Relaunching the Made in Italy manufacturing sector through a new model of web-driven company. The case of Berto Salotti.

Abstract

Taking advantage of the American Maker Movement lesson, the thesis aims to point out a new web-centric business model for the SMEs that operate in the Made in Italy manufacturing sector. Through a change in perspective and the development of a new set of competences in the digital field in fact, they can rapidly reach a global demand for their distinct products. Since the domestic consumption has been deeply affected by the recent world financial crisis, the foreign markets represent the unique growth opportunity for the Italian makers. To take up the international challenges, they have firstly to effectively recount and show their creations to an international target of consumers. Secondly, they have to adopt adequate channels and techniques to engage them. Lastly, they need to establish a solid network of business synergies to jointly face the global markets. Based on specific studies, the thesis discusses that the pervading adoption of the Internet and digital tools can represent the turning point to achieve these objectives. The discussion has been supported taking the case of the Italian furniture industry, since it perfectly reflects the core features of all the flagship sectors that globally distinguish Italy in the consumer market. These are: the industrial district model, the unique manufacturing capabilities belonging to people, the strong impact of heritage and the made-in effect associated to the country of origin. To prove the effectiveness of this approach it has been chosen the case of Berto Salotti, an Italian artisanal company specialized in the hand-production of superior bespoke sofas. Indeed, it represents a great example of how an Italian family-run business can scale up and internationalize the sales by leveraging together its core manufacturing capabilities and the opportunities offered by the Internet.