“We really focus on visibility”
Lots of awards and impressive sales: Strategy and team spirit mean Humana is the market leader in Italy. We spoke with Aurora Landolo from Humana Italia about the journey and what’s ahead.
Humana is the baby milk market leader in Italy. Why are food products for infants so successful there?

We are delighted that is the case! Italy has always been a country that values family and extended family and children are seen as a precious gift here. But change is coming to Italy, too. Many millennials became parents over the last 15 to 20 years and we see differences emerging. Birth rates are falling, and for many young couples, happiness does not depend on having children. They have other values and goals.

How can we stay profitable?

Clear brand positioning, continual investment in the brand and visibility are the keys to success, combined with good packaging design and advertising that grabs people’s attention. We invest in television and online campaigns, with 125 million contacts. We also won three awards over the past few years: the Brand Identity Grand Prix 2 2016 (packaging for Humana baby care), the Interactive Key Award 2020 (Integrated digital spot for gender equality), and the Premio San Bernardino 2022 (Ethical and Responsible Advertising – Gen Z).

You really focus on credibility as a theme...

In Italy we benefit from the fact that neonatal units in hospitals have been using our products for 50 years. We owe this to the efforts of our medical sales force! Pediatricians have been well served by our products for decades.

"What drives us? Passion for what we do, motivation and a great team spirit! We want to further expand our presence in the Italian market in the years to come.”

– Marco Scorcia, Managing Director Humana Italia

What difference do individual employees make when it comes to the brand’s success?

Without our employees, we would not be the market leader. Our people are the heart of the company, their passion, their cooperation, their sense of responsibility and integrity make us what we are. And we look for these same characteristics in new employees. We foster team spirit and cater to everyone’s individual needs, such as smart working, or helping with work-life balance to retain people and keep growing together. We also focus on equality and support families who are expecting a child. The growth of our company goes hand in hand with the personal and professional development of our employees.

Do you have to keep on reinventing yourself? After all, Humana is already the market leader in Italy, so why do you need to constantly change?

Because leadership is not a status, but a continuous process.

DMK Baby Division...

...has three main pillars in Italy: Humana Italia, Sunval Italia (trade) and Inpharma (production). Humana Italia is the backbone of the brand business within Baby BU. When the company was founded in 1972, it began by selling infant milk. It broadened its portfolio in the 1990s to include food supplements. The product portfolio now also includes infant milk, infant foods, nutritional supplements and skin care products. The unit employs 170 people. Humana Italia is currently the market leader for infant milk and nutritional supplements such as sleep drops, Vitamin D for infants with infant colic and rehydration products and support for nursing mothers.

 

The INPHARMA plant is located in Casorate Primo near Milan and has 62 employees. This is where dietary supplements and products for all Humana brands of the DMK Group and third-party customers are made. The market for dietary supplements, specialty foods and medical products has changed significantly over the years. Inpharma has steadily kept up with these developments.