In the spotlight
covering materials and is fuelling an increase in competition between rival products. It’s both a risk and an opportunity. The biggest threat comes from LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles), which are aesthetically very similar to ceramic but cheaper and easier to install, although they are not comparable in terms of quality. It’s also worth bearing in mind that ceramic tile is far from being the most widely used flooring material at a world level. Whereas tile accounts for 77% of floor coverings in Italy, it has a share of just 34% in France, 24% in Germany and 14% in the USA. The rest consists of carpet, laminate and other materials. Given the expected contraction in contestable markets, the only way out of the impasse is to increase our slice of the cake. Tile International: With this in mind, in January you launched your new web and
social media campaign entitled “The values of ceramic” with the aim of promoting the advantages of this material. Could you tell us about it? G. Savorani: It’s an unprecedented communication campaign for the Italian ceramic industry in terms of the scale of the investment (more than 2 million euros) and the fact that it involves the participation of our Spanish, German and American competitors and partners, who will share the cost. We kicked off the campaign in January with the Italian web and social media debut of a series of short videoclips (total length 120 seconds) aimed at end consumers, architects and designers in search of flooring solutions that explain the benefits of ceramic tile in terms of health, durability, resistance to acids, ease of cleaning and very low environmental impact. In February the digital campaign was also launched in Europe
(Germany, France, UK) and from March onwards will kick off in the US market and will see strong exposure during Coverings 2019 (9-12 April in Orlando). The communication campaign is just the first step in a project that will continue over the next few months with two comparative studies – one in Europe and the other in America – aimed at further raising awareness of the benefits of ceramic with respect to other competitor materials. Tile International: One of the advantages of non-ceramic competitor materials is their greater ease of installation. How is your association responding to this issue? G. Savorani: In January this year we set up an internal commission to design and organise initiatives catering specially for foreign tile layers, including training events. We are coordinating with Assoposa to avoid any inefficiency or overlap.
The real lack of adequately trained professionals in certain markets further aggravates the problem of installation costs, which are already higher than the cost of the product itself. The issue is further complicated by the growing use of large slabs and panels, where installation becomes an even more critical factor. Tile International: How robust do you think the Italian tile industry is compared to that of other producer countries? G. Savorani: Despite the lacklustre year, we are maintaining our positions in terms of both market share and average selling prices (currently around 13.8 euros/sq.m). We remain the third largest exporter country by volume after China and Spain with 12% of the global market but are still the world leader in terms of value. One factor that has contributed to our shrinking sales in some markets is competition
The Italian ceramic tile industry 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 est.
% var 18/17
Production
512
368
387
400
367
363
382
395
416
422
410
-2.8
Total sales
506
408
413
413
382
389
395
397
415
422
410
-2.8
Domestic market
151
127
124
115
93
87
81
80
83
84
82
-1.8
Exports
355
281
289
298
289
303
314
317
331
338
328
-3.0
Source: Confindustria Ceramica 25
Tile International 1/2019