Monday, 20 February 2006 | Elif Sungur
3 Winning Numbers: Alessi's New Formula
An illustrious brand of Italian design and its ambassador worldwide, Alessi opens 2006 with a substantial boost to its sales strategy. Alberto Alessi illustrates the goals of what he describes as rationalization and reclassification: "... Simply thumb through our catalogue to get a feel of how difficult it is to manage an assortment of products which, in price terms, range from ten to thousands of euro. Therefore, from now on the brand will be divided into three branches: Officina Alessi, Alessi and A di Alessi...... At the same time it should be noted that the new names identify three collections to be considered as variations of a single business identity, and should be regarded - clarifies Alberto Alessi - not as single identities but as elements that belong to the Alessi identity; each will express some of the aspects of our company's versatile and encyclopaedic catalogue".
The primary aim of this division into three brands is to facilitate the targeted allocation of products to the distribution and sales sectors, which may thus avail of more flexible and efficient instruments of top contemporary design split across different price ranges and purchasing opportunities.
Officina Alessi groups more sophisticated and highly priced limited-edition or unique products as well as the results of researches of highly innovative and experimental, formal, constructive and functional content, free from the limits dictated by mass production.
The traditional Alessi brand will continue to express the best of industrial production in the household goods sector, from the point of view of design and technological and construction quality. Prices will be consistent with average-high and high market levels.
Products grouped under A di Alessi reflect a design creativity aimed at obtaining inclusive rather than exclusive results, so as to bring "... a bit of joy and beauty to as many people as possible..... without neglecting design quality and focusing greater attention on function and price".
What's important is that the ethical choice of keeping the metal production in its original location, in Crusinallo di Omegna, is confirmed for all brands.
At the same time, the company intends to continue developing its special design-management skills, with a view to creating a more evolved form of marketing of the applied arts market. This is undoubtedly a difficult challenge, but one that is consistent with the company's nature as an Italian "Engine of Design". Once again, Alessi has remained true to its atypical ethics: keeping an evolving balance between the need to grow and improve economic results - in other words, to sell and do business - and to focus on more cultural aspects, towards the utopian priority of high design quality. That zone which William Morris, the founder of the British Arts & Crafts movement, called Nowhere.
Alessi: http://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/4042/
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