Faema renews its sponsorship of the Giro d’Italia and launches a survey on the habits of Italians

There are passions, habits and rituals that unite and bring together Italians. Traditions that continue from generation to generation and which are part of what we understand (and feel) today as “Italianness”. One of them is definitely the Tour of Italy, the beloved stage race that crosses our country every May and is followed by 4 out of 5 Italians (79.5%); the second is the coffeedrunk by 83.1% of Italians several times a week.

It is from this first link that the research begins “Coffee & Giro d’Italia, two passions with an all-Italian flavour” commissioned by Faema (brand of Gruppo Cimbali) and created by AstraSearch on a sample of over 1,000 people (18-65 years old, residing in Italy), on the occasion of the second year of official sponsorship of the Giro d’Italia. A three-year partnership – launched in 2022 – which has rekindled the spirits of enthusiasts and which today intends to provide a point of view with a pop and innovative flavour on two passions (coffee and the Giro d’Italia) which represent the concept of the partnership this year: #TheWayWeLove.

“Together with AstraRicerche we wanted to investigate what the common elements were between the drink and the competition most loved by Italians – he has declared Enrico Bracesco, General Manager of Gruppo Cimbali –. It was interesting to discover how much the same values ​​of the Giro are shared by coffee lovers and how the two passions intertwine in a sensational mix of pleasure, tradition, sharing and aggregation. The research confirms, once again, Faema’s historical link with the cycling world and intends to tell the evolution of an innovative brand, always able to give consumers a unique experience, just as the beloved competition continues to do for over 100 year.

“Faema has always been part of the large family of the Giro d’Italia and since last year it has fully returned as a sponsor of the Corsa Rosa thanks to an international company such as the Cimbali Group. The Giro d’Italia is a national and international showcase as well as a multimedia communication platform capable of guaranteeing all our partners enormous visibility thanks to the over 200 countries in the world where it will be broadcast. Faema is hand in glove with the world of cycling and the Corsa Rosa with the historic team which, between the 50s and 60s, won the Giro in 1956 with Charly Gaul and in 1968 with Eddy Merckx as well as winning the team classification in the 1961, 1962 1968” commented Mauro Vegni, Director of th

Follow the Giro… and drink a good coffee

The research, a real “on the road” encounter between the two passions, highlights how Italians follow the Giro d’Italia: they do so by watching one or more live broadcasts (on television, online streaming or via radio: 46.7%), or thanks to news updates and sports programs on TV or on the Web (31.5%) or on the radio (11.2%); almost one in six reads about it in newspapers (print or online: 15.9).

But the Giro d’Italia is also direct contact and sharing of emotions where the pink race passes: al 17.8% some Italians happened to follow him live, in person. It may happen that you follow him home alone (48.5%), but it is more common to watch it at home with other people (53.3% – true for all generations) or at the bar/pub (for well the 19.5% – especially for Gen Z: 30).

Coffee (or drinks containing it, such as cappuccino), on the other hand, is drunk by the83.1% of Italians several times a week  as many as 68.6% do it every day. At home or away from home? For many it is a “both … both” and overall we are almost on par: l’80.0% drinks coffee at home (76.2% at home, 36.2% at someone else’s home), 74.4% outside the home (56.7% at the bar, 30.5% at work or study, 24.3% at the restaurant, the 13.0% in night clubs/pubs).

The values ​​of the Giro… and those of coffee

Following the Giro d’Italia is certainly a pleasure for the 39.9% of Italians, but also a nice mix of relaxation and experience to share with other people. The Giro d’Italia is associated with positive ideas and values, and the attribution is very wide: it is a race that unites all Italians (74.2%), it is the sharing of a passion of other people (69.0%), it is a pleasant topic to talk about with others (58.8%); but the Giro is also personal history (childhood memories: 64.2%) and a family tradition (56.9%).

Il coffee it shares many aspects with the Giro d’Italia: it is first of all a Pleasure (64.9%) and then – just like following the stage race – a moment of relax (52.3%) and one of the best ways to do break in the day (40.6%); but it is also a product related to sharing: an excuse to have a chat with other people (27.2%), a real experience to share (22.8%). And if cyclists need energy, power, charge, coffee is the perfect ally for Italians to concentrate or to wake up better (34.2%).

The Giro and coffee as the “glue” of the Italians

For 30.1% of those interviewed, the stage race is associated with the idea of ​​sociability and sharing. An aggregation that we certainly find also at bar: for 54.0% it is the place to meet friends, for 31.9% it represents “the social network of Italians before Facebook”. It is at the bar that we meet new people (22.5%), the speeches of strangers are heard (14.2%), we discuss current events (25.0%) but also of sports (20.3%): this is where we meet for major sporting events, such as football, even for the major stages of the Giro d’Italia (23.7%).

Success is teamwork, at the Giro as well as at the bar

The Faema research also offers us an interesting parallel on the roles of everyone within a team to achieve success, in the race for the Giro d’Italia as well as at the bar. According to the Italians, during the race there are four main figures that determine the success of a team: the sprinter (70.2%) which beats even lo climber (60.9%), il captain (60.8%) which exceeds – not by much, as is typical of the spirit of cycling – the gregarious (53.7%).

At the bar, on the other hand, to obtain a good coffee, you need to carefully choose the right blend (79.7%), but that’s not enough. Here too, teamwork is needed: the used car has wide relevance (44.8%) but the ‘thousand’ of those who prepare the coffee, the ability to do it with attention to the quantities, times (39.6%). At the bottom of the group we find the quality of water (31.7%).

What if bartenders were a team taking part in the Giro d’Italia? According to the research, the coffee attendant could perform different roles: for the 39.8% is a climber, to face the peaks of customers, for the 33.0% a passista, resistant in preparing many coffees – one after the other – without stopping, and for the 27.2% a sprinter, preparing the drink in a very short time.

Get to know the Italian beauties between the bar and the Giro

One of the lesser known aspects of the Tour of Italy is his role astourist guide” for the Italians: for the 43.5% the stage race is an opportunity to get to know countries, places in Italy not yet visited or to which you want to return. But the bar also brings people together and talks about Italy: one Italian out of four (25.4%) agrees with the statement that the bar “it’s a place to discover the local differences in Italy: you enter a cafe and you understand the ‘spirit’ of that city”; on the other hand, more than half of the interviewees affirm that “the bar is a symbol of Italian spirit, of a certain way of understanding breakfast, a break, meeting other people” (53.0%).

And there is a lot to tell about coffee, ‘stage by stage’, country by country: only 9.4% of Italians are convinced that coffee is the same throughout Italy; The 52.6% states that, however, there are local rituals and habits that make the coffee experience different in each region, while the 38.1% he knows that there are regions with specialty coffees that are only drunk there (for example Bicerin in Piedmont, Paduan coffee, etc.).

Faema at the Giro d’Italia 2023

Once again this year the protagonists of all the stages will be the three espresso coffee machines that symbolize Faema today: the iconic E61, the e71E and the Faemina – in version Limited Edition Giro d’Italia – the espresso coffee machine designed for the home and small businesses.

All cycling and Faema lovers will therefore be able to enjoy, in the villages and hospitality areas, an excellent coffee prepared with the brand’s various machines and compete against friends in a darts competition, the typical bar game that has recently come back into fashion. By playing and hitting the target, it will be possible to contribute to the support that Gruppo Cimbali offers every year to communities in developing countries through the non-profit association World Bicycle Relief. The charity specializes in large-scale, comprehensive bicycle distribution programs to help alleviate poverty where even the most basic means of connecting are lacking.

Furthermore, thanks to the collaboration with the community of Stravaenthusiasts will be able to participate in the challenge and, upon reaching 120,000 km cycled by the community, a financial donation will be made: the more you pedal, the more you contribute to the cause.

And finally, it is possible to follow the story of the Giro d’Italia on Faema’s Instagram channel with #FaemaOnTheRoad, linked to the rituals of coffee and cycling through Faema photographs and the video Manifesto which will collect the testimonies of people in some stages of the Giro including the final in Rome.