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LEVANTE, A TALENT FOR THINKING BIGEstablished as a small family business, today it is a joint-stock company with a turnover in excess of ITL 170 billion. The use of advanced technology and computer systems controls a daily production of stockings and tights which exceeds 300 thousand, of which 50% is exported. LEVANTE will be celebrating its 31st anniversary in 2000, retracing the milestones of its history since its founding in Castrel Goffredo, in the Mantua region of northern Italy. With its headquarters still located there, LEVANTE has both witnessed and being one of the major contributors to, the development of Castrel Goffredo as the undisputed center of world hosiery. CENTRALIZED AND AUTONOMOUS PRODUCTION CYCLEWhen it was founded in 1969, LEVANTE was a family business specialising in the production of stockings and tights and distributing directly to customers. In the space of 10 years, LEVANTE transformed itself into the present joint-stock company, and developed into large scale producer with a daily production which exceeds 300 thousand pairs. Behind this phenomenal and enviable growth lies a fully centralised and autonomous production, characterised by the very latest and most sophisticated technologies. THREE LINES, THREE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELSLEVANTE produces three separate lines. Its principal brand, LEVANTE is the most comprehensive, defined by its focus on the development of performance and value added products for the departmental and specialised retailers. LEVANTE Girl, also focused on the younger consumers in the same market segment in a range designed and developed for girls. The third line, sold and marketed under the ELLEDUE brand, is aimed at larger scale distribution channels such as supermarkets, discount stores and the street market vendors etc. which are amongst the most important sectors for volume sales in the hosiery market world-wide. Within the Italian market, LEVANTE has established over a number of years a national network of sales territories of each of its lines. The LEVANTE linking Project, developed in collaboration with a leading software company, facilitates "real time" access by area managers to the central computer at the head office. Exclusive distributors handle foreign markets. Half of LEVANTE's exports are absorbed in the countries of Eastern and Western Europe while the other half is distributed as widely as the Middle and Far East, South and Central America and Australia. Overall turnover for 1997 was 170 billion Lira, representing an increase of 14% on the previous year. BIG INVESTMENTS AND PERSONALITIES FOR ADVERTSINGLEVANTE invests very considerable sums in its advertising campaigns annually, including products endorsement from personalities well known to the general public. Such an emphasis on advertising and communications, is aimed at reinforcing the brand's considerable global profile. Advertising is targeted at trade press, as well as news and fashion magazines and extensive television campaigns. Within Italy, mass audience tele-promotional programs are also targeted. Something new for immediate release!A NEW TREND TOWARD ANKLE SOCKS FOR WOMEN? LEVANTE RELEASES GAUDI' ANKLETMade from luxuriously soft microfibre, these are truly hot! Following the successful launch of the LEVANTE Spring Summer '99 anklet collection, and the further entrenchment of this fashion trend, LEVANTE will extend the highly successful Gaudi' microfibre product family, to include a winter weight anklet for immediate release. With a colour range comprising Londra, Nero, Leather and Blu Gaudi' anklet features a 50 denier microfibre which has a velvet feel, is suede soft to the touch, and has an excellent homogeneity of colour and density of knit, thanks to LEVANTE's special manufacturing technique. Gaudi' Anklet also feature an elasticised, scalloped comfort top, with a pretty silk effect pattern, and is available in Sizes 1 / 2 and 3 / 4 . LEVANTE RETURNS TO THE 2000 PARIS S.I.L.With a bigger stand than ever, LEVANTE's commitment to high-tech production is appropriately illustrated by the collection of highly innovative and fashion styles on show in Paris this year. Immediately following the 1999 Salon International de la Lingerie, LEVANTE management decided to return in 2000. Its' success has been so great that it was almost unthinkable to do otherwise. For a strong and successful company, focused on raising its' profile and image, the S.I.L. is an event which cannot be ignored. Amongst buyers, distributors, producers and journalist, S.I.L. has become the most highly regarded trade show because it provides the clearest window to the best of what is on offer internationally. At S.I.L. this year, LEVANTE will be presenting Autumn/Winter 2000/2001 collection for Departmental and retailers as well as the ELLEDUE range, aimed principally at larger scale distribution channels, which has recently undergone major changes in its image and its communications strategy. This year's stand is much bigger than last year's, though the characteristic corporate colours of LEVANTE - intense blue and ivory background will be very much still in evidence. On show also will be the latest international corporate photographic images for LEVANTE and ELLEDUE, images which beautifully illustrate the woman of the coming Third Millennium. LEVANTE and ELLEDUE can be found at the 1999 Paris SIL at: WITH LEVANTE THE DESIRE FOR WELL-BEING BECOMES REALITY"Relax" and "Body Profile", two kinds of tights that are Social observers maintain that the quest for well-being, which has become the aim of many in this recent new age period, will be even more finely-honed in the age we are about to experience, the next age. Leafing through LEVANTE's impressive photograph album at its Castrel Goffredo headquarters, we find, from the early 90's, women who have always been at the forefront of cultural, social and fashion events. An early testimony to this is seen in the use of the American Shari Shattuck, wife of TV actor Ron Moss who, in the role of Ridge in the soap opera "Beautiful" stepped into the fantasy life of Italian women, after a simultaneous broadcasting of a LEVANTE TV advertising campaign featuring Moss and Shattuck. Then there was the sultry Carmen Louderos, discovered by film director Tinto Brass, and the seductive star of a famous aperitif advertising campaign. Following from here , there was the beautiful Daniela pestova, the Monroe-esque Eva Herzigova, and more recently Adriana Skleranicova. This year, LEVANTE has launched a campaing covering several of its export markets which features the impeccable Cindy Crawford, who is countless surveys has been shown to have a very high recognition and positive image amongst both men and women. In a highly visible campaign, Cindy Crawford endorses several LEVANTE products. In several other markets, LEVANTE is using as its face the Brazilian beauty, Christine Canos. For LEVANTE, it is indisputable that women's legs can be very seductive. But women also dream and this takes us beyond legs and to the central importance of a complete image, embodied in the various faces of LEVANTE. "Focusing on a brand born with a great future"! ELLEDUE: THE MAKING OF A MARKET PHENOMENON
* A 300% increase in the last six months! Early in 1997, following a solid period of gestation, enough to carry out thorough market research in several countries, an Italian phenomenon was born. ELLEDUE emerged and came into its own as a brand focused specifically on the larger scale distribution channels, such as wholesalers, supermarkets, discount stores, street market vendors etc.. Competitors today are eyeing the ELLEDUE phenomenon carefully, observing from its various sales points a product range of unsurpassed quality and value. The customers had been promised success by ELLEDUE publicity communications. This was delivered in a way which exceeded expectations. The success came without promotion advertising, just strong point of sale displays, without doubt a new approach but one which proved a winner. Just as aggressive, is the present focus on an advertising strategy built around woman's magazines and a series of TV advertising and promotional activity, both concentrated in peak buying periods. Despite all the success, ELLEDUE Managers are not resting on their laurels. Their work is shifting more and more to updating range samples, responding to new demands from customers, an aggressive pricing policy, stronger than ever communications strategies and last, but not least, on servicing fully current customers and extending market penetration. The Company's Organisation Chart also includes a Key account Manager who will be exclusively involved in the development of large scale organised distribution, developing relation with existing and newly emerging chain stores, updating of technical knowledge to the sales force and video merchandising. |
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