Salone del Mobile: Part 3
What's in it for you?
The Salone ecosystem is made up of Participants (Brands), their Partners (Collaborators & Local Experts), and Attendees from the design, fashion, art & architecture industries, plus students, influencers, KOLs, collectors, celebrities, locals and tourists. Each party gets something important out of the equation. Below, the broader benefits (and to whom) that frame a more complex environment.
(For more on how it applies to your brand or business make us your first call.)
1. Data, data, and more data
all parties benefit
Every event, activation, installation, and exhibit has the opportunity to collect a list of attendees names, emails, and other useful information. This bolsters brands’ CRM initiatives, helps expand into new consumer segments and business categories; for potential brand fans and customers, the chance to hear more about the work, products, and interactions of the brands they find interesting and inspirational. It’s a win-win in a world that doesn’t flinch at giving up personal information. No doubt collecting data, Google, in partnership with Chomasonic, drew crowds with their multi-sensory exhibit ‘Making Sense of Color’. The experience “reimagines the pervasive impact of color in everyday life and shows how thoughtful design can profoundly alter our sensory experience of the world.”
2. Exposure to newness, creativity, and inspiration
attendees benefit
The crux of our Salone del Mobile reporting is the level of creative expression that is on display for all, and how important this will be for the success of all industries going forward. It levels up the discussion, imagination, and output of all those in design-related fields, as well as the attendees, the local businesses that join in, and the collaborators that learn from one another through the process. It may be the purest form of originality available for thought-starting now that Fashion Weeks have become coordinated efforts in PR and orchestrated influence. David Lynch’s unlikely involvement proves the point. Titled ‘A Thinking Room’, the installation was literally and figuratively an exercise in encouraging independent ideas and revelations.
3. New audiences that make for new customers
brands & partners benefit
Thom Browne entered the chat this year, teaming up with Frette, the famous Italian linens producer. The intersection of Fashion x Home is not a new one, but Thom Browne’s participation illustrates that one plus one is greater than two. The vintage cots, lined up barracks-style, were kitted out as expected in Thom Browne bedding; the unexpected addition to the dialogue was a theatrical aspect adding brand personality and interpretation into the presentation, and a fashion component, including a sleep mask that could make it’s way into the accessories line if we’re all lucky! Now, Thom Browne customers can sleep in their favorite designer, literally.
4. …and…the name of the CD&Co. game always..cultural relevance
all parties benefit
The Coller Davis & Co. team can officially say Salone del Mobile has grown into a global nucleus of culture. And we’re all about the importance of brands and businesses staying in the social and cultural conversation. It’s the intangible reason-why for standing out in the consumer zeitgeist; the highest form of being in the IYKYK crowd. Zegna’s installation celebrating their long-standing efforts in deforestation with a book dedicated to land preservation, Born in Oasi Zegna, is a perfect example. Not only did their event highlight the positive impact of this timely initiative with an immersive film and pop-up bookstore, but copping one of the painted totes was the secret handshake for brand enthusiasts.
Coller Davis & Co. recommends:
Make space in next year’s marketing budget (consider it ADV spend).
If not to participate with an activation or partnership, at least to send people from your cross-department Marketing and Design teams (Social Media, CRM, Brand, Design, etc.) to be inspired and bring fresh ideas back to your business.
Find the synergy between design and your business.
And don’t get too literal, design can mean simply bringing joy into one’s life for just a moment.
Identify cred-building partners.
Don’t go it alone. The partner is crucial or else the activity will fall on deaf ears. Consider a product collab with a design brand or indie designer, or simply a marketing activation with diverse members of the cultural class.
Communicate accordingly.
While much of Salone is covered organically through UGC, make sure you work with the right press, titles, influencers, and media to make the effort worth while.
Be global, but act local.
Remember to keep the connection with Milan in mind. This is what makes Salone del Mobile so special. It could never be anywhere else.
