“For a curious person like me, the biggest motivation is undoubtedly the opportunity to observe reality with the Observatory’s magnifying glass!
Observatory Cetelem observes, enlightens and decodes the evolution of consumption patterns in France… But not only!
Present in a dozen countries, from Germany to Brazil and Turkey, this structure created in 1985 carries out numerous studies: the Observatories — two annual studies carried out at the international level, one on the automotive market, another on consumption —, the zOOms — an exploration of the French lifestyles —, and l’Oeil — the analysis of consumer facts.
That was for France… But what about other countries? Andiamo! Let’s go to Italy to meet Rosita, part of the Osservatorio Findomestic team.
Could you introduce yourself in a few words?
I’m Rosita Landolfi, I’ve been working at Findomestic since 2017. I’m part of the Communication department and the Observatory Cetelem team in Italy (Obsservatorio Findomestic).
More specifically, what is your job at Osservatorio Findomestic?
With Claudio Bardazzi, we identify topics and consumer trends to study, then we present our results in an instructive and eye-catching way for our partners, our community and the press.
Afterwards, there is a real focus on the communication aspect to highlight our studies: I post on our intranet Echonet, I edit and update the website, I create documents and images in order to post on social media.
What are the different studies?
We carry out various studies, in terms of form and content:
• The Observatory of Durable goods consumption: it introduces the trends of the main durable goods markets.
• The monthly observatory: it includes a fixed part, the Barometer with which we keep track of consumer purchase intentions, and the Focus with which we specifically study consumers and their buying behaviours.
With its innovative formats, content and communication, the monthly observatory is probably the most dynamic study! We made two new communication formats and assets this year: the video summary and the carousel, especially suitable for social media.
• The international studies, the automotive observatory, the European observatory: they are made by BNP Paribas Personal Finance and shared all over the countries.
More generally, what is the position of Osservatorio at Findomestic?
The business of Findomestic is obviously closely related to the consumption world… Therefore, it is clearly important to have the opportunity to observe, analyse, understand all the changes and evolutions in terms of consumer behaviours!
Of course, the Observatory (and Osservatorio in Italy) is known and recognized to the press, the institutions, but it’s also a strategic lever in the relationships with our commercial partners. Our studies bring a strong added value.
Speaking of partners, how do you work with them?
Before the pandemic, we used to organize an event tour for them in 14 major Italian cities, a perfect option to introduce them to our studies and… introduce themselves! These friendly and informative moments are a great way to network.
Last year, we braved the health crisis by turning an issue into an opportunity… Take for example our digital platform originally designed to manage invitations! We turned it into a channel from which our partners could upload new content, forecast studies and research. In a matter of weeks, nearly 1,000 people signed up and the platform has proven to be a very handy tool to keep in touch.
More specifically, we also help some of our partners in the organization of strategic meetings, by participating as speakers at events or by carrying out surveys.
The Observatory is present in a dozen countries. Why do you think it is crucial to be present in the world?
In a world where everything changes rapidly but at different speeds, it is important to have tools that allow us to observe and understand the changes and developments that have a direct and/or indirect impact on our core business.
For a global company like ours, having these “observation points” located in different countries means having the opportunity to observe different phenomena from a 360° perspective, taking into account the specific characteristics of each environment. Thus, we can understand why, in some places, one initiative may work better than another. It is important to us to listen to the voice of consumers and to understand the reality of the countries in which we operate.
What excites you about the topics of Osservatorio Findomestic? What is the thing that motivates you the most every day in your professional life?
I really enjoy working and interacting with the other teams, it allows me to get to know them better, to learn more about the company. I’m proud to see that what we are doing is useful, that we are improving our brand and the image of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, and also that it’s producing results business-wise.
For a curious person like me, the biggest motivation is undoubtedly the opportunity to observe reality with the Observatory’s magnifying glass! My job — our job — is a very dynamic activity and it’s hard to get bored…
It’s actually a virtuous circle: the more you explore certain topics, the more you discover new things which, in turn, need to be explored. I really believe that this path, this continuous quest for knowledge is certainly what I appreciate the most about this job!
