Cristiano Sturniolo

Responsible for Marketing & Communication on worldwide level on owned brands, marketing supervision on licensed products (fragrances, eyewear). Set up and management of a team of 10 people with 2 direct reports (1 Marketing & PR Manager, 1 Image & Communication Manager).
Reporting to CEO (founder and owner of the company).

Key responsibility include:

-Setting up the worldwide brand strategy and monitoring brand integrity.
-Heading communication and company image set-up and execution worldwide.
-Managing marketing/communication/PR worldwide budget, strategies and plans.
-Heading of PR agencies in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Russia, Poland.
-Managing global media planning & buying on +20 markets (EMEA/Middle East) both on ATL/Digital.
-Control and approval of Licensee (eyewear, perfumes) image & media plans.
-Management of liujo social networks (IG +300k, FB +1M), strategic and operative editorial plan.
-Management of creative/production flow for ADV (ATL/BTL/digital): selection of creative/production agencies, approval of the concept, talent selection, management of creative and production budget.
-Guidelines and supervision on www.liujo.it image.
-Management of retail marketing in Liujo stores: store openings, events, consumer engagement, drive to store.
-Management of market researches: BA tracking, TV tracking, product consumer focus groups, check-up on brand positioning/style/ offer/stores, competitor analysis.
-Organization of runaway shows.

Alberto del Biondi S.p.A. is an Internationally-wide leading company in the design of footwear and accessories. It cooperates with the major fashion and luxury brands both in Europe both in US by providing design consulting services, from creative direction to planning, from merchandising plans to prototypes.
Some of the most important and successful shoe collections of brands such as Pirelli PZero, Lotto, Merrel, Nine West, Anne Klein, Rockport, Guess? has been designed in ADB.

My role has been Head of Sales and Marketing.

Key responsibility included:

Development and implementation of sales, marketing and communication strategies related to the core business (footwear design) and to industrial/interior design.
My goal was increasing turnover of the footwear design division, while rationalising the client portfolio, as well as developing the interior design division portfolio.
Reported directly to the Chairman, founder and owner of the company (Alberto del Biondi).
Supervised a team of three people.

Successes:

• Improvement of client portfolio efficiency and increase in turnover (+16% vs. previous year).
• Acquired clients for Footwear and Accessories: Pirelli PZero, Fratelli Rossetti, Ittierre (GF Ferrè, Just Cavalli), Murphy & Nye, Belstaff, Brooks Ltd, Zeiss Excelsa (Merrel), Sabelt, Guru, Clarks, Samsonite Footwear.
• Acquired clients for Industrial design: Land-Rover, Mionetto, Panto.

Since 1984 Grotto S.p.A. designs, produces and distributes clothing collections with the GAS brand for men and women. GAS is a brand of jeanswear international flair able to meet the needs of a smart consumer and attentive, international and cosmopolitan in clothing research a way to express their personality in every occasion.

My role has been Marketing Manager EMEA.

Key responsibility included:

Strategic and operational marketing for EMEA markets.
Management of advertising, PR, events and sponsorships.
Reported to the Sales & Marketing Director
Supervised a team of five people

Successes:

•Market analysis of distribution in collaboration with AC Nielsen/SITA in Italy, UK, France and Germany in order to identify more qualified distribution segments to be assigned to agents/distributors.
•Brand Check-Up: market analysis on brand, clients and competitors for strategic repositioning.
•Focus groups for testing and pre-testing of advertising campaigns.
•Media planning & buying for Italy, France, Spain, Germany, UK.
•PR: set up of a coordination, harmonisation and international control model for PR activities carried out by PR agencies in Italy, Germany, Spain, UK, France and Canada.
•Sponsoring of the official HRC Honda Repsol team in the MotoGP in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
•Organisation of events and fashion shows to present collections to sales force and trade.
•In-store events in Italy and in international markets.
•Opening and launch of monobrand retail stores (Gas Stores).

Blue was a telecommunications company founded in Italy in August 1999 by a partnership between Autostrade, British Telecom, Distacom, Edizione Holding, Mediaset, BNL and Italgas.
First operator in Italy and the second in Europe to launch GPRS service has been one of the fastest start-up companies in the telecommunications world: in January 2001, less than 10 months since launch, Blue reaches 900,000 customers and in March of that year exceeds the milestone of one million units.

My role has been Branding, Events & Sponsorship Manager.

Key responsibility included:

Brand development through events, fairs and sponsorships.
Budget management of around 6 M euro.
Direct Report to the Communication Director.
Coordination of a three people team
Management of adv/events agencies and media partners such as Leo Burnett, Radio Deejay, Friends & Partners, Promotions Italia, Next.

Successes:

•Management of brand presence at Smau 2000/2001, Futurshow 2001 and Motorshow 2001 exhibition through high production budget booths (between 1 and 1.5 M euro each)
•Management of consumer branding activities through the “Blu on Tour” project: a team of 40 promoters operating in the main meeting places for young people with branded jeeps, promoting the brand and its services through games and other activities.
•Management of the “Blu Beach Tour”, a summer tour aimed at consumer branding and retail promotion. A summer village created on the various beaches and offering pure Blu style entertainment to improve branding and store traffic.
•Sponsoring of Aprilia factory team in MotoGP and SBK in 2000.
•Sponsoring of Benetton Basket, Sisley Volley and Benetton Rugby team in the 2000/2001.

Management of the marketing and communication plan for the launching of an own-brand line of headsets for call-centres and mobile phones on the main European markets.
Coordination of advertising agencies for the development of a coordinated image, as well as for press campaigns and POP material.