Interview with Jane Reeve
Chief Communication Officer, Ferrari
How would you articulate the benefits of brands to society?
All brands act as a guarantee of quality. To live up to that guarantee, you need capital and the right people, so the creation and maintenance of brands leads to investment and jobs. If you are looking at the big picture of the economy right now, that is no small implication.
Ferrari’s values include tradition and innovation. So, in living up to our values there is major investment in technology and equally, the commitment to tradition, means we are keeping artisanal skills and craftsmanship alive.
Do you think that these benefits are widely understood and acknowledged within society?
Probably not enough, because the brands themselves don't talk enough about it. Brands should make sure that they are opening a dialogue. People don’t just want to know what you produce but how you produce it. It’s a conversation piece, that wasn't so important years ago, but one that has now become crucial.
Do you think there are any particular markets or countries that are pursuing marketing restrictions particularly aggressively?
We live in a global village because all brands have an impact at a worldwide level these days. I think it would probably be wrong for brands to think in a localised way because the impact they can have is by definition international.
Do you think restrictions on marketing should be the brand's responsibility, or should it be, for example, governments imposing these restrictions? Who do you think the main responsibilities should lie with?
There should be joint responsibility and there needs to be dialogue and an exchange of information between the two sides. Often regulations are imposed on brands without sufficient understanding of their business and the implications. I don't think imposing directly without that understanding is the solution. It has to be a conversation between brands and governments and there has to be common sense in the application.
Do you think marketing restrictions are an issue purely for marketing, financial teams and corporate management or should this go wider?
Well, this is something that touches all parts of the company down to the people who develop the products and how the products are being developed in the first place. The more people involved, the more likely you’ll be able to foresee issues before they arrive.
