"I want to make people see things differently.“

Antonella, what are your main tasks as Marketing Manager?
The role of the Marketing Manager is to give strategic indications and coordinate all the activities of the Marketing Office, which are many and varied: we organize events such as trade fairs, congresses and training sessions with different target groups - architects, engineers, building professionals, customers. We also have a lot of digital communication through our website, newsroom, social media channels and internal channels. Our editorial calendar is always full, and we produce a lot of multimedia content. And, of course, there are all the printed materials, such as technical manuals and other materials to showcase our products.

Before joining Xella, you worked in the fashion industry and even studied fashion design in Milan. How did you get into it?
It has been my passion since I was a child. I started my studies with the idea of becoming a designer. But I soon realized that communication and marketing was another passion and something I could grow in. So, I started working in the press office during my studies, which allowed me to quickly put the theory I was learning into practice.
Another important experience was working in a communications agency for four years: I learned to manage different projects from different industries. As a marketer, you must know how to build a strategy. Once you know your tools, you have to apply them to the business. For me, it was very useful to learn how to move from one business to another in order to approach the construction world.

What else is important to be a good communicator?
There’s a lot of creativity in what we do. I mean, most of the time, we're talking about blocks, but we have to make people see the sustainability behind the production and what they can do with our materials. The idea of my job is that I want to make people see things differently. At the end of the day, it is about selling. But in between we have to do a lot of activities and every piece is useful. Of course, I don't do it all alone, but as part of a team with two colleagues. Then there are different suppliers who help us with specific activities. Together we brainstorm about how to reach our target groups, what to say and how to say it.

How do you communicate sustainability?
I'm lucky enough to be able to draw on my experience in the fashion industry, where awareness of these topic was much higher than in the construction sector. Then as now, sustainable production is an important issue. Now that many other companies are talking about sustainability, we have scientific data that allows us to use numbers to give people confidence in our company - for example, by mentioning the exact CO2 absorption of our materials.

How else has the fashion industry influenced you?
The funny thing is that when people know that I come from fashion, they often ask me what I am doing here in the construction industry. Yes, I still have a passion for aesthetics. Blocks and panels may not seem interesting at first glance. But if you change your perspective, you can discover the aesthetics and beauty in our blocks. That’s what I realized when I joined Xella. And since some artists work with them, we have proof that other people see the same potential. When we came upon furniture made of Ytong in a renowned design magazine, we replicated it for our offices here in Bergamo. Since then, Ytong furniture greets our visitors in the foyer.

Why did you choose to work the construction business?
I didn't look at the business, but at the professional opportunity to work for an international group. I like working with people from different cultures. For example, the other marketing managers do the same job as me, but they do it differently. It's useful to talk to each other, not just about work, but about life, about their cultures. And if my job allows me to travel a bit, I'm happy. This international environment is enriching in many ways.
It was also interesting to apply my skills to a completely different environment, a completely different target, and channels. It was like starting a new adventure. The key to doing a good job is to love it. And I am passionate about my work in construction.

How creative are you in your free time?
I never stop creating in my free time. For example, I love designing invitations, favors, and all the little things and accessories for weddings and other celebrations for my family and friends. And I still read about fashion, like new brands. Also I am very passionate about interior design, so I visit some exhibitions and study magazines to get inspiration for my home projects. White is the basis of my furniture. I like the clean lines. But I have a lot of accessories, and also some small furniture made of wood.

So it's not just the white in the Ytong blocks that you adore?
I can tell you another funny thing: my first job for some years was in a fashion company in Milan, which still has as a static language: white. All the offices, the furniture and even the shops were white. White is always with me!