Craft meets influencers

from: luc

Bolzano – The extent to which influencer marketing contributes to the interest of young people in skilled trades was discussed today at the Crafts Day in the lvh. Through a targeted presence on social media and close collaboration with young influencers, craftsmanship can become even more visible as a diverse, colorful and promising profession.

“Today’s Craft Day was about one of the most important topics in attracting young talent: influencer marketing. In an increasingly digital world, this instrument offers a valuable opportunity for young people to get excited about the craft and make them curious about the different career opportunities. One of the main goals of the trade association for crafts and service providers (lvh.apa) is to find new talent and position the craft in an attractive way, especially on social media. This strategic presence has greatly contributed to bringing practical careers to the focus of the younger generation. The success of the digital and analogue degrees is clear from the positive development in the number of apprentices: Although there were 4,326 apprentices in South Tyrol in 2014, this number has increased to 5,612 by 2024. This is an increase of a huge 30 percent over the past ten years. “

“Investing in young people is a key task in the craft sector. Dual training is a key success factor, as the excellent performance of young South Tiree tradesmen and women at WorldSkills has demonstrated once again. “Social media not only provides an opportunity to sell products, but also to show how versatile, colorful and powerful the craft is,” said President Martin Haller.

The fact that the topic of influencer marketing is being discussed as a global phenomenon is also demonstrated by a “three-country, three-issue tour” with representatives from Austria, Germany and Italy. Franz All three stressed the importance of this marketing tool and asked to use it. Deputy Governor and State Counselor for Economic Affairs Marco Galateo also emphasized the importance of meeting young people where they are active – on social media.

Examples from practice

The use of influencer marketing was discussed in an interesting conversation with seven young influencers and trade representatives. Influencer and carpenter Ben Berger from Germany and influencer and interior decorator Romina Haller from Switzerland exchanged ideas with the young South Tyrolean entrepreneurs Thomas Mair (butcher), Tanja and Tamara Breitenberger (insulators), Manuel Pernthaler (HLS technician) and the state chairman of the young craftsmen in the lvh. The discussion was about the impact of social media on the level of awareness of companies, what are the objectives behind the presence in social networks and what are the challenges and effects of social media on sales numbers and recruiting young talent. Conclusion of the tour: Corporate marketing and influencer marketing are essential today to position the craft in a contemporary way. The discussion was then supplemented with interesting examples presented by Evelyn Unterfrauner, moderator and founder of NONSTOP CREATING GmbH in Munich. She demonstrated the potential of social media marketing and provided valuable tips on how companies can effectively use these tools to attract and engage young people.

Major performers in the craft industry were honored

This year’s Craft Day again offered two special moments of recognition and appreciation. The very special award of the event was the presentation of the craft sponsorship award, which was given by the Association for the Promotion of Crafts. V. given. A few years ago, this association launched the ‘Award for Exceptional Excellence in Crafts’, which is awarded to people or institutions who have made a special contribution to the development of crafts. The award is aimed at winners from the German Alpine region. This year the choice fell on the German documentary filmmaker and producer Franz Xaver Gernstl. “Mr. Gernstl’s unique style of interviewing makes it clear that the meaning of craftsmanship brings people joy. With his reports, he allows us to truly share what people achieve creatively and what drives them passionately.” The winner of the award was congratulated by President Martin Haller and Vice President Hannes Mussak.

At the end of the event, the medal winners of WorldSkills 2024 were honored. The young craftsmen in the lvh, together with their main sponsor Südtiroler Volksbank, once again drew attention to the outstanding achievements of the four winners. Mariano Paris, Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Volksbank, took the opportunity to symbolically present a check to the young talents – a well-deserved recognition of their incredible success. “We are convinced that craftsmanship is the backbone of our society. By presenting the check to the WorldSkills winners, we want to honor their outstanding achievement and express our support for the younger generation,” said Mariano Paris, Head of Corporate Communications/Marketing at Volksbank.

The Craft Day ended in a relaxed atmosphere, with shared networking and a buffet, where participants had the opportunity to share ideas and discuss new ideas for the future of crafts.