Storied Italian menswear house offers VIPs heritage experience at its base in Alpine foothills
With more than a century of history to milk, Ermenegildo Zegna educates and impresses top clients from Asia and beyond by sharing its heritage and culture at woollen mill, museum and hotel in northern Italy
As fashion brands try to figure out successful digital marketing strategies to entice ever more fickle luxury consumers, one thing has become clear: experiences still matter. This explains the proliferation of exhibitions by luxury labels to add an element of storytelling to their marketing efforts.
Ermenegildo Zegna – Conosci te stesso: come to know yourself through beautiful self-expression
Menswear powerhouse Ermenegildo Zegna is one of the many labels that in recent years have shaken up their communication efforts. In the case of Zegna, “Fifty per cent of our communication is now digital and on social media”, says company CEO and family scion Gildo Zegna, who spoke to the Post a few weeks before the opening of an exhibition at the firm’s woollen mill in northern Italy.
The brand, however, still believes in offering its clients a full immersion in its history, which can only be achieved through a personal relationship.
“We have this special place, the Oasi Zegna, where we were born and where our DNA comes from,” explains Zegna, referring to the place at the foot of the Italian Alps, a short drive from Milan, where the company began.
“We invite our top clients there so they can see where we come from and what we still do. We also have a museum, Casa Zegna, and all these initiatives are part of our heritage. The Chinese now, like the Japanese in the past, want to know more about the heritage of the company and understand if a brand is authentic or not, and social media has also helped spread the message.”
