A family story: we could define our meeting with Pierre Giffard this way. We had already sensed that the brand moved like a real family from the very first meeting during the Italian final, but people must be known and experienced before expressing a real thought. However, we can say that it is from that meeting that this journey together with Pierre and his family was born.
A JOURNEY
A journey made of tradition, values, and connections.
"Connection" (legame) is a word that derives from the Latin ligāmen: for those who do not know, originally it stood for the rope, thread, or band used to hold branches together, to tie animals, or to close a sack. This term fully encapsulates the essence of the brand, built on family bonds but, above all, on deep connections with suppliers.
"We do not change clients or importers every week because we had a new idea. No, we build together with them, we accompany them, we invest resources. And in the end... we are close to all the people we work with."
TWO WARS
Giffard was born in 1885 in Angers, France (yes, 141 years ago) and through its history crosses two world wars thanks to a family that has based its whole life on this dream: the dream of Émile Giffard. In 1901, the management passed into the hands of his wife, Victoire Giffard, a woman who found herself managing a company alone in an era that makes one reflect. The company went forward, crossing the conflicts of the twentieth century until the expansion of the 90s. After these historical notes, let's move on to the most interesting part; of course, do not expect technical information, for that you can write directly to the Giffard Team, who might even invite you to their headquarters.
"In the end, the best way to understand who Giffard is and what is behind the products is to come and visit us, see the men and women, see the laboratories, understand how it is produced. To realize that, in the end, the image people have is not just marketing, but it is the daily truth of what happens in our workshops."
WHAT IF THE HEART WERE AT THE CENTER?
It could seem like a cliché phrase or a marketing strategy, but in this brand the heart is truly at the center of everything. In a world where multinationals often treat their employees as numbers, this very different approach of this reality makes one think: open people, a president who plays golf with the competitors of the Giffard West Cup, and historical suppliers. This vision also inspires us at Spaghetty Western in our dream of creating a team composed of people, before numbers.
"If all of us had more conviviality and did more business with each other, we would undoubtedly live in a slightly more stable and positive world."
TO IMPRESS OR TO BE
"We do not do events to impress people": this phrase is perhaps one of the most powerful of the metaphorical journey made with Pierre Giffard. It beautifully describes the values and passion of this family. In an era where the goal seems to be to amaze with special effects and ferris wheels, it is refreshing to meet someone who puts elegance and, above all, good manners ahead of everything.
"We do not make events in which we try to impress people, to be the biggest, to take a helicopter ride or offer incredible prices, no. What we try to convey is the experience."
The connection with the bar world has deep roots, they are more than 100 years old, but what strikes most is the belief in education. We are used to hearing about training/education every day, often underestimating the necessary sacrifices; so we leave you with a metaphor about the Tarte au Citron Meringuée.
"If you take a recipe for a lemon meringue tart and make it for the first time in your life, it certainly won't look like the photo in the book. And yet you have everything you need to make it. Here, this is experience, learning, training."
EDUCATION ON OPENNESS
In a world that sometimes pushes us to avoid what is different, Pierre brings the concept of openness back to the business world: diversity is necessary to expand. It would be nice if we all opened our minds instead of hiding our heads under the sand.
"Diversity—whether cultural, of viewpoints, of education or of life paths—is for me something fundamental, in the sense that it is precisely what enriches us. It is what opens our minds. If we did not go looking for ingredients or inspiration across Europe, in Asia, in the Middle East, in America or in South America, we would deprive ourselves of an infinite wealth."
We close this journey by remembering that Giffard's new headquarters, inaugurated in June, houses a bar inside: because a brand cannot live on marketing alone, losing sight of the reality of its consumers.
