Already in February, on the occasion of Fruit Logistica, the press conference presenting the event “Connections” by Alegra’s management had hinted at a change of pace in the communication and marketing strategy of the group and its related business units – from Brio to Valfrutta Fresco, up to the production base represented by Agrintesa.
Since then it has been an escalation of activities: events, academies, exclusive projects, competitions, press tours and much more. Intense months that have redesigned Alegra’s approach to the market and that we wanted to delve into with Claudia Iannarella, the group’s marketing manager, whom we met on the occasion of the last major trade fair stop of the year, Fruit Attraction.

The value of the team
“I have been lucky to join this team for about a year and a half,” Claudia Iannarella says, “but the amount of activity accomplished makes it seem like much more time has passed. It is never the individual who makes the difference: I have found a young, motivated and professional group, I have collaborators, starting with those who work in the desk next to mine, who stimulate me daily and without whom many of the things we do would be unattainable. In addition, we are building a team with our external partners – I mention do all Orma Comunicazione and Gruppo Atomix -, with whom it has been possible to build a path that has excited not only the management, but also the production base from the very beginning.”
The challenge was not easy, she adds, “The Alegra Group is a branched entity with many business units and a broad product portfolio. Being able to enhance the identity of each, complementing it with exclusive projects, was not easy. But we have laid a solid foundation and there is still much to be done.”

Historical brands and new projects
An ecosystem that starts with Alegra itself, “specializing in supply chain and private label projects, a constantly growing segment that is crucial for the group. This is also why we will further renew the image of the ‘flagship’ to convey our values even better.” This is flanked by Brio, “a reference point for organic in Italy and abroad that, also thanks to the partnership with a well-known and established brand like Alce Nero, offers the possibility of a tailor-made approach for different chains.” Valfrutta Fresco, then, “needs no introduction: we are working together with Conserve Italia on a renewal on the packaging front and, more generally, on brand communication, with some new features expected early next year.”

Finally, exclusive projects, from the flat nectarines Ondine to the kiwi fruit Dulcis: “We have focused, in recent years, on products with great prospects. These are complex and structured projects that, especially in the initial phase, require professionalism and high skills that a group like ours knows it has in-house.” A mosaic that demonstrates not only the depth of the portfolio, capable of satisfying domestic and international clients across the board, but also the growing ability to network. “We work with both cooperatives and large private groups without preclusions: what counts is the goodness of the project and the solidity of the travel partners.

This very concept was the focus of the Connections event: “An opportunity to celebrate relationships and discuss supply chain, vision and market strategies. This was not an isolated moment, but a clear sign of the style with which we intend to develop relationships along the supply chain, creating shared communication that knows how to transfer value all the way to the end consumer.”

Training and field days

The year 2025 was also marked by a willingness to let stakeholders experience the identity chains and the most innovative projects up close: Cherry Day, Ondine Day and, soon, Kaki Day. “These are in-depth days that start from the orchards of our producers, members of Agrintesa, rooted in Emilia-Romagna but also active in Lazio, Calabria, Veneto and Piedmont. Occasions that allow us to show the press and customers the value behind the products: a lot of innovation, investments in the field and in the warehouse, often underestimated but crucial to arrive at a recognized excellence.”

Enhancing the value of the supply chain is accompanied by a commitment on the training front: “The Academies model is an excellent tool,” explains the manager, “because it allows us to explain our supply chain to distribution operators, from buyers to repartitioners, who are confronted directly with producers and technicians on the most concrete and operational dynamics. An activity that has an immediate impact on product management on the shelf.”
The challenge of pears and looking to the future
There is no shortage of complexities, as in the case of pears. “Opera is the reference brand,” Iannarella notes, “but pears are going through a difficult phase that touches the entire supply chain, from production to consumption. Despite this, we want to bring them back to center stage: we owe it to our members and the entire supply chain. We are deploying expertise and resources to reverse the trend, because on pears we do not intend to retreat.”

A vision that combines concreteness and long-term planning, “Our direction is clear,” Iannarella concludes, “enhancing the supply chain, telling and innovating it, building solid and lasting relationships. Only in this way will we be able to guarantee growth and competitiveness for the group and our producers, always keeping the consumer at the center.”

Source:

FABRIZIO PATTUELLI
redazione@italiafruit.net
WWW.ITALIAFRUIT.NET