New FSGC Business Team meeting on the value of a company’s history

A new meeting of the FSGC Business Team took place on Tuesday 29 September, featuring a session focused on the value of history as a strategic resource for businesses.

Guest speaker was Marco Montemaggi, Corporate Heritage Manager, one of Italy’s leading experts in the enhancement of historic industrial heritage as a strategic asset for companies and local areas. The meeting opened with the concept of “corporate culture”, understood as the result of a company’s history, values, production methods, rules and working culture which, over time, help shape its identity and are then shared with everyone who works with the company, both internally and externally. Particular attention was devoted to Heritage Marketing, namely the opportunity to transform a company’s historic heritage into a marketing and communication tool, especially capable of strengthening and showcasing its identity. A company’s history can in fact represent a distinctive element in building its Brand Identity, precisely because it is the only element that cannot be copied. The discussion then turned to the role of corporate archives and museums, tools through which a brand’s history can be preserved and told, but also genuine cultural institutions able to contribute to the wider narrative of a territory. For many organisations in Italy, giving value to their past is the cornerstone for standing out in the market, reinforcing the sense of belonging and building a deeper relationship with their community. In conclusion, this topic of museums was also linked to the world of sport, in particular to the relationship between football, identity and historic heritage. Montemaggi posed a significant question: “Why should a football club or a stadium have a museum?” The answer lies in the strong identity that characterises these entities and in their ability to engage large numbers of passionate supporters all over the world.