Moroso, Boffi, and B&B Italia: Comparisons of Marketing Tactics

Moroso, Boffi and B&B Italia Showrooms, Milan - Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Logos of Moroso, B&B Italia and Boffi (collaboration with Foster)

On June 7th, we visited the showrooms of Moroso, B&B Italia, and Boffi. At each place we visited their fabulous showrooms filled with their distinctive products. What interested me about these visits was hearing the ways in which they each promoted themselves. Each of them have a strong presence in Italy and internationally. This is due to their continuous product innovation, marketing techniques, and collaborations with other companies.

Moroso Showroom

Moroso Showroom

Moroso is a company that designs furniture, primarily couches and chairs. If they had outfitted their showroom with only their own products, they would have a less complete showroom. They added Foscarini lamps and various other furnishings like rugs and vases to complement their own furniture. Moroso is in direct collaboration with lighting company Foscarini. Together, they created a line for Diesel called successful living. Even when we went to Foscarini to see their showroom outside of Venice, the seats in their presentation room were by Moroso. They also collaborate every year (along with Foscarini) with the Biennale to outfit the cafes and any seating areas. This strategy of linking a company’s brand with another that is different but complimentary and targets a similar market has worked quite favourably for both Moroso and Foscarini.

The high quality of Moroso’s products that appear more hand-crafted and tailored translates to a brand that is closer to fashion than just furniture. Their designers travel the world for inspiration therefore being able to communicate many languages of design and successfully mix eastern and western styles.

Lecture at B&B Italia

Ad by B&B Italia

B&B Italia Store in Paris

When we visited B&B Italia, they also talked about the structure of the company, their marketing techniques, and how they are constantly innovating not only their products but also their brand identity. Originally the furniture company was started as C&B in 1966 by two manufacturers Cesare Cassina and Piero Ambrogio Busnelli. Busnelli later bought Cassina’s share of the company and changed the name to B&B. Busnelli built what was once called “the most fully automated furniture factory in the world as well as a sophisticated research-and-development laboratory. He understood that 'architects conceive of beautiful objects,' and proceeded to work with some of the best designers in Italy, like Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Mario Bellini, Gaetano Pesce, Vico Magistretti and Marco Zanuso.”

At B&B Italia, innovation and quality are very important. What I found very interesting is that they take 3% of the company’s profits and reinvest it back into the company’s research and development centre. They call it the CR+S centre and employ around 40 specialists in materials, manufacturing techniques, and fresh ideas. They have a small lab and collaborate with international designers to present new ideas every year. They even launched an ad that was called “a+b for 11 secs” which describes the chemical bonding needed to making polyurethane foam – a very innovative plastic material to use in furniture. This shows how dedicated they are to innovation and constantly improving their brand.

In 2000, the company was doing well, but they wanted to do better. They decided to launch a series of “monobrand” stores internationally which were very successful. They currently have 7 flagship stores and 20 monobrand stores around the world. They have a diversified brand for different markets with two divisions: the Home Division (focused on the residential market) and the Contract Division (turn-key solutions for hospitality, marine, retail and offices). There are also two brands: B&B Italia and Maxalto. Within B&B Italia there are 4 different Collections: B&B Italia “Outdoor”, “Project”, “Object”, and “Contract”.

Boffi Showroom in Barcelona

Kitchen Fixtures at Boffi

On our visit to Boffi, a kichen and bath company, we learned that they aso collaborate with other companies to promote their products and their brand. A lot of what we saw in their showrooms beside their kitchen and bath fixtures were living room setups with products by other designers like Castiglioni or Mendini. Their entire showroom was an eclectic mix of famous Italian home product design, which all complimented Boffi’s own products.

Moroso, B&B Italia, and Boffi all succeed in their markets because they continually innovate their products, brand and marketing techniques. As well , they each collaborate well with other complimentary companies to outfit their amazing showrooms.

By Laura Van Staveren, Anne Charbonneau and Amanda Cox

Keywords: Business Strategy