Company Visits
Our first visit was with Basic Net, a clothing manufacturer. I had never heard of the company, so when our speaker started talking about how it dominated the market in most of Europe, I was amazed! As a marketing major and someone who is interested in design and branding, I was interested in seeing how they were so successful in getting the word out to their target market.
The long tour showed that they company was very big on learning about trends by researching competitors and then creating similar products for a lower price. I thought this was pretty good technique because they have been able to retain the majority of their consumers as well as gain new ones through smart marketing. They also had a really great office building and culture, and seemed to have a great work/life balance, The campus consisted of some really collaborative work spaces and useful amenities for the employees like a cafe, store of their products, as well as a grocery store (I was completely amazed by that). One thing that I really did not like about the company, and highly recommend that they work on, is their logo for Robe di Kappa. The employees weren't even able to answer what the logo represented, and from everything I have learned about branding, the logo has to have some sort of meaning that will help the company stay true to its values and carry them across to the consumer. I remember one guy said that "I think it's two kids sitting with their backs to each other...maybe a boy and a girl. Honestly I'm not sure." That just goes to show that A the logo is completely random and has no real meaning, B it actually looks like grownups with their backs to each other, and C regardless of whether they are kids or adults, what does it even represent? |
Our next visit was to Parmigiana Reggiano in Parma - a smelly but enlightening experience. This one was interesting because we got to learn how cheese was traditionally made, how most industrialized companies today have changed the process, and how this company tries its best to stay true to the traditional roots without sacrificing efficiency and modern technology.
Honestly the smell was pretty unbearable when we got to the factory, but seeing the process made it worth it. The fact that dozens of gallons of milk are used (and wasted) for each wheel of cheese was news to all of us. To add to it, we learned that they only get a few wheels every day that they work. Its a job for pretty much the entire day with not a huge outcome, but considering each wheel sells for about 600 euros might make up for the time and energy commitment. I also found it interesting that the process used to be something families would do together and pass on to the next generation, but because it has become such a trend to carry on to higher education and get jobs in bigger cities, cheesemakers are forced to hire help from other workers. For example, we met two workers from Morocco who had come to Italy to make something of themselves. Another interesting fact was that they traditionally used enzymes from a calf's stomach to ferment the cheese (I will not be eating a lot of cheese after hearing that lol) but now they typically try to use mushroom instead. And then it takes literally years for the cheese to age and become the proper age to sell. SO COOL. (We also went to a prosciutto factory after this but of course I have a weak stomach and skipped). |
Our final visit was with Almirall, a pharmaceutical company. This one was probably my favorite because it combined the aspects of business that I loved with a topic that I had almost no knowledge on - medication.
It was interesting to hear the differences and similarities of how medication is handled in the States and in Europe. I had absolutely no idea that it takes years and millions of dollars to conduct Research and Development for a single medication. I also had no idea how medication gets from the lab to the hands of billions of consumers - so that was really cool to learn!
I was also interested in seeing the way everyone interacted with each other. Everyone who gave the presentation had a clear high regard for each other and the level of respect shone through their great work ethic. They also seemed to be a really collaborative organization based on the way the office was laid out.
This is exactly the kind of company that stands out to me as not only business savvy, but a good place for people to work and get to know each other. The work environment is clearly positive and the employees have a good work-life balance, so I definitely wouldn't mind learning more about the company and maybe applying to work there (definitely helps that their headquarters are in Barcelona).
It was interesting to hear the differences and similarities of how medication is handled in the States and in Europe. I had absolutely no idea that it takes years and millions of dollars to conduct Research and Development for a single medication. I also had no idea how medication gets from the lab to the hands of billions of consumers - so that was really cool to learn!
I was also interested in seeing the way everyone interacted with each other. Everyone who gave the presentation had a clear high regard for each other and the level of respect shone through their great work ethic. They also seemed to be a really collaborative organization based on the way the office was laid out.
This is exactly the kind of company that stands out to me as not only business savvy, but a good place for people to work and get to know each other. The work environment is clearly positive and the employees have a good work-life balance, so I definitely wouldn't mind learning more about the company and maybe applying to work there (definitely helps that their headquarters are in Barcelona).