Comments Off on Here’s why you should sell a controversial product online and why it works!
by Nickycappa8
My business sells Italian lucky charms and amulets. The famous cornicello aka the Italian horn! In Italy, they look like a chilli but they’re actually a bull’s horn and you see it a lot in the traditional red colour hence why people call them a chilli!
Jewellery is not normally controversial. But our jewellery sometimes stirs some serious emotions in people!
Why? It’s the combinations we combine our pendants with.
Sometimes we will pair a cornicello and a Madonna pendant. Yes, sometimes we mix superstition and religion. Oooh, I know so dangerous!
Controversial? Yes. They are also our most popular sets and bestsellers!
I personally don’t have a problem combining a little Italian superstition with religious medals.
Some people disagree with us but here’s why I think it works:
Starts a conversation. Sometimes good and bad but increases our engagement at the end of the day. Which includes tags and comments.
Differentiates ourselves from everyone else. We’re mixing modern with tradition.
Breaking down those cultural and traditional barriers. Our younger audience loves our new twist and take on the old ways.
Brand awareness. I believe our brand is becoming more well-known and getting noticed as a result of our controversial pieces.
Sales boost. People want to be different with their accessories. They also want that extra boost of luck and protection they believe they will get.
In a sea of products and marketers where everything has been done. What product can you sell that you can put a little controversial twist on?
Thanks for reading! Interested in starting your own Italian product business?
Content is king and creating new products is the queen.
Basically to succeed in e-commerce you need to be continually in creation mode.
The king says entertain the masses. The queen says give them new products.
The number one driving force of my business has been creating content. It’s a cliché but true. If you’re not in creation mode you’re in death mode.
We try to entertain and dazzle our audience while attracting new customers into the funnel.
We feed them professional photography, stories, and posts every day. We create new products and collections weekly. Launching new themed products and announcing restocks.
We’re always planning ahead for fresh story ideas or special events like the 4th of July or an upcoming sale, promotion, or holiday.
We write blog posts that answer people’s questions to drive organic traffic to our site. We then repurpose all our content for socials to our email list.
The advantage of constantly being in creation mode is we’re always pivoting and coming up with new ideas. We get better at everything every day because we are constantly in execution mode.
Everything is evolving including your business and brand and the only way for you to survive and thrive is to be constantly creating.
Here is everything you need to know about one of the biggest Jewellery Exhibitions in Italy, Vicenza Oro.
Held every year for trade only, you can find everything from designers, manufacturers, seminars on trends, luxury jewelry, unbranded jewelry, and more.
My sister and I own the online jewelry store Bella Luck Charms. We specialize in Italian Cornicello jewelry and lucky charms. We decided to go and see if we could source some more suppliers and just get a feel for trends, meet people in our industry and look for new business opportunities.
We spent a full two days there from the 9th-10th September 2022.
Here is what we learned and experienced. Enjoy!
Traveling to Vicenza
Vicenza is in the North of Italy, between Verona and Venice. It is a small city in the region of Veneto and has its own airport which you can get a connecting flight to.
We decided to fly to Rome from Australia and make our way up to Vicenza by train, which was the cheaper option for us. You can fly to Vicenza which might be easier for you depending on where you are traveling from.
After a little sightseeing in Rome, we packed our luggage and headed to Rome Termini.
We weren’t prepared for train travel in Italy and had no idea where you are supposed to store your large suitcases until someone said you can put them in between the seats!
The regional trains in Italy have power plugs for your phones and of course a bistro on board – we are in Italy after all!
The train from Rome to Vicenza
It took about 5 hours to get to Vicenza. We stayed just out of the city in Longarre (about 30 mins) which we had no idea was going to be an issue. Many taxi drivers won’t go too far out of the city and you will have to ring and book your taxi in advance.
Tips for staying in Vicenza
Book your accommodation in advance as close to the convention center as possible.
If you end up staying outside the city of Vicenza and don’t have a car be prepared to find it difficult to get around.
If traveling by train try to travel as light as possible. Large suitcases are a pain at train stations and in the heat.
Preparing for Vicenza Oro
Register your attendance, create your entry pass ticket/badge and download the App on your phone. Link your entry pass ticket to your app on your phone so you can easily enter with a barcode. You can print a physical pass beforehand or at the exhibition. Lanyards and printing stations are provided but I think scanning your phone is much easier.
Leading up to your visit to Vicenza Oro you should start exploring the app for exhibitors, events, speakers, and seminars you would like to visit.
Familiarize yourself with the map. There are many sections or ‘halls’ such as fashion jewelry, manufacturers, branded jewelry, unbranded jewelry, high-end jewels and so much more.
There is a lot of security inside and outside the expo. We carried our passports just in case we needed ID for our badges or if there were any problems. After all, we didn’t want to travel all this way for nothing!
Important: Vicenza Oro is huge and I mean massive so the more prepared you are the better.
Tips for preparing:
Get clear on your goals and what you want to achieve at the expo.
Bring business cards and include your WhatsApp number. Most Italian businesses prefer to chat on WhatsApp rather than email.
Organize your transportation to get to the expo. Vicenza is very busy during this time and it can be difficult to get a taxi.
Wear comfortable shoes and carry water.
Bars and restaurants get very busy so if you see an opportunity to grab something to eat quickly – do it!
Bring cash. If you plan on buying products at the expo. Many exhibitors will only deal in cash. Some do have Eftpos machines but we found many only dealt in cash.
Know your limit for customs. How many goods can you bring in without being charged tax?
Book appointments with exhibitors in advance if you would like to discuss their products. Some will be happy to talk to you on the spot. Others you will need to book an appointment.
Attending Vicenza Oro
A Jewelry Exhibitor
Yay! You made it! Welcome to one of the biggest Jewellery Fairs in Italy.
Before you get all overwhelmed with the sheer enormity of the Expo. Know that everyone is here to showcase their products and services for you.
We found most exhibitors were friendly, warm, and wanted to do business with us. Italians like face-to-face business and all could speak English.
Do take detailed notes and collect business cards. You are not allowed to take pictures inside but we did take pictures of stall names and numbers for our own records.
The bars, restaurants, and coffee were plentiful but did get rather busy towards the end of the day. In typical Italian fashion, there were Panini and an array of mixed salads available.
We recommend planning on staying for the full three days. It took us a day to find our feet and make any progress.
Sorting and shopping for Jewels
Warning: We don’t recommend bulk-buying items. We had an incident where we were presented with an ‘inflated’ invoice and pressured to pay. Easy to do when you are dealing with hundreds of small items and our inexperience. This leads to my next point.
Don’t get caught up in all the hype especially if you’re not experienced. Stick to your budget. Most suppliers have websites or WhatsApp number. Make contact and develop relationships. Do not go on a mega-shopping spree.
Overall we had a great experience at Vicenza Oro and we would come back!
After an exhausting day, it’s best to head to the center of Vicenza to enjoy a much-deserved Aperitivo!
