Interview with Gino Fabbri, dedication and passion
Pastry is dedication and passion, with an eye open to the future: this is the credo of Gino Fabbri, president of the Association of Italian Pastry Chefs and a point of reference in the panorama of haute patisserie. A master loved and respected not only for the important awards he has achieved at an international level, but also for the wisdom acquired during a brilliant career, always aimed at building and evolving, involving young people. He meticulously takes care of every detail and the rule does not escape digital communication, personally followed by his daughter Viviana, who directs it.
How important do you think digital communication is for your business today?
It’s very important: you can make the best product in the world, but it’s absolutely useless if you don’t communicate it adequately. The situation linked to the health emergency has confirmed what was already happening before: there is no longer word of mouth but the “pass-message”, the “pass-post” – allow me these terms – and the simple word counts much less than in the past . Because with a post you show something certain, immediately visible like a photo, instead words alone are no longer enough, at least for certain age groups. Here, communication, not just the digital one, is understood as a transversal concept that involves multiple aspects: from the tag in front of the product to give the right emphasis to the ingredients, to the final presentation, from the organization of events to new releases. Today, communication is of enormous importance, really. When we started, in the 1970s, everything was done verbally, talking to the customer, nothing was written down, sometimes not even the price tag. Now everything has evolved.
What services do you offer via digital channels and with what feedback? What other services would you possibly like to introduce in the future?
We have had a consolidated presence on social networks for some time and, recently, we have activated two different sales services through digital channels. We offer home delivery by relying on @Cosaporto.it, a “quality delivery” project: every day they collect the products from us and take care of delivering them to their homes, while Bolognese customers can buy them online at the same price as in the shop, but with the convenience of receiving them directly at home. In addition, we are currently developing the e-commerce service that will make it possible to reach people who live throughout Italy and will concern the types of products that can be shipped on a national basis. These latest news were also dictated a bit by the health emergency.
How has the situation we are facing changed your digital communication strategy?
By mutual agreement, as a family and as company partners, we have chosen to avoid giving negative messages and we have preferred to convey communication with a positive tone, without ever exaggerating either way. We hear enough bad news already and I believe that having a positive attitude, in the context in which we find ourselves, is all the more appropriate. Today, the value of our work lies not only in proposing a “good” product, but also in the care of aesthetics, in the service we offer and in many other aspects, such as the way in which we relate to customers.
What elements did you want to include on the site and in digital communication in general to best reflect the image of your establishment?
We believe that even in digital communication our patisserie must be authentic, transparent, realistic. We can’t add special effects where it’s useless: the photo of the cake must reflect exactly what the customer will find with us in the shop. It is true that digital communication offers a showcase, but I wouldn’t want it to become like those showcases of the 70s and 80s where the product on display was perfect, but often turned out to be very different from the one on sale, because the showcase and production were managed in two different ways. With my daughter Viviana we don’t want to create wrong expectations. We try to take beautiful photos to best show our products, then giving the shop something more: we cannot do the opposite, it would be a disappointment for the customer. We believe that right now we need to be realistic.
Who follows digital communication within the pastry shop? Do you rely on an external agency in whole or in part?
Digital communication is entirely followed by my daughter Viviana, who manages the site and social networks with the support of 2 or 3 consultants, who give us support as needed (for example, a couple of very good photographers support us). A few months ago we started collaborating with an agency that is taking care of our image.
Gino Fabbri is an institution for Italian pastry which, remaining faithful to its own path, looks favorably on the potential offered by communication through the new digital tools. The imperative is to faithfully reflect one’s identity in the shop as well as in the online showcase. All without special effects, which Maestro Fabbri certainly doesn’t need.