Final week in Rome, I met Stefano Paciotti and his household at their fabulous connoisseur meals store in Rome, positioned near Vatican Metropolis. I used to be wanting to find out how Stefano used Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to construct followers and rework a small household enterprise into a global success story.
Stefano’s father began the enterprise in 1970 and nonetheless works behind the counter. Within the early days, it was a small native store that bought on a regular basis items to individuals within the neighborhood. When Stefano was sufficiently old to affix the enterprise 44 years in the past, he steered the store away from issues like paper items and cleansing provides to focus solely on excessive finish meat, cheese, olive oil, wine, and associated merchandise.
Then, a couple of decade in the past, Stefano took to social media, creating compelling and typically hilarious movies. His Instagram, Fb, and TikTok took off, constructing lots of of 1000’s of followers in Rome and around the globe.
Individuals come into the store day-after-day who know him from his movies and so they ship to clients worldwide. Whereas I used to be there, one other fan got here in to purchase their shop-made chocolate lined Gorgonzola (Sure, actually, and it’s nice). Whereas there, the fan shot a fast video for her social media, which I, in fact, additionally filmed and posted to my Instagram.
The Swine Chapel
In lots of the movies, Stefano refers to Cappella Suina, which interprets to “Swine Chapel”, a play on the close by Sistine Chapel. The truth is, in the future the store acquired a name from “Francis” who was seeking to purchase some prosciutto. After a little bit of backwards and forwards, they realized it was Pope Francis on the road! They ended up promoting merchandise to him and receiving a handwritten letter in return.
“I’m the entrance man,” Stefano instructed me by way of Adriana D’Arpino, my interpreter. “I observe my intuition for tips on how to make the movies. A very powerful factor with social media is to be honest and sincere. In case your character is faux, individuals will know.”
The movies are in Italian however with English subtitles and Stefano says that about 50 p.c of consumers are from outdoors Italy. Previous to his social media posts, they’d virtually no worldwide clients. Many followers come to the store after visiting the Vatican after which have their purchases ship to their residence. “It’s a giant achievement for us to promote all around the world,” he says.
For a lot of guests who’re Stefano followers, going to the store is seeing the true Italy after visiting the foremost vacationer points of interest. And many individuals desire a photograph with him.
“I need to love the product first and I concentrate on high quality,” he says. “After I take a ham in my fingers, it’s like holding a ravishing lady. I’m all the time respectful of the animal who gave its life for us.”
The day after I met Stefano, he went to the British Embassy to chop and serve ham on the event of Kings Charles’ birthday. There have been 2,000 individuals there.
“I do know I’m profitable on social media as a result of after I publish a video for a product, within the coming days, that would be the most bought product,” Stefano says. “I don’t know what video will get a whole lot of views, it’s all the time shock to me. I understand that after I don’t plan the video, that it usually does higher as a result of the product is the star.”
Stefano and his household have averted opening different outlets, franchising the enterprise, or establishing vital partnerships regardless of having had many alternatives to take action. “Having an even bigger store can be like having a bigger home however with out the acquainted scent,” he says. “I’ve the liberty to say no to partnerships.”
Whereas I used to be there, Stefano made me essentially the most scrumptious prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich!
Thanks to my good friend Nello Acampora from Hi-Performance, a preferred occasion producer, for introducing me to Stefano. And thanks Nello for bringing me to Rome to ship a two-day gross sales and advertising and marketing masterclass.
