Digital: Publishing brands

GialloZafferano, Italy’s food media brand leader, continues its path of di innovation with new functions to help Italians to cook in an increasingly personalised way.

Every day GialloZafferano enters the homes of millions of people to promptly respond to their needs – from the website to social media and smartspeakers – with a catalogue of 5,500 recipes and 1,300 high-definition videos, from today also “made-to-measure” thanks to artificial intelligence.

“The new tools developed by GialloZafferano confirm the brand’s extraordinary vocation for innovation and capacity to constantly evolve, while always maintaining our focus on the needs of foodlovers,” declared Andrea Santagata, general manager of Mondadori Media. “Underlying these results lies continuous research into people’s tastes and easy to prepare recipes, always tried out in the GialloZafferano kitchens, alongside a specialised digital team, operating 365 days a year, to always be able to respond to users’ requests.”

Now the new homepage of the site, using an advanced machine learning algorithm, will, at any moment, be able to provide up-to-date content based on the most popular search items and personal tastes, in this way being able to offer an even more precise experience. The algorithm will show the recipes of greatest interest in a set period of time, viewable on a carousel “The recipes of the moment” and “Most popular”,and will select recipes in relation to the surfing patterns of each users in “Suggested for you”.

The site’s search engine has also been enhanced so that users can access even more rapidly access the GialloZafferano content of most value in response to searches carried out.

Plus, for the first time, step-by-step recipes in a podcast: from this month 100 top GialloZafferano recipes will be available on all platforms (Spotify, Spreaker, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Deezer), from Bolognese sauce to tiramisù.

“These new solutions confirm the constant attention of our Group to the most innovative and engaging technological developments and, as always, in the context of premium quality and high level of recognition of our bands. We are already working with our “Brand On Solutions” team on the creation of ad hoc branded content for our clients, who will be able to benefit from a perfect synergy between technological efficiency and our enthusiastic and reactive communities,” commented Davide Mondo, chief executive of Mediamond.

GialloZafferano currently reaches an audience of 18 million unique users every month (Source: Audiweb, average Jan-Jun 2020), with an extraordinary total of 10 million hours spent cooking with the site (Source: Audiweb, average Jan-Jun 2020) and 11.7 million fans on social media.

NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma, the Mondadori Group brands, leaders in the world of parenting, are renewing together to reinforce their integrated system on the web, on social media and now also through podcasts: a unique offer of content and services to be even more on the side of new generations of parents and to accompany them every day and at every moment in the adventure of their children’s growth.

Points of reference for mothers and fathers on issues that range from conception to pregnancy and the early years of a child’s life, the two sites actively engage a community of  3 million unique users (Source: Audiweb May 2020) and over 1.2 million fans on Facebook and Instagram, with an overall weekly reach of 4 million people.

“Today, one in three parents get information from NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma: two authoritative brands widely recognised by the public, and in a leading position in the market of reference for all issues related to parenting. With these important new changes, we are offering our audience an even more complete system that is more detailed, innovative and gives advertisers the possibility of interacting with a sizeable and highly profiled target,” declared Andrea Santagata, general manager of Mondadori Media.

Mediamond has responded with great enthusiasm to these new features: “Since the launch of Mediamond we have made consistent efforts to develop the parenting market, and we are increasingly convinced that digital is an important and highly relevant element in the daily life of all parents. Today, the editorial quality of NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma is shared and appreciated by both users and advertising clients, who find in both brands contexts of great value for the development of targeted projects,” declared Davide Mondo, chief executive of Mediamond.

What’s new in NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma

From today, there are six new features that characterise NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma, starting from a new look, for a more homogenous identity and recognisable style, thanks to the use of pastel colours and “baby” mood.

Enhanced editorial content, with up to date services and information, thanks to the introduction of a scientific board that brings together experts from the fields of pedagogy, psychology, gynaecology and paediatrics in order to provide advice and answers to questions of most interest, as well as a pool of 30 family influencers, among the most followed in Italy, to share true stories and direct experience.

There are also new sections on the most requested news requested by users, such as green issues, sustainability, animals and children, and loads of ideas about fun activities to organise with the little ones.

Plus, for the first time NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma will deliver content through podcasts, with three series, available on Spreaker, Apple, Google and Deezer: Favole per i bambini (Children’s Fairy Tales), Storie delle mamme (Mother’s stories) and Risposte in 2 minuti (2-minute answers).

There is also a new positioning  for the Facebook and Instagram pages, with useful tips for daily life for the whole family: new activities and formats, including quizzes and inspirational cards, along with a weekly schedule of live social media events presented by experts. Space is also given to mums and dads with a weekly video and a new story every day for first-hand accounts by the parents of the community. The challenge will also continue to engage the fanbase, following the outstanding participation obtained by the “Andrà tutto bene” (All will be well) initiative, with the drawings of rainbows done by kids, and successfully amplified by NostroFiglio during the lockdown. To mark the re-opening of the schools, NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma have launched the hashtags #primogiornodiscuola and #finalmenteinsieme, to collect photos as Italy goes back to school.

The new parenting system will consequently offer also to its partners new integrated storytelling tools for their products on different channels, thanks to new features such as the podcasts, live events, video and the activation of the pool of family influencers for special projects.

Ferrero, with its product Kinder Fetta al latte and the “Insieme si riparte” (Together we can get going again) initiative, will accompany the re-launch of NostroFiglio and PianetaMamma for 3 weeks: a hub dedicated to the return to school, full of suggestions on how to prepare in the best way, including articles, videos and podcasts, as well as the involvement of the team of family influencers.

The re-launch of Nostrofiglio and Pianeta Mamma is supported by a communication campaign on print, digital and social media and leading B2B titles and is overseen by Casiraghi Greco &.

Lessons? Better in the classroom. 57% of students want to go back to the classroom: this is what emerges from a survey conducted by Studenti.it involving some 18,150 1^st and 2^nd level high school students and aimed at finding out what they think, how they are experiencing the current situation if and how their habit will change. In fact, for those interviewed they miss contact with both classmates and teachers and there is a great desire for a return to normality.66% even think that online classes and damaging because of connectivity issues and inadequate tools that have hindered effective interaction between students and teachers.

The end of the 2019-2020 school year was anomalous: only 30% of those interviewed told Studenti.it that there were students who had failed the year or had to do re-sits. There does not appear to have been big gaps and a need for recoups, given that just 38% of students organised revision lessons. In the 2018-2019 school year, on the other hand, all schools organised revision courses, having faced 21% of students required to re-sit in September and 6.8% who failed the year.

Regarding single study chairs on wheels, for most kids (86%) in the Studenti.it survey, they are likely to be used inappropriately by students and therefore create additional problems. For the remaining 14%, meanwhile, they are seen as a good solution that can guarantee adequate distancing.

The majority of kids, finally, don’t want to change their habits to get to school. According to the Studenti.it survey, 23% would find an alternative method of getting around compared to the  pre-Covid period, while 77% would continue to use the same means of transport to get to school: of these 40% would use public transport, 32% would move by car, 18% would go to school on foot, 4% by motorcycle, and 6% by bicycle of scooter.

Studenti.it has continued to be constantly on the side of students during all phases of the school year in lockdown, increasing its offer with thousands of items of free content, from video lessons with study tips, to live social media events with experts and YouTubers and the “Te lo spiega Studenti” podcasts, a new way of exploiting notes online. In the first six months of the year, the  Mondadori Group brand recorded a 30% increase in traffic on its site compared with the previous year (Source: Google Analytics, average March-April-May), reaching, in April, a month of total lockdown, 5 million unique users, +34% compared with April 2019 (Source: Total Audience April 2020), and YouTube views that were up by 50% compared with the same period of the previous year.

What will it be like going back to classes? 83.7% of the students who responded to a Studenti.it, survey say that they are concerned. In fact, of these, 41% think that everything will be more complicated in September while the remaining 42.7% are uncertain what will happen.

The biggest concern is about the health aspect: 45% wonder whether it will be safe to return to school, while a small percentage (8%) is worried that they will not be able to catch up with the syllabus. For  30% of those interviewd by Studenti.it lessons should have started up again before 14 September, in order to recoup what has been lost during the health emergency.

On the side of Italian students for more than 20 years, Studenti.it is preparing to go back to school and accompany kids as they make their return also by responding to their most frequent questions: How will we re-start? How will entrance tests be managed? How will we get to school and how will our habits have to change? Up-to-date editorial coverage will be available on the site, with a back to school special, everything new in the school calendar, as well as advice and suggestions for the choosing a university, with dedicated formats such as the new orientation podcasts and the Facebook group for the medical school entrance test. There will, of course, also be weekly surveys to have a picture of what students are feeling and their expectations for lessons, plus a new schedule of live social media events “Tg Scuola“.

During the health emergency, with lesson suspended across the whole of Italy, digital became essential for students, teachers and parents. In response, Studenti.it increased and expanded its offer with an enormous quantity of free content and constantly available didactic resources, such as video lessons with study tips, a series of  podcasts “Studenti Explains”, a new way of exploiting online notes that reached  100,000 listeners per month and live social events with experts and YouTubers.

All of which has led – for the Mondadori Brand – to a  30% increase in the site’s traffic compared with last year (Source: Google Analytics, average March-April-May), arriving, in the month of April, a month of total lockdown, to 5 million unique users, +34% compared with April 2019 (Source: Total Audience April 2020), and an increase of 50% in views on the YouTube channel compared with the same period of last year.

Even more Italy from McDonald’s: again this year, all restaurants will serve McChicken Variations, sandwiches with 100% Italian chicken breast the result of the combined experience of Italian cooking of GialloZafferano and the unmistakeable taste of McDonald’s.

From today, in all 600 of McDonald’s restaurants in Italy two new sandwiches will be available, in addition to the original classic McChicken recipe. L’Audace, with smoked scamorza cheese, made from 100% Italian milk, grilled and sliced Italian pepper and a sauce with onions and Modena IGP Balsamic Vinegar; Il Goloso, with 100% Italian bacon and a delicious yellow tomato sauce.

The two new recipes, jointly created by GialloZafferano and McDonald’s, are a confirmation of the latter’s role as a partner of the Italian agri-food sector. In fact, to produce the recipes, the company has bought from Italian suppliers  28 tonnes of peppers, 17 tonnes of yellow tomatoes, 17 tonnes of smoked scamorza cheese – from a total of 1.7 million litres of Italian milk -, 44 tonnes of Italian bacon, 2 tonnes of Modena IGP balsamic vinegar and 170 tonnes of Italian chicken breast.

“In 2019 we decided to launch this new project with the support of a partner of the standing of GialloZafferano, which every day enters the homes of millions of Italians to teach them some of the best recipes from around the country. This challenge was well received by consumers and in just 10 weeks over 8 million customers chose the sandwiches that were created by our partnership,” declared Mario Federico, chief executive of McDonald’s Italia. “This is why we are today announcing the second part of the projects, with two new recipes featuring even more of Italy.”

“The fantastic response we received from over 8 million users and consumers was for us proof of the successful formula that underlies this partnership that began last year. We are renewing it now with even more enthusiasm, being able to count on the fundamental values that unite us to a partner of excellence like McDonald’s: innovation, in which GialloZafferano has long been a pioneer and precursor in the food sector, constant attention to the enhancement of taste and the Italian territory, a passion for quality ingredients, which we share every day with our community through the faces and the chefs of  GialloZafferano. In addition, for us, this project is a perfect example of our model of a social multimedia company: strong and much-loved brands, such as GialloZafferano, able to capture the passions and interests of users, creating communities of individuals to whom they can propose unique content, products and experiences,” declared Andrea Santagata, general manager of Mondadori Media.

“The project has evolved from a traditional advertising approach to embrace in a range of branded content contexts. At Mediamond, we are delighted that McDonald’s has recognised the value of an approach able to address the launch of a product with editorial models that are fun and able to engage both the audience and conversions,” declared Davide Mondo, chief executive of Mediamond.

To mark the launch, the new McChicken Variations will also be the protagonists of a live event on social media that will take place today at 5 pm on the Facebook and YouTube profiles of GialloZafferano.

Manuel and Giovanni, well-known faces from the site, will share with the community of food lovers the unique ingredients of these new recipes, to sample and recreate, bringing the McDonald’s kitchen to Italian homes.

The selection of top-quality products for the new McChicken Variations also underpins a storytelling project developed by the GialloZafferano team which, on board an Apecar, will accompany users on a tour of McDonald’s factories, to discover the excellence of 100% Italian food products.

For 500,000 Italian students, tomorrow sees the start of the much anticipated Maturità – the final year high school diploma exams – that will also be the first experiment of being back in the classroom after months of distance learning. But it will be a first for the state exam and very different from the past, in that it will be held according to the new rules dictated by the health emergency and, above all, will involve only the oral exam.

Studenti.it, a digital point of reference in Italy for the world of education, asked over 10,000 users of the site what they thought about the upcoming exams: for 59% of the interviewees the exam will be easier, while 41% think it will be more difficult. So, an exam that is seen as a relief for Italian students, followed, however, by a more complex autumn. In fact, some 27% of students, say that they have changed their plans for September because of the Covid-19 emergency: 7% have given up the idea of studying away from home, a further 7% will no longer take up study options abroad, while 13% have changed their minds about which type of course to follow.

Data from the survey show that those finishing high school in 2020 expect an exam based on what they have actually studied: and 18% are convinced that the multi-disciplinary path previously defined with teachers will help them to face the most difficult test, the oral exam.

STUDY MATERIALS AND LIVE SOCIAL EVENTS WITH EXPERTS

Helping Italian students prepare for and pass this important milestone for more than 20 years, Studenti.it, the Mondadori Group brand, with over 4.3 million monthly users on Audiweb and a Facebook page with around 500,000 fans, supports students with updates and news, replies to their most frequently asked questions, video lessons and new podcasts on the syllabus of the last year of high school which, in one month, has totalled 100,000 downloads.

Studenti.it has also developed the format TG Maturità, a schedule of live Facebook events in which teachers and experts alternate providing advice on how to prepare and face the exam.

 TWO SPECIAL MATHS TEACHERS

Lorenzo Baglioni, the artist with a degree in mathematics, and Elia Bombardelli, a maths teacher, very popular on YouTube, have produced a highly entertaining double-interview for the social media profiles of Studenti.it (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2853418641450164) talking to candidates about the exam and on the subject of mathematics, together with useful advice and suggestions. Plus,  Lorenzo Baglioni has added a lighter touch with a new version of the song  Maturandi, this musical project, a co-production with Studenti.it, last year became the anthem of the  Maturità (with more than di 1 million listens on the web and on social media), out in this new form with a special dedication to all those who will take the  exam in 2020, in the middle of considerable adversity.

Finally, this afternoon, on the social medial channels of Studenti.it (Facebook and Youtube), an exceptional student will send her special best of luck wishes, live to all candidates: Eleonora Gaggero, class of 2001, YouTuber, actress and writer, who herself will be facing the maxi oral exam of the  Maturità 2020.

Italian high school students will this year face quite different final year exams starting from 17 June. The health emergency means there will be extraordinary rules for the much-anticipated exams: the traditional written tests will not take place and all students will face an oral exam in a new format, in front of a commission on internal members, while respecting the social distancing rules foreseen by the MIUR.

And once again, supporting Italian students as they prepare the maturità will be Studenti.it, the Mondadori Group brand, leader in Italy in the digital area in the world of Education with over 4.3 million users per month according to Audiweb and a Facebook page with around 500,000 fans, and which, for more than 20 years, has been helping high school students to get through this important exam.

In recent months Studenti.it has continued to support students who have been kept away from school. With a wide offer of content on its web site and on social media, this has allowed students to have material available for distance learning and to continue their preparation for the final year exam, known in Italy as the maturità. Fundamental teaching resources in this time of virtual lessons, as is confirmed by an online survey made by the brand on a sample of some 3 thousand young people at the end of March. According to both the interviewees and teachers, all of the material available online and on the most common audio and video platforms and useful tools to facilitate distance learning.

Podcasts: new tools for students
The offer of resources and material on Studenti.it has been expanded with a new, practical and easy to use teaching tool: Te Lo Spiega Studenti.it, (Let Studenti.it explain) the brand’s exclusive podcasts for final year students. Every week, four tips focusing on the syllabus of Italian and History, to help students form all streams to revise ahead of the oral exam or an assignment with the main points of a topic or mini biographies of leading figures who have left their mark on history. In just five minutes you can revise an author like Cesare Pavese, a work like Il fu Mattia Pascal or a literary movement, such as the Decadent Movement. But you can also learn what was discovered by Marie Curie, who Charles Darwin was or what happened on 9 November 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down. To these can be added those dedicated to the guides for preparing the maturità, where, for example, students can listen again to how to analyse a text or the techniques for improving your memory of what you are studying.
The technology partner of Studenti.it in the creation of this new content is Spreaker, Italy’s leading platform for the creation, distribution and monetisation of podcasts, conceived for beginner and professional podcasters, and for publishers and companies who want to include podcasts as a tool in their communication strategy.
The Te Lo Spiega Studenti.it podcasts have already been reached 100,000 downloads per month 100 across all of the most popular platforms used by kids and are among the content recommended by Spotify and Google. A result that confirms that listening to audio series is now a fast-growing trend, even among the younger generations: in fact, according to Spreaker the average monthly listener figures for podcasts in Italy  has grown by 50% between December 2019 and March 2020, and podcasts linked to “Education” are always the most popular.

Growing numbers
With its material in support of the world of school, from background materials produced by teachers to conceptual maps, summaries of dissertations and exam guides to podcasts, Studenti.it was able to respond immediately to the need for distance learning in recent months and provide support for students facing the final exam.  The figures for April demonstrate this success and once again confirm the brand’s success, with an increase in traffic of 50% compared with the same period last year. In this period of virtual lessons it has been the teachers themselves that have suggested to their students the resources of Studenti.it and the boom in traffic shows that users recognise the reliability and authoritativeness of the available content.
Studenti.it has also again confirmed its position as leader in search engines for the most important keywords related to the maturità including, maturità 2020, maturità oral exam, paths to maturità and dissertations.

The community on social media
But the Studenti.it team is also supporting final year students on social media, providing information and news about the new form of the exam and helping them to measure up and find solutions to problems related to organisation and teaching. The Facebook page has reached almost 500,000 fans with a group dedicated to the Maturità 2020, to which has been added a new group on Telegram.
To support students in the weeks immediately before the exam and in June during the exam period, the team has developed a format called TG Maturità. This is a programme of live Facebook events to give examinees updates and news about the exams and replies to their most frequent questions. There will also be contributions from a number of guests who will help the candidates with last-minute doubts so that they can calmly face their exam preparation.

The success of the YouTube channel
There has also been a great success for the Youtube channel which has doubled the number of views, thanks to the development of new formats, which join the more traditional video notes. From StudentTalk to StudentTea and tutorials for the oral exam: a series of videos offering useful suggestions and advice for students beyond the didactic content. And then, of course, there is also the participation of authentic stars of digital education, such as Elia Bombardelli with her lessons in mathematics.

After the exams
Studenti.it accompanies students also after the exams, supporting them as they decide on their next steps, with content and targeted tests to orientate their choices and the creation of ad hoc Facebook groups such as Orientamento Università and Test medicina a numero chiuso, which to date have 27,000 and 40,000 members respectively. This is where students can exchange ideas on the best choices for their future, as well as a place to find information about universities, entry tests and receive the latest news on other issues of interest.

The Mondadori Group confirms its position as Italy’s leading digital publisher: Comscore data for March shows that the Group’s brands are in first place, with a total audience of almost 33 million unique users per month. The reach rises to 84% of the online population, with a peak of 91% among women, corresponding to almost 18 women across Italy.

The figures show that it is not only news that has been rewarded in this period of emergency, but also content related to the passions and interests of Italians, and for which the brands of the Mondadori Group are a point of reference, both in print and in digital.

This success is also confirmed by continuously growing results of social networks. In the months of March and April the combined fanbase of Mondadori’s media brands grew more than 1.7 million people overall, with more than 700,000 new fans on Facebook, over 500,000 new followers on Instagram and 200,000 users on Youtube. Today, the combination of all the communities of the Group’s brands across the various social media platforms totals some 33 million people.

This breakthrough has been achieved, in particular, thanks to the results of certain brands who are now established as authentic protagonists in the lives of Italians and leaders in the vertical segments of food, women and wellness.
A leading role that is confirmed by Comscore data and also supported by the results of the Scenario Media 2020 research, recently elaborated by Mondadori Lab on 3,000 representative Italian users. The rich and varied offer of content in the magazines, live events on social media and other web initiatives and projects, has enables the Mondadori Group to remain lose to its readers and users and be rewarded with significantly rising numbers. In fact, these are results that, once again, underscore the strong links between the brands and their communities and a capacity to continue to put people and their interest at the centre.

The biggest success has been achieved by GialloZafferano which has recorded an absolute all-time record in terms of audience of 22.9 million unique users per month and a 59% reach di (Source: Comscore March 2020), a 40% increase in monthly users compared with the previous record in December 2019.
This outstanding result by GialloZafferano is also confirmed in the weekly data of Audiweb which, in March recorded an average of over 12.5 million weekly unique users, an increase of 100% compared with the pre-lockdown period. Plus, on the day before Easter, GialloZafferano recorded another new daily record, with over 4.5 million daily unique users.
According to the Food Media Brand analysis, produced by Mondadori Lab, GialloZafferano is the undisputed leader among media brands on the media web, TV and print, in the kitchen and the hearts of Italians. In fact, more than one in two people consider it an unmissable point of reference in the kitchen. Moreover, for more than 90% of interviewees it is the top brand for assisted knowledge, reaching 55% in top of mind recognition, being cited spontaneously first among cooking brands by more than one in two of the sample. All of these metrics show that GialloZafferano is the leading brand, further confirmation of its role as the point of reference.

Another important result has been recorded by Donna Moderna which, thanks to a winning mix of stories, live events on social media and practical advice, is once again the brand leader in the women’s segment, with 14.4 million unique users per month (Source: Comscore March 2020). In addition, the Scenario Media survey shows that for 47% of the sample Donna Moderna is the top of mind brand in the women’s segment and the number one brand for assisted knowledge both in print (94%) and online (78%). Donna Moderna is described as useful, complete and a product that the sample trusts and which is able to meet their needs

In the health and wellness segment, Mypersonaltrainer is shown to be a point of reference for Italians in terms of health and wellness, reaching an audience of 14.4 unique users per month (Source: Comscore March 2020).