The espresso machines gleamed beneath the gentle Milanese lights as she walked in—her signature pink aesthetic mixing seamlessly with the wealthy aroma of Nespresso’s most interesting brews. This was advertising and marketing at its most interesting. Chiara Ferragni, Italy’s social trend queen, had simply launched a marketing campaign that might shake the influencer marketing industry to its core. The pop-up café was no strange collaboration; it was a masterclass in branding, a fusion of luxurious, life-style, and digital affect so seamless that even the skeptics needed to take notes.
For a second, the world wasn’t speaking about Nespresso’s espresso—they had been speaking about who was ingesting it. The marketing campaign didn’t simply promote a product; it offered a life-style, a temper, an aspiration. It was influencer advertising and marketing at its peak, proving {that a} well-crafted partnership may flip a easy morning ritual into a world dialog. However behind each game-changing marketing campaign like this, there’s a mastermind—the CEOs and visionaries of Milan’s top influencer marketing agencies, the architects of digital affect.
Who’re they? What methods do they use to dominate the European market? And the way are they shaping the way forward for model partnerships within the trend capital of the world? Let’s meet the ability gamers defining Milan’s influencer advertising and marketing scene.
Prime CEOs of Influencer Advertising Firms in Milan
Milan’s influencer advertising and marketing scene isn’t simply thriving—it’s setting world requirements. On the coronary heart of this evolution are the CEOs driving innovation, technique, and cultural affect for prime manufacturers.
1. Olivier Billon
Few names in influencer advertising and marketing carry as a lot affect as Olivier Billon. With a profession rooted in luxury digital marketing, he has taken YKONE from a Paris-based startup to a global leader in influencer marketing, with a footprint in 16 main cities, together with Milan.
His experience wasn’t constructed in a single day. Earlier than founding YKONE in 2008, Billon refined his advertising and marketing acumen at L’Oréal Paris, the place he spearheaded digital initiatives for the corporate’s Luxurious Division. This early publicity to high-end branding set the stage for his company’s specialization—serving to luxurious, trend, journey, and sweetness manufacturers craft influencer-driven campaigns that seamlessly mix storytelling with business success.
YKONE’s Milan workplace, launched in 2019, has grow to be a strategic hub for a few of Italy’s most prestigious manufacturers, together with Gucci, Armani, and Bottega Veneta. Billon’s management ensures that YKONE stays forward of business shifts, embracing new platforms and data-driven insights to maintain manufacturers related in an ever-evolving digital panorama.
Past enterprise, he’s captivated with shaping the way forward for advertising and marketing, lecturing at Sciences Po Paris and mentoring the subsequent era of digital strategists. His capacity to bridge creativity with efficiency has earned him quite a few business accolades, together with Entrepreneur of the 12 months from Ernst & Younger.
2. Gonzalo Cebrián
Some CEOs observe developments—Gonzalo Cebrián builds the instruments that outline them. On the helm of Le Guide Noir, he has remodeled influencer marketing right into a science, creating one of the vital superior social media efficiency platforms accessible at this time.
Based in 2014, Le Information Noir isn’t simply one other creator marketing agency—it’s a full-scale expertise companion. The platform provides 21 specialised modules masking every little thing from influencer discovery to marketing campaign execution and ROI measurement. By harnessing Big Data and AI-powered analytics, Cebrián has given manufacturers the power to fine-tune their social media strategies with pinpoint accuracy.
With a robust presence in Milan and Paris, Le Information Noir has grow to be an important useful resource for luxurious and trend manufacturers seeking to optimize their influencer advertising and marketing efforts. The corporate’s analytical method ensures that manufacturers don’t simply run campaigns but additionally maximize engagement, retention, and conversion charges.
Cebrián’s contributions transcend software program—he’s additionally an educator, sharing his insights as a Visitor Professor at IE Enterprise College and a frequent speaker at business summits. His perception in data-driven decision-making has redefined how manufacturers method influencer advertising and marketing, proving that success isn’t nearly artistic storytelling but additionally about measurable affect.
3. Lara Ricciotti
Lara Ricciotti isn’t fascinated with sustaining the established order—she’s decided to redefine it. Since getting into the position of CEO at Spada Media Group in 2024, she has launched into an formidable journey to increase the company’s attain, rebrand its picture, and solidify its popularity as a pacesetter in influencer advertising and marketing.
Her profession with Spada Media Group spans almost a decade, having beforehand served as a companion, COO, and co-founder. By means of these roles, she performed a key half in shaping the company’s core choices, notably in press relations, artistic manufacturing, and influencer collaborations. Now, as CEO, she’s elevating the company’s strategic method, guaranteeing that manufacturers don’t simply work with influencers however create significant, high-impact partnerships.
Ricciotti’s imaginative and prescient goes past advertising and marketing metrics. She’s dedicated to constructing an organization rooted in inclusivity, sustainability, and innovation. With plans to safe ESG and gender equality certifications by 2025, she’s positioning Spada Media Group as not only a advertising and marketing company however a model with function.
Her affect extends to the company’s rebranding, overseeing every little thing from a modern new web site to an expanded artistic workforce. She’s additionally main the launch of Say Cheese srl, a brand new enterprise specializing in digital content material manufacturing, together with 360° video and interactive experiences.
4. Igor Cobalchini
Igor Cobalchini doesn’t match the mildew of a standard CEO—and that’s precisely why he’s shaping the way forward for influencer advertising and marketing. Because the founding father of Officine Venticinque, he has constructed an company that thrives on agility, innovation, and an intuition for what actually resonates within the digital panorama.
Initially from Bassano del Grappa, Cobalchini carved his path in Milan’s aggressive advertising and marketing scene by launching an organization that prioritizes creativity and authenticity over inflexible buildings. Officine Venticinque shortly gained recognition as a top-tier marketing and communication agency, working with a few of Italy’s most influential digital creators. A standout marketing campaign—Tera Problem with Basso Bikes—showcased his capacity to merge storytelling with model technique, turning on-line engagement into real-world affect.
Cobalchini’s management model is refreshingly unconventional. He dismisses inflexible titles, preferring to be seen as a hands-on strategist somewhat than a standard government. This mindset retains Officine Venticinque adaptable, guaranteeing that the company stays forward of the curve in an business that’s consistently evolving.
Past working campaigns, he’s additionally an energetic digital presence himself. By means of his private Instagram (@igorcoba) and his company’s TikTok (@officineventicinque), he engages straight with audiences, embodying the authenticity that at this time’s social media panorama calls for.
5. Lorenza Bassetti
Lorenza Bassetti has spent greater than three many years on the forefront of PR and influencer advertising and marketing, redefining how manufacturers construct belief and long-term credibility. Her management at Ad Mirabilia has remodeled the company into certainly one of Milan’s most revered unbiased corporations, mixing basic media relations with the fast-moving world of digital affect.
Her profession started within the editorial world, collaborating with iconic publications like Harper’s Bazaar and Cosmopolitan earlier than making the leap into PR. In 1990, she launched Advert Mirabilia—not merely to supply companies, however to form the business itself. Immediately, her company focuses on company PR, digital storytelling, and influencer collaborations, working with over 300 manufacturers to create campaigns that generate extra than simply visibility—they foster genuine engagement.
Beneath Bassetti’s steerage, Advert Mirabilia has pioneered influencer relations, specializing in credibility and strategic partnerships somewhat than short-lived buzz. Whether or not curating unique experiences for digital creators or driving cultural conversations by means of thought management campaigns, her method ensures that each collaboration aligns with the model’s values and long-term imaginative and prescient.
Latest initiatives like selling the Air Label Rating Institute and main PR efforts for Eatable Adventures 2024 showcase her capacity to merge digital innovation with deep business perception. Her philosophy is evident: efficient advertising and marketing isn’t nearly making noise—it’s about constructing belief that lasts. In a fast-changing media panorama, Bassetti stays a guiding power, proving that affect is strongest when it’s constructed on credibility.
6. Mariano Daga
Some entrepreneurs give attention to visibility—Mariano Daga focuses on affect. His work at IDA – Influencer Digital Agency has positioned him as a strategic power in influencer advertising and marketing, crafting campaigns that don’t simply attain audiences however genuinely resonate with them.
His journey by means of the advertising and marketing world has been dynamic, with expertise spanning roles at L’Oréal, Roger Vivier, and Rai Pubblicità. Rising by means of the ranks at IDA from Junior Account Supervisor to Technique Director, he has performed a pivotal position in shaping influencer campaigns for powerhouse manufacturers like Vinted, Bumble, Google, and Qatar Airways. His capacity to merge artistic storytelling with data-driven insights ensures that each marketing campaign is optimized for optimum engagement and ROI.
Daga’s experience shines in his capacity to align manufacturers with purpose-driven narratives. He has been instrumental in bringing McFit to TikTok, proving that even a health model can thrive in an area dominated by viral trends. Whether or not it’s amplifying sustainable trend initiatives for Vinted or creating genuine connections for Bumble, his method is all the time rooted in authenticity.
7. Samantha De Reviziis
Samantha De Reviziis has constructed a profession on the intersection of luxurious, trend, and digital affect, reshaping how high-end manufacturers have interaction with audiences on-line. By means of her management at Instasamy, she has created a powerhouse company that blends creativity, technique, and performance-driven influencer campaigns.
Her experience is constructed on greater than a decade of expertise, working with business leaders like Max Mara, Pinko, Venchi, and Ermanno Scervino. However what actually units her aside is her capacity to bridge conventional luxurious advertising and marketing with the fast-paced world of social media. Whether or not she’s orchestrating viral activations at trend weeks in Milan, Paris, New York, and Shanghai or crafting high-impact collaborations between manufacturers and creators, De Reviziis ensures that each marketing campaign delivers each status and measurable outcomes.
Past Instasamy, her affect extends into trend journalism, serving as a media consultant for Harper’s Bazaar Qatar, Grazia Qatar, and Esquire Qatar. These deep business connections enable her to strategically place manufacturers the place they’ll have probably the most affect, guaranteeing they’re seen not simply by many, however by the appropriate audiences.
Her philosophy is easy: digital advertising and marketing isn’t about following developments—it’s about setting them. With an method that mixes artistic storytelling with data-backed precision, De Reviziis is pushing the boundaries of what influencer advertising and marketing can obtain.
8. Stephan (Lukinski) Czaja
Stephan Czaja, widely known as Lukinski, isn’t simply shaping influencer advertising and marketing—he’s increasing its prospects. His work at CM X Creator is setting a brand new customary for a way manufacturers and influencers collaborate, prioritizing transparency, technique, and long-term model affect.
His background spans a number of industries, from media to actual property to digital advertising and marketing, giving him a uniquely holistic perspective on model development. He first gained recognition with CM Fashions, an company that helped uncover and develop modeling expertise in trend capitals like Milan, Paris, and New York. From there, he expanded into digital affect, launching Social Media One to bridge the hole between manufacturers and creators.
At CM X Creator, Czaja combines these experiences to craft influencer campaigns that transcend social media developments. His work extends into digital influencer expertise, together with producing digital trend exhibits like his groundbreaking 2021 occasion with MarcCain. Past his company work, Czaja is a sought-after business voice. His e book, The Mannequin E book, serves as a roadmap for aspiring expertise, and his insights have been featured on RTL, Pro7, and Enterprise Insider. His method to influencer advertising and marketing is evident: mix strategic planning with digital-first creativity to create campaigns that drive actual outcomes.
As influencer advertising and marketing evolves, Czaja stays a number one determine, guaranteeing that manufacturers aren’t simply maintaining however staying forward. Whether or not it’s by means of conventional influencer partnerships or pioneering new digital experiences, his imaginative and prescient continues to form the business’s subsequent chapter.
Milan’s Influencer Titans: The Architects of Digital Success
The CEOs behind Milan’s prime influencer advertising and marketing corporations aren’t simply working companies—they’re shaping the way forward for model engagement. From luxurious campaigns to cutting-edge digital methods, these visionary leaders are redefining how manufacturers join with audiences in a quickly evolving house.
Whether or not by means of AI-powered analytics, high-impact storytelling, or seamless influencer collaborations, their companies are remodeling firms into cultural powerhouses. As influencer advertising and marketing continues to evolve, these corporations will stay on the forefront, proving that in Milan, digital affect isn’t only a development—it’s an artwork type, meticulously crafted by the business’s most forward-thinking minds.
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Author
Jacqueline Zote is a contract author and content material producer. She writes for main blogs within the digital advertising and marketing house. Her areas of experience embody influencer advertising and marketing, social media advertising and marketing, social media administration, and content material advertising and marketing.
