Natuzzi teams up with US ballet group
Italian leather furnishings company, Natuzzi Group, has announced that it is working with Natuzzi Italia Dealer Urban Furnishings, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in support of the Tulsa Ballet.
The owner of Urban Furnishings, Rebecca Joskey, asked Italian-born ballet mistress Daniela Buson to help her learn Italian in preparation for a trip to the Natuzzi Group factory in Santeramo, Italy. Ms Buson agreed to help Ms Joskey prepare for her trip, and after conversations about Tulsa’s ballet tradition, Ms Joskey saw a co-branding opportunity, which the Natuzzi Group executives agreed to.
As part of the sponsorship, Natuzzi donated cooperative advertising dollars directly to the ballet company in the name of Urban Furnishings. Ms Joskey matched the funds with the cost of professionally photographing the dancers interacting with Natuzzi Italia furniture and targeted advertising.
Other ballet-related promotions include drawings for tickets to every one of the ballet company’s performances this season.
Ms Joskey told local media: “Natuzzi Italia is very important to the economy of the area where Pasquale Natuzzi is from and he has long demonstrated a strong sense of community. By supporting the arts in this way, his generosity is building community here in Tulsa as well. That’s an awesome thing, particularly in this economy.”
Brad Cates, senior vice president, Natuzzi Americas, said: “Being successful in today’s environment requires a great deal of creativity from a marketing standpoint. The Natuzzi Group was extremely pleased to support Urban Furnishings’ innovative, co-branding efforts which are clearly paying off with greater awareness of the Natuzzi Italia brand among luxury consumers in the Tulsa marketplace.”
