Joseph Anthony Miceli and his revolutionary view
Joseph Anthony Miceli: "Without sustainability, you are lost in business".
"The choice is yours, the moment is now", is the slogan of Joseph Anthony Miceli Founder of Branding Srl, a company that aims to change the way we do marketing by making business in Italy and the world more eco-sustainable. After 20 years in America, Joseph has chosen to re-start from London, where he lives, shuttling with the Italian headquarters of Marina di Massa. The Branding cluster has grown in a short time. It has succeeded in adding prestigious companies such as Marchetti, Stone Cash, Progetti e Produzioni, Querciola Quarry, Alpe and establishing prestigious partnerships with Show Event Roma leader in the television and sports events.
Tommaso Carli Interview Joseph Anthony Miceli CEO of Branding SRL.
TC: What does it mean, "The choice is yours, the moment is now”?
JM: "The choice is yours, the time is now" simply means that if your company does not have a sustainable strategy, it will have no future. We at Branding work in this direction every day.
TC: Have we reached the end of the line?
JM: We've come to a crossroads and not just from an environmental point of view. Companies today need to have the ability to measure their environmental impact by demonstrating the essential factors for governance. Customers are asking for it, workers are asking for it, stakeholders are asking for it.
TC: Of course, it is important to adopt this vision. However, it also requires investment and a strong commitment of resources.
JM: We all need to bring out a culture of sustainability, we don't start from investments, we start from corporate culture and a personal predisposition of individuals who choose to embrace a project. We all have to start asking ourselves questions, and we have to ask ourselves if we want to be part of a change. We have to start not thinking about investments but changing the paradigm, our way of life. This change must first be pleasant, and we must be convinced that we are doing the right thing.
TC: Will the stakeholders be happy with all these changes? What are the costs?
JM: A sustainable company that manages to position itself and stand out by achieving its goals is a company that can undoubtedly make stakeholders happy. You don't have to talk about costs. There are no costs for stakeholders, but rather investments to improve their companies. You have to plan a strategy that will bring to stakeholders a long-term return.
TC: What are the mistakes not to make at this particular time?
JM: During this process of change, one must, first of all, avoid making proclamations and promises that are impossible to keep. This is essential to maintain credibility. The vision must be long-term; our process must lead us to have small, repeatable, and constant goals over time. We must not do actions that have only a momentary media impact, but our goal must be to work together to create a lifestyle. All this must also be accompanied by structural changes within our companies, which must look decisively to the future without turning to the past.
TC: Do you think sustainability could be a fashion of the moment?
JM: I hope not, that's why I always turn to young people, and I don't miss the opportunity to promote conferences and training inside and outside our companies.
TC: What is happening at Branding Srl today?
JM: Today Branding is positioned in the market as a modern company; sustainability is part of our culture. Our goal is to be healthy carriers of a healthy lifestyle. We have to bring our values to the companies we represent. We are delighted to note a strong sense of gratitude from our customers, employees, collaborators, and suppliers. We are ready to accept new challenges; we cannot do so only by thinking about the margins of our well-being. The prosperity of a company today has other indicators. We cannot remain anchored to certain beliefs of the past. Following our business ethics is a must!
TC: Business ethics for many entrepreneurs is almost an oxymoron.
JM: Not, our business ethics do not go against the profits and specific rules of the past. We keep asking ourselves questions about achieving specific goals, we simply understood it can be done through a different path. Business ethics, a sustainable business, does not mean not making sales and profits, but doing it differently, I dare say, can be even more enjoyable and fun.
TC: Sustainability that you have decided to achieve by investing in an Italian location. How important is the Made in Italy factor in the companies of your cluster?
JM: We are all citizens of the world, I can say that Italy must have the courage to reinvest in the products and professionalism of our country. We are the most envied country in the world because of our culture and biodiversity. Our engineers and managers go abroad making the fortune of top-level companies. We in Branding have dared to structure a young and dynamic team.
TC: In addition, sustainability rhymes with digitization for many. You at Branding have set an example by organizing the first digital Stone Fair: a temporary experience or an opportunity for the future?
JM: Surely the Smart Stone Fair in May exceeded all expectations in terms of participation. Digital is the future and allows us to reduce important logistic costs, as well as having an almost zero environmental impact. I think that if we can find the right balance between digital and traditional events, we may already have taken a significant step towards an eco-sustainable economy. We at Branding will always be at the forefront of achieving this goal.
TC: Thanks for the interview.