This document summarizes interviews with journalists and former cyclists about promoting the Giro d'Italia cycling race abroad. There is disagreement about taking laps abroad. Some say it reduces the Italian identity and audience. Others say it is needed for money and visibility. The document then proposes an action plan to focus on Italy and children through educational activities, while still promoting the Giro abroad through limited foreign laps, broadcasts, and online contests to attract new audiences in places like China, Argentina, and Ireland. The goal is to maintain the Giro's traditions while increasing its audience and popularity internationally.

1. www.gazzetta.it
Tuesday 29 of May 2012

2. Aim of the project
Promote and increase the
visibility, awareness, image and business of
Giro d’Italia abroad.
Which are the target countries?
Who are the main targets?
Who are the key stakeholders?
How could be a possible action plan?

3. Marco Pastonesi
Position: official journalist of Giro d’Italia
“young people are not interested in cycling,
we have to work at the base and tie young people and
children to the worship of the bicycle”
“ The Giro d’Italia must not loose its national identity,
but, instead, increase the link with Italian values. People
come to Italy for Italy itself, people around the world
love Italy.”

4. Andrea De Luca
Position: RAI journalist (in field)
“During the laps abroad the audience is very low,
because for Italians the Giro begins only when
it’s in Italy.”
“Setting up laps in foreign countries is not the right way
to increase visibility, awareness and image of the Giro
d’Italia abroad. “

5. Paolo Savoldelli
Position: former cyclist and RAI journalist
“ The laps abroad must be set in countries not too far
from Italy, so that the transfer is not too tiring for the
athletes.”
“To be able to compete with the Tour de France, the Giro
should attract the best cyclists! Increase the prizes
could be a good solution.”

6. Francesco Bernardelli
Position: President of Federazione Ciclismo Lombardia
(FCI)
“The RCS puts everything on a purely economic basis, its
for this reason that I think that RCS’ choices are optimal
at a market level, but not for the athletes and the
teams”
“We have to understand the psyche of the children and their
parents in order to get them closer to cycling. We must
make
this sport more desirable: the bike is a tool able to make
children feel free, free to move and grow as individuals.”

7. What emerges from the interviews?
1. Loss of Italian values and traditions, that have always
been linked to the competition
2. Loss of Italian audience, primary and secondary
3. Inefficient use of the only 2 days off left to the
athletes to rest
4. Lack of cyclign education of the youngest target
5. Inability to attract top athletes

8. “Back to basics”
“Why do we have to bring the Giro physically
abroad to increase the level of audience when
so many elements are pushing us to maintain it
wholly Italian?”
• Long-term action plan
• Setting of all the laps of the competition inside the Italian
frontiers
• Export of 1 or 2 laps abroad every three years (according
to special anniversaries or celebrations linked to the Italian
history).

9. Action Plan
Why?
Forecast: in the longer term this strategy will not only
recoup the costs of the past years, but also bring some
profits (monetary and also intangibles)
It responds to the desires of the majority of the
stakeholders, this will increase satisfaction and
loyalty.
Appreciation, image and visibility will increase 
attract more athletes and sponsors

10. Problems and possible solutions
- Money raising Bringing abroad the Giro d’Italia was
a decision taken with the aim to internationalize it but it
was also an easier way to get some funds
Strategic solutions:
Export RCS organizational skills and know-how outside Italy, taking care
of the organization of cycling competition especially in Russia, South
America and South Africa. This will bring us monetary funds and
possibility to spread RCS brand abroad.
In particular we thought about Russia because it is interested in entering
the universe of cycling, but they have not a traditional culture of bicycle
and the necessary competence.

11. Best Target
We thought that the best target to focus on
could be children.
Why?
Children as the fans of the future
Family involvement
Link to education
In order to involve our target, children, and at the same
time make promotional activities, we developed the
following educational ideas:
Activities in schools
Summer camps
Mini Giro

12. Educational purpose
- Activities in school Creation of a knowledgeable and well trained team (in cooperation with the
AIESEC Student association) travelling through Chinese, Japanese and
Russian elementary schools, during the winter period.
•
•
Why?
Love Italy and Italian lifestyle and traditions.
Plus, they great availability of public funds.
How?
•
•
•
•
This activity will last 6 weeks.
Practical demonstration of how a bicycle is technically built up and how to ride it in a proper
way.
Explain which are the health positive aspects of doing such a sport activity.
Videos showing the beauties of Italy and the possibility to take part of a summer campus.

13. Educational purpose
- Summer Camp A unique opportunity to spend a week full of fun, friendship and cycling
In Trentino Alto Adige and Tuscany
Weekly sportive activities, mostly cycling, but
there will be also daily lessons of English,
healthy alimentation and Italian Culture.
The maximum amount of enrolled children
for every week will be 100 (for each camp), so
in total this activity will involve almost 200
students per week. The campus will last 8 weeks
Their parents will also be encouraged to visit
Italy and spend their vacations here.

14. Educational purpose
- Mini Giro -




Where?
Ireland, Swiss, Nederland, Denmark,
Why?
In European countries organizational and logistical problems can be
minimized.
How?
Weekly circuit stages (in total 4 weeks).
Every Sunday there will be a stage, so that children will not have to miss
days of school to pursue this activity.
Boys and girls ages 7 to 13 years can participate and will be given scores
and awards according to age groups
The prize for the winners in each category will be a weekend with their
parents in Italy to follow a stage of the Giro d’Italia.

15. Educational purpose
- Visualizing -

16. Other target
We haven’t taken into consideration only
children, but we also thought about organize some
initiatives for fans and foreign audiences.
Laps Abroad
Broadcastingd abroad
Documentaries
Online contests

17. Attract new foreign audience
- Abroad Lap in Croatia CROATIA ROUTE: From Istria to Italy with love
Why?
It is one of the most important commercial partner for Italy
It is going to enter the European Union 2013
Closeness to Italy (minimizing organizational and logistic costs)
Developing European country
Italian roots of Istria, geographically belonging to the Italian territory
Beautiful landscape and places for cycling
Sponsorship with the network of Italian banks that has an headquarter
here in Croatia.

18. Attract new foreign audience
- Abroad Lap in Ireland IRELAND ROUTE: From San Patrick to San Colombano with love
Why?
Dublin is one of the most high tech city in terms of cycling policies
Bike as most used mean of transport by Dubliners (11%)
Government is willing to invest on the Giro or on others cycling races
Italy and Ireland have always been in connection because of many and
various historical reasons, back to the period when many monks left
Ireland coming to Italy. The most famous is San Colombano, who found a
famous monastery in 1612 located in Bobbio (connection with one of the
historical laps of the Giro d’Italia).

19. Attract new foreign audience
- Broadcasting The Giro d’Italia is currently broadcasted in
168 countries worldwide. We are aware that
still many countries are not able to watch it through
media.
We developed some new proposals:
China
Argentina

20. Attract new foreign audience
- Broadcasting in China • 4 years deal with the biggest Chinese broadcaster (CCTV) and sell the
right of Giro to Chinese broadcaster,
offering its audience some very attractive
promotional activities (online contest, documentaries).
Why China?
Country with the highest amount of bicycle users, but most of the
Chinese people use bicycles only to commute, very few travel with the
bicycles
Biggest manufacturing country of bicycles (almost 66% of bicycles are
made in China)
Recent big interest in cycling as a sport and its entertainment value (e.g.
Tour of Beijing)

21. Attract new audience
- Broadcasting in Argentina • 4 years deal with a sportive broadcaster
and sell the rights of Giro to other broadcasters,
offering to the audience some very attractive
promotional activities.
Why Argentina?
The amount of residents moving on two wheels is growing
Buenos Aires government is planning to expand its bike
path surface (up to 100 km)
Massive presence of Italian immigrant community

22. Attract new foreign audience
- Documentary Production of documentary videos, in partnership with
FAI, broadcast in prime time the night before each lap. The
documentary aims to
communicate to foreign audience the
beauty, the arts, the culture and the value of Italy.
Why?
The audience’s attention will be caught and it will be attracted to watch
the broadcasting of Giro d’ Italia to explore one of the most beautiful
countries.
Social responsibility of RCS (increase tourism in Italy and donations to
FAI)

23. Attract new foreign audience
- Online Contest Launch
of an online campaign, in countries such as
China, Japan Russia and Brazil to attract real fans.
Organized and promoted through social media
(Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, etc…)
Upload photos and videos while riding a bicycle and answer to some
questions related to the Giro and Italy in general
Link the Giro with tourism and journey in Italy
Special prizes (tourist packages to Italy and visits to the Giro in Italy)
Partnership with several Italian brands (financing vs. personal
branding and awareness)

24. Benefits and results of the action
plan
Primary audience
• Focus on families and keep the Giro in Italy, since audience abroad
(and not) watches the Giro for Italy itself and the Italian traditions.
• Involve audience in an active way (online contest)
Secondary audience
• Focus on families
• Broadcast of the Giro in new countries, especially with strong interest
and passion for Italy
• Documentaries of historical and geographical values of the laps
• Increase number of foreign teams

25. THANK YOU!
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