Blacksmith Rocher. Selling bonbons in Portugal for three decades
It has been on the national market for three decades and continues to be one of the beloved brands of the Portuguese.
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The Italian Ferrero Rocher – which prides itself on being one of the world’s great chocolate products companies – is present in 170 countries and has a global turnover of over 12.5 million euros. Portugal contributed with 62 million euros (data from September 2020 to August 2021), with Ferrero Ibérica, which comprises the Portuguese and Spanish market, invoiced 272 million euros. A growth of 5% compared to the previous year.
“We believe that the numbers at the end of August are incremental data with positive performances, at the Iberian level and very positive in Portugal”, boasts the Director of Corporate Communication and Institutional Relations of the Ferrero Group, Franco Martino.
“Normally, in Portugal, it is said that Christmas begins when Ferrero starts to assemble its displays in stores”, he says in an interview with Dinheiro Vivo, explaining that, in Portuguese lands, the company employs 30 people. Globally, it has more than 43,000 employees.
With 2022 almost ending in a crisis scenario and with forecasts for 2023 indicating that it will be a year of economic convergence – due to the war in Ukraine and the subsequent one – Franco Martino remains optimistic. “A lesson I’ve learned over the years is that you have to stay calm because, generally, these situations are cyclical”.
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The official does not, however, fail to mention that we are going through a complicated situation. “The war is the main cause of the maintenance and there is no forecast of when it could end. Ferrero is experiencing the increase in raw materials and their lack of availability”, he declares.
Despite everything, the company is committed to reducing the price increases of its products as much as possible. “This is achieved through optimization. We reviewed our business process, optimized the cost chains down to the detail that may impact the final price of our products”, he explains, noting that the increase in energy prices is another of the components that affect very price level.
For Franco Martino, the solution is to always work with an eye on the future, with a view to growth and constant improvement. “It’s a philosophy we have at Ferrero. Despite the global economic situation, we are constantly looking to innovate.”
And he details that the company has, in recent years, entered and conquered a relevant presence in new markets, such as biscuits and ice cream, with the acquisition of a factory in Spain.
“This means having hope in the future and in a future that will be better. We have an obligation to create jobs, create value for all our employees and customers, we are on this path. 2022”, he reinforces.
protect the environment
Environmental protection and the search for sustainability are concerns of the brand. Franco Martino explains that Ferrero Rocher is one of the promoters of the Declaration of Amsterdam (commitment to eradicate deforestation resulting from agricultural commodity chains with links to European countries) and that it participates in the creation of institutions to make the transformation of the chain possible of supply for the entire sector.
The intention is to move from political commitments to actions and real results. “We work together with non-governmental organizations so that we can incorporate civil society representatives and this is a point that can guarantee the transparency of the activity”, he emphasizes.
Although he cannot change a century and a half of industrial culture in half a dozen years, Franco Martino is astonished by the results that have already been achieved.
“I have been working in the industry for almost 40 years and in the last three or four years, the speed at which this change has taken place is incredible”, he praises, saying that he is still immune to the fact that, in a short time, there will be a real transformation of the system. “I hope that there is a global and collective conscience that can assume this as a real commitment. And only with this type of attitude that contributes to change things”.