Baravalle (Lavazza): No a DN e comunicazione 'fai da te'. Più trasparenza tra cliente - agenzia
About Antonio Baravalle
Antonio Baravalle, CEO of Lavazza, has described the company as "the biggest of the small" among global coffee players, noting that it competes with much larger corporations such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola (which acquired Costa Coffee), and JDE. He has stated that the coffee market will face a "tsunami of consolidation" and that Lavazza must evolve its governance and management to avoid being acquired by larger competitors. Baravalle has emphasized the need for continuous change, saying that when a company performs well, it should immediately ask itself what it is doing to stay ahead, because other firms are already planning how to overtake it. Baravalle has also spoken about the importance of investing in people and education, arguing that innovation is not just about supporting startups but about creating a culture that accepts failure and encourages trying new things. He has called for greater transparency and professionalism in the relationship between companies and advertising agencies, opposing the practice of agencies being paid through media negotiation rights and arguing that clients should not try to replace agencies with in-house capabilities. He has noted that Lavazza's ownership structure, with two families holding 100% of the shares, allows the company to take a long-term view without the pressure of quarterly earnings reports.