Networking in an icy community

BY GREER MCDONALD

While business growth has cooled for some, a tiny shop specialising in Italian gelato has bucked the trend and found its sweet spot.

With help from a massive social network community, Giapo - a boutique icecream shop in Auckland - has boomed during the recession and proved critics wrong by thriving in its first year of business.

With his thick Italian accent, owner Gianpaolo Grazioli puts the rapid success down to the special bond the store has created with its loyal customers.

"The most important thing is that it's a community shop; it's the icecream store of the block. Nothing more or nothing less," he said.

Located in the hub of Auckland on Queen St, next door to the historic Civic Theatre, Giapo has become what Grazioli refers to as "a church". But it's a church very much with a social media twist.

The shop has gained more than 1500 followers on social networking site Twitter and more than 4200 fans on its Facebook page since it opened in January last year.

It has five giant LCD screens informing people of prices, showing Grazioli making gelato, and scrolling through Twitter and Facebook pages.

There is an interactive screen where customers can record 15 second YouTube clips and upload to the site. Grazioli claims his channel is now the largest single generator of content on YouTube.

His customers, who lick their way through around 4000 gelatos every week, are invited to suggest their own flavours of organic gelatos, sorbets and smoothies.

The interaction has seen creations such as wasabi, avocado, chocolate and popcorn, Red Bull and vodka, blue cheese and soya sauce.

Grazioli  who holds a PhD in economics  said the most important business lesson he had learnt in the past year was that companies needed to inspire customers.

"They do not exist for only profit," the 31-year-old said. "New companies today are more like spiritual entities, like a church, they have to do good things, people have to believe in them. This is our spirit."

Giapo arranges competitions, promotions and charity events - using social media to increase awareness and engagement with the store's brand.

Wednesday nights become karaoke night, where customers can belt out a tune or two, and the store has just started Giapo Fitness, where customers meet up for group jogs around the CBD.

Using social media was always part of the plan, said Grazioli.

"Giapo was born Tweeting and we wanted to have the community to participate in what we are doing," he said.

"Twitter is our quick fast instantaneous chat to the world. It is a conversation platform. We also use it for search and auditing the market."

Grazioli, who has lived in New Zealand for more than five years, said the biggest challenge for Giapo has been staff turnover. It seems his traditional work-ethic and highest standards can sometimes be considered abrasive to his mainly young and sometimes transient staff.

"Training new people every week is a drama when you also have to do so many other things," he said.

"If we don't remember the people's names, we fail".

Grazioli said the highlight of the past year was the creation of Giapo's organic cocoa sorbet - made with 100% pure organic cocoa, organic sugar and Waiwera artesian water.

"My wife Annarosa and I spent three to four months thinking and developing a recipe that did not include milk in it and was vegan friendly. Hours of calculation, balancing, failing, research; we were almost ready to give up, but then 'eureka' the last effort paid back."

Today, the organic cocoa sorbet is 100 per cent natural and is Giapo's best seller.

"People come from all over the country to taste it. I had a person flying from Wellington just to taste it and then back in the afternoon."

- © Fairfax NZ News