The sole director of Masserie di Sant’Eramo talks about herself to OOF International Magazine.

Antonisa Perrone is sole director of Masserie di Sant’Eramo and member of the Board of Directors of Natuzzi S.p.A. holding. Raised in a family who has been dedicating to the art of olive oil for three generations, since the beginning of the 20th century, she takes with her a sensitivity bequeathed for a long time, according to the tradition with extreme care and passion for quality. In an interview published by OOF International Magazine, a quarterly magazine about olive oil, the entrepreneur talks about herself and reflects on the role of advertising in the oil sector, on the importance of conveying an authentic message to a sensitive and cultured public, and in particular on the philosophy of Masserie di Sant’Eramo: eating well is an art. Here an excerpt.

The olive oil world is not particularly familiar with advertising. Even the big majors do not invest little.
Do you know why olive oil companies invest little in advertising?

As Masserie di Sant’Eramo we do not invest in mass communication for a decision coherent with positioning: we cater to a niche market where the product image (our bottle won the prestigious Clio Package Design Foods award), the tasting and the word of mouth are important and effective communication vehicles. In the past we tested other communication forms, but we gradually focused on those modalities that present a better return on investment.

You had the courage to invest in a powerfully suggestive corporate video spot, which tells your story, the art of producing extra virgin olive oil and of eating well.
Why this decision? Where does it come from? What did you aim for and which was the target audience of the spot?

The decision of telling the story of Masserie di Sant’Eramo comes from the awareness that we work in a land that expresses great potential in olive production, both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. Consider that Apulia alone is worth (according to Ismea data) 51.9% of the national total, followed by Calabria with 13.6%, Sicily with 11% and Tuscany with only 4.3%. Furthermore, Apulia is considered “the most beautiful region in the world” by National Geographic, as well as “a magical region” by The New York Times. Apulia really fascinates because seen from above it is an expanse of centuries-old and thousand-year old olive trees that triggers great emotions for everyone. Masserie di Sant’Eramo, as a brand, was born in the early 90s, but my family has been dedicating to the art of olive oil for three generations, since the beginning of the 20th century. A sensitivity bequeathed for a long time, according to the tradition with care and passion for quality. We aim at a sensitive audience, careful about culture, quality and health aspect.

How was the spot born and conceived?

At the beginning we started from the idea of creating two different spots: a more emotional version, for the final consumer, and a more institutional one, for the trade, with more technical information and pictures about olive milling and bottling. During the editing phase, these last shots were so touching that we made only one version: a video that revolves around our history, our land, our values, our feelings, and our olive tradition that today is visible on our website www.masserie.com.

Your claim, as Masserie di Sant’Eramo, is “eating well is an art”. Do you think that the association of oil/perfume/taste/health/wellness is the trump card to effectively communicate a food/seasoning so complex and simple as extra virgin olive oil?

The culture of healthy eating to live well is the inspiring principle of Masserie di Sant’Eramo. This philosophy, whose value is increasingly recognized all over the world, finds its maximum expression in the Mediterranean diet; not by chance has the Mediterranean diet been recognized by UNESCO as a protected asset and included in the list of oral and intangible heritage of humanity. At the base of the Mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil, an essential food for a healthy diet. For this reason, Masserie di Sant’Eramo has specialized in the exclusive production of the best olive oil, the cold-pressed extra virgin. I believe the combination of taste and health associated with extra virgin olive oil is an authentic message in which we have always believed in. It is our mission, aimed at enhancing the best resources of our land by meeting the consumer’s needs.