The American Dream of Lanfranco Beleggia
Lanfranco Beleggia, the founder of Bros Manifatture, has clear ideas for his short-term strategy for the US market. And that’s not all
If there is a plan for 2018 to be Brosway’s year, it is because the brand has already been there for six years, paving the way and laying the foundation. «When we opened our first representative headquarters and then a single-brand shop in Miami, the global market was different, and so was the way you communicated a brand. We have not yet established Pianegonda, the latest in the family (since 2016), and not even Brosway had the same strength it has today on the national scene. Today we can say that it is a mainstay in watches and fashionable jewelry in Italy, covering a segment of the public that rages from the youth, especially with S’Agapõ, to the over-sixty crowd. The idea of internationalizing the group was a distant one, and even more distant was that of e-commerce, which has surprised us and given us great satisfaction in China, where fashion is easy and fast. It is perfectly interpreted by our mass-market brands there, and is moving quickly and giving us interesting figures. The US is one of our primary goals though: From Miami, we are making great strides in the Caribbean and South America, but in the next few months, we’re going to concentrate on the US, intensifying our marketing activities, especially social media and the web.» An across-the-board comment for all your brands, including Pianegonda? «For a high-end product, which looks to a demanding and conscious public, strategies must be conceived ad hoc, even if in the US I don’t see big competitors in this particular segment. Aside from brands like Marco Bicego and Roberto Coin, which are already there, fine Italian jewelry has a lot to do in the states. The 'Made in Italy' concept has always been adored and we think there are important opportunities to take advantage of. In the 1990s, Pianegonda’s name made a difference overseas. I am sure we will be able to get its name back among the top brands, thanks to the unquestionable recognition that distinguishes it from others. In jewelry, if you have good ideas, you have a good chance of success. And we have many in the making, but everything in good time. Recently, I have had to hold back on many dreams and ambitions, like that of creating very unique products, uncommon and unlike the usual conventional ideas, because a good businessperson must keep economic factors in mind, avoiding big risks. But aside from this situation we are experiencing – which justifies the success that fine jewelry has at the expense of gold and precious stones – I do not believe much in the intrinsic and commercial value of a jewel, a concept that still holds in UAE and in Asia, as much as in the forms. Those that can create something new, something timeless that leaves its mark.» These are words that already give us a glimpse of future projects. «If I had to summarize my ideal future, I imagine my jewels worn by the international jet set, chosen thanks especially to a style that I want to increasingly emphasize. How? Possibly with limited-edition pieces designed by famous people, from different sectors, able to give shape to my desire to always do something unexpected and surprising. In the meantime, an ‘easier’ goal is to even up the sales between Italy and overseas. In how long? Five years.» Children and partners beware.