2011 - Patroni di Puglia – When a hospital room generates a regional brand

The spark: the invitation you don't expect

"If we get out of this room alive, come to our patron saint's day party." That was the challenge Mr Nicola from San Severo threw down to us, surrounded by hospital gowns and IV drips.

In May, I was there, in front of the fujenti of the Madonna del Soccorso: sparks, faith, adrenaline. And zero tourist promotion.

From film to council in seven days

I returned with a video that Councillor Silvia Godelli wanted to see immediately.

The idea was born: Patroni di Puglia – La Festa, the first brand dedicated to patron saint festivals.

In seven days, we had a logo, a concept and political approval.

Our approach

> Network of Municipalities: 15 members at launch, 32 the following year, all paying membership fees.

> Ethnographic mapping: triumphal floats, fireworks, historical processions, pilgrimages, sea festivals.

> Quality regulations: shared hospitality standards “from the Gargano to the Ionian Sea”.

> Integrated promotion: pocket guide (20,000 copies), web portal, international trade fairs to spread out visitor flows throughout the year.

Results in numbers

> +22% tourist attendance in participating villages in the first year.

> 32 municipalities involved, 5 types of events catalogued.

> Average coverage: 12 regional newspapers, 2 national newspapers.

Bring your traditions to the European stage

The best local marketing ideas come from focus groups. Do you have a party that deserves to be seen by the world?

Book a free consultation within 24 hours 

website > www.patronidipuglia.it

video > https://youtu.be/V2DQHvMzV5w?feature=shared

2019 - When the Auto-Corrector Unleashes Panic

"NATIONAL SOCIALISTS" - Thank you, autocorrect!

In the photographic volume of the 'Spring Moon' exhibition Spanish edition, the computer had kindly changed 'national popular' to 'national socialist'.

A few hours before leaving for Madrid, incoming phone calls from Spanish friends.

Perfect timing, as always.

Welcome to Valladolid (spoiler: no one was expecting us)

They did not come to welcome us: they were furious. On these occasions you realise that you can only count on yourself and a printer willing to urgently print (by the pound) the copies for the press conference at the Royal Palace.

Race against time, smoking credit cards, and prayers in all known languages.

Happy ending (with kisses and hugs)

Everything ended well. TheUniversity of Valladolid then bought the complete volume of the experience.

An adventure I will always carry in my heart - and an important lesson: never trust the auto-corrector completely when it comes to European politics.

Have you ever had a last-minute disaster? The photos in the gallery show how a diplomatic crisis can be resolved in a matter of hours.

If you feel like it, contact us today to learn more and find out how we can work together!

website > https://www.settimanasantainpuglia.it/content/puglia-spagna.asp?lan=ita

videos > https://youtu.be/NTqlhPwyjFQ?feature=shared

Make Noise! with Low Music at the BIT in Milan 2023

When Deodato Inspires Tourism Promotion Strategies

To present Pugliautentica.it at BIT - the Milan Tourism Exchange, we decide that we have to 'make noise' in the true sense of the word.

Borrowing the title of the famous song by singer-songwriter Deodato, we hired the Bassa Musica Città di Molfetta of maestro Aldo Gargano. Because if you're going to Italy's most important tourist fair, you might as well make yourself heard for real.

The Minister, the Band and the Sane Pugliese Chaos

Throughout the day, the band wanders around the BIT stands playing traditional and folk music, creating merriment and mayhem among visitors and international tour operators.

Even Minister Matteo Salvini, visiting the Regione Puglia stand, was enraptured by the most original territorial promotion show of the fair.

Everything was perfect for this experiential marketing strategy, were it not for a small logistical detail...

The Mystery of the Wandering Bass Drum

"But where has the bass drum gone???" - We had sent it days before, but a few hours after the performance it was still touring among the couriers in the province of Como.

Evidently he had decided to visit Lombardy before playing for Pugliautentica. If she had not arrived that morning, goodbye promotion of Molfettese cultural heritage and goodbye my reputation as an event organiser.

We would have both gone up in smoke: project and professional credibility.

Luckily Grancassa Chose to Collaborate

The last-minute arrival of the instrument saved the event and confirmed a truth of territorial marketing: sometimes you have to risk everything to really make the authentic voice of your territory heard.

The Right Noise for Your Territory

Do you want your territory to make real noise at tourism fairs?

We create experiential marketing strategies that turn local tradition into memorable spectacle.

Sometimes you have to risk it all for a bass drum, but the visibility results always repay the investment.

> Project website: www.pugliautentica.it

> Video of the event: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xioz-gJKJUo

PugliaAutentica.it – Thinking about holidays in lockdown (2021)

The "red zone" phone call that sparked it all

March 2020. While the whole of Italy remains locked down, I call the mayors of Puglia from the Gargano to the Ionian Sea and hear them reply: "This is a red zone, Armenio!"

Stubbornly, I was already talking about itineraries and storytelling for after the emergency.

I decide to group everything under a single tourism brand: "PUGLIAUTENTICA.IT, the Puglia you've never seen" (and which, at the time, you really couldn't see, due to a ministerial decree).

Traditional Easter events, patron saint festivals, pilgrimages, local food and wine – everything was ready for when it would be safe to travel again.

Visionary strategy (or just plain crazy?)

"When we start again, we must be ready" becomes the mantra. With a series of Zoom calls, I build PugliaAutentica.it – the Puglia you've never seen before: Easter rituals, patron saint festivals, spiritual journeys, traditional flavours. Everything is on standby, but ready to take off.

The numbers that matter:

> 14 municipalities from Gargano to Ionio participating in the first click.

> 15 typical companies entered the marketplace in the heart of the red zone.

> 32% of e-commerce sales of Apulian products in the first 6 months.

Deliveries in Italy and Europe when no one could leave their town.

Lessons from a crisis

Talking about travel during a national lockdown is a crash course in resilience: when everyone stops, local marketing has to run faster.

The result? A brand ready for day one of reopening, with packages already laid out and a warm community.

Promote your local area

Does your destination need a countercyclical plan?

Trust those who invest in the future even when the present is on hold.

The photos in the gallery tell this crazy adventure better than a thousand words.

website > www.pugliautentica.it

press > www.pugliautentica.it/parlano-di-noi.html

video > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuCpIHUu1hQ

press: www.rainews.it/tgr/puglia/articoli/2021/05/pug-Puglia-autentica-turismo-cultura-agroalimentare-097ed912-afb4-40f4-917b-4a1477c63ea2.html