In Italy – as in the rest of the world – vitamins and food supplements are experiencing increasing interest. The Italian population is paying consistently growing attention to achieving health and well-being through a balanced diet. “More and more people understand that the regular consumption of certain vitamins and supplements can be beneficial for their bodies,” says Marketing Manager Pietro Bianconcini.
“This positive market trend has led to POOL PHARMA’s dynamic development. Today, we have 20 employees, a turnover of 28.5 million EUR and three highly demanded product lines.” When Giorgio Pizzoni founded the company in the early 1990s, he had already been a successful businessman. On behalf of pharmaceutical industries, his company DLF Distribuzione Lombarda Farmaci had been concentrating on the distribution of pharmaceutical products. Eventually, he decided to develop and distribute his own products and brands.
Today, the two companies operate side by side, and DLF is one of POOL PHARMA’s selected concessionaires. POOL PHARMA’s success is mainly based on its two core brands MG.K VIS, which was introduced in 1997, and Kilocal, a brand created in 2001. While MG.K VIS represents a whole range of food supplements such as MG.K VIS Ricarica Plus, an energy supplement indicated for complete recovery or during periods ofincreased stress, Kilocal products help to reduce weight. “In general, products such as food supplements for weight control are on the market for a limited time because consumers are constantly looking for new products,” stresses Mr. Bianconcini.
“We introduced Kilocal in 2001, and it is still one of our bestsellers. This is quite unusual.” Instead of resting on its laurels, POOL PHARMA developed a vast range of different Kilocal products with different target groups. As POOL PHARMA has regularly launched innovative products, today its portfolio is based on three pillars: food supplements with MG.K VIS and Kilocal as the main brands, cosmetic treatments and medical devices. In 2010, POOL PHARMA started its activities in cosmetic treatments for the well-being of the skin.
“With Estetil we created a brand which is synonymous with quality and safety,” sums up Mr. Bianconcini. “Consumers want value for money, and Estetil has been quite successful right from the beginning. In Italy, 3,000 pharmacies sell our products. Besides that, with the Italian TV sports announcer and program hostess Federica Fontana, we have a great testimonial.” Since 2013, Destasi and Kute have complemented POOL PHARMA’s skin care products. Destasi Perfect Legs is the first BB cream for the legs that boosts well-being. Other products dedicated to creating a fresh and light feeling are Destasi Ven Spray No Gas and Destasi Ven Compresse.
“Destasi Perfect Legs sets us apart from the market because it is unique,” says Mr. Bianconcini. “Destasi products help to improve microcirculation and create a pleasant feeling of lightness. Destasi has been very well accepted by consumers.” Kute comes as an oil, cream or liquid and helps to reduce stretch marks or scars on the skin. “One of our main features is that our products do not contain liquid paraffin or nickel,” states Mr. Bianconcini.
“They are well tolerated and of high quality.” Medical devices represent POOL PHARMA’s youngest business field and only started in 2013. “As the European market for food supplements is strongly regulated in terms of permitted health claims, we were looking for alternative ways to reach the consumer,” states Mr. Bianconcini. “With Kute Cur and Kute Med, we offer two products dedicated to helping patients suffering from bed sores. Furthermore, we developed Kilocal Medical-slim as an aid to reduce the absorption of fat and sugar; Trio Carbone, which helps to prevent flatulence, and cough and cold products, which are distributed under the brand Kura. Thanks to Mr. Pizzoni and his extraordinary marketing skills, we benefit from a great distribution organization.
We do a lot of different print and TV advertising, and we work successfully with carefully selected testimonials. Whenever possible, we reinvest profits in marketing campaigns to strengthen brand awareness and increase sales.” In addition, POOL PHARMA banks on a network of eight regional distribution partners and 48 sales representatives. Last but not least, pharmacies are the main distribution channel and are playing an increasingly important role for the company. “We benefit a lot from our good contact to many pharmacies, and we will strengthen these partnerships in the future,” points out Mr. Bianconcini.
“We will also start to export our products because we are sure that there is great potential. We already have contact to Russia and the Far East. Food supplements are our core products, and the market is still growing. Over the last couple of years, we created many products for all different needs. Due to our structure and our deep market insight, we are able to react quickly and develop new products. This means we have every reason to be confident about the future.”