Stefania, here is the letter for Maurizio. I am making a real effort to keep our costs down here. The first page is exactly the same as the letter for Ferrante, except for the writing in blue. I think this will work OK, except when the two men are meeting up for dinner and compare letters!
Dear Maurzio, First of all, I need to explain that we have engaged a translator based at Newcastle. Her name is Stephania de Angelis and she is originally from Padova. Our thought is that this creates new opportunities to communicate directly, and particularly here: to introduce some topics for discussion, in advance of our meetings. It is not about replacing Jane and her valued contribution, but in adding more flexibility to the way we can communicate. Robin and I will both be in Reggio Emilia in December, arriving on the 12 th and staying until the following Tuesday. Robin will be holding some meetings with Reggio Children and I will send his itinerary this week. I have arranged a meeting with the logistics company, which is provisionally set for Thursday 14th December. I will very much like to meet over this period to discuss the development of our business partnership. The next 3-4 months should be an important part of our development. My research finds that the key periods for education sector orders will be JanMarch (the end of the UK financial year), and April-June/July (first quarter). I think that it is very important to build on goodwill and interest by exhibiting the equipment during this first period, and I will outline my ideas later. Also, there are some excellent possibilities for extending sales to a number of new markets. I will try to develop these plans as far as I can before we meet. As a starting-point for these meetings, I would like to introduce a number of topics for discussion. These are important issues from my point of view, identified over the period since we began actively marketing, in February/March 2006. Most of these issues are about clarification. At the same time, I want to invite you to send us details of any issues that you have identified and want to discuss with us. Please feel free to send any thoughts in Italian, and I will ask Stefania to translate for me. To summarise the business in the UK: I have tested various forms of marketing (adverts in mainstream education magazines; leaflets as magazine inserts; leaflets with professional development journals; e-mails; website; direct phone calls to educators, designers, architects; a trade fair). All of this marketing has been limited and will grow as the business develops. It has been invaluable experience, raised awareness within our key market, and identified a number of priorities for the future. Chief among these priorities is the belief that PLAY+ can become a significant force in the UK education market as people become more aware of the products.
Within early childhood education there are few if any credible alternatives in terms of quality and materials, and (I believe) no alternative in terms of research context and coherent design principles. The key competitors include a French company called Wesco, and British companies such as Galt and The Sensory Company. Introducing PLAY+ to a wider UK market includes demonstrating that the products are durable, easy to clean and enabling people to experience the sensory qualities first hand. I now have interest and conversations with museums, libraries and a major bookselling chain, further interest in presenting the products with their research context at exhibitions, and regional authorities interested in meetings to support their development of a range of childhood settings. To make the most of these opportunities, we need to: Enable people to see the products as widely as possible (this will, of course, happen gradually as more settings buy the equipment) Ensure that packaging offers maximum protection (I know you have made significant and effective improvements already) Provide consistent and reliable good service
As buyers within the education market become familiar and confident with PLAY+, the products will become a clear alternative to our more established competition. Play+ is, I believe, superior to this competition in terms of design and research context and qualitatively superior in all other respects. Word of mouth within the education community will establish confidence in quality and reliability. Part of this idea of consistency and sense of quality can come from clarifying some of the following: Returns policies and customer rights Guarantees (including return transportation under manufacturer’s guarantee) Discounts to Studio UK for promotional items Stitching – following concerns about durability of stitching expressed by customers. Certification Communication between PLAY+ and Studio UK: so that we can provide support and information (communication with UK customers is key to a perception of good service), e.g. ex-works delivery dates
It will be helpful to me if I can learn more about the production process at your factory and the way marketing and sales work in Italy. For this reason, I would like to see more of the production process at the factory, how you develop designs for new nurseries, perhaps also some kindergartens where the equipment is used. At the same time, I think that our development can gain a great deal if we can invite you (with your wife, if possible) to the UK. We could then show you examples of provision for children in this country and perhaps some good meetings about design
and architecture in childhood provision. I would propose this visit for some time in the Spring. We have some good and exciting prospects for the New Year. At the same time, we do not have a full year’s trading behind us and we can only talk of prospects, rather than certainties. The significant prospects are these: 1. Sales in the North East, West Midlands, North West: building sales in the regions 2. Hampshire – a region in the South with excellent nursery settings (some are cited in Michele Zini’s book, Children, Spaces, Relations). They have a strong interest in collaborating with us – and this could provide wonderful exposure throughout the country. 3. Exhibitions at venues such as the Lighthouse in Glasgow (where Michele was keynote speaker for a conference there in 2005) 4. Trade Fairs (the biggest of the year is at Birmingham, in March) 5. Museums and art galleries 6. Airports 7. Retail – adding value to settings such as the Children’s department at Waterstones (a major bookselling chain). 8. Domestic settings
The biggest barrier to sales between now and the financial year end (March 2007) is customer confidence (the products are new and unfamiliar) or ignorance (they have not heard of us yet). I have tried to deal with the latter by a creative approach, including carefully targeting phone calls and direct contact, as well as developing possibilities for a touring exhibition – i.e. to install examples of PLAY+ in good, public children’s settings; to present the research and development background in display panels; to allow children to use the equipment. It is this idea that creates possibilities to excite people and give them confidence. I believe that sales will build gradually and increase. People will begin to see PLAY+ in schools and nurseries and other public spaces and sales will grow. However, I strongly feel that if we can take advantage of the existing interest and good offers for exhibition spaces between now and February/March 2007, we can increase sales much faster. I would do this by targeted advance publicity, installing the display, reaching an agreement with the venue to invigilate the exhibition. These spaces would include the Centre for Children’s Books at Newcastle and the Lighthouse design centre in Glasgow; good possibilities include Somerset House (a prestigious venue in London), the CUBE in Manchester (a design centre), the V&A in London (who have plans for a history of children’s furniture exhibition), a museum in Birmingham. The obstacle to this idea of a touring exhibition for Studio UK is cash flow. I am able to arrange for settings to host such an exhibition, and can perhaps find funding for display materials, but it will be impossible for us to commit to
the costs of exhibition products at this time. I want to propose a solution: to get Atelier3 wide exposure at a good time. I want to make a careful choice of products to represent the line and pay ISAFF for these products at the end of the financial year (end of March 2007). This will allow Studio UK to spend our available funds on promotion and logistics. It will also mean that, because we have Atelier3 in the UK, we can attend trade fairs at short notice (and so: reduced costs) and I would aim to participate in the Birmingham trade fair, if possible. We can discuss all of this detail in person. Please let me know of anything else you need to talk about. I will be delighted to see you again and to make some good plans for the future.