphasised: ‘I am delighted that we can now offer English language learners the opportunity to certify their skills with the world’s largest university publishing house, validating the months and years often patiently spent “finding the words”. As the most widely used language in international exchange, English allows people to participate in global conversations on the most pressing issues, from the climate crisis to social movements. I am proud of the fact that with the Oxford Test of English, we are helping students to demonstrate their advanced English proficiency, which can help them find job and education opportunities around the world, as well as express their opinions on topics of international importance,’ Santiago Ruiz de Velasco concluded.

Oxford University Press and Rizzoli Education

Part of the University of Oxford, a university par excellence in research, scholarship and education publishing worldwide, Oxford University Press (OUP) is the world’s largest university publisher, with the widest global presence: it publishes thousands of new publications each year, has offices in about fifty countries and employs around 5,000 clerical staff worldwide. It is known to millions of people through its varied publishing programme, which includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, Bibles, music, school and university textbooks, children’s books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, business books, dictionaries and academic journals.
Publications and new digital products by Oxford University Press (OUP) are distributed by Rizzoli Education exclusively for Italy. Rizzoli Education, Mondadori Group’s educational publishing house, operates in the sector on all levels of education, from primary to secondary school. For over 45 years, Oxford University Press and Rizzoli Education have supported quality education and training in Italy, preparing future generations for an increasingly interconnected and global world. This strong partnership involves millions of students in Italy with the supply of high-quality educational resources that support learning and growth.