With the claim "It's Your Turn", PENNY Italy is committed to diversity and integration: PENNY is therefore an official partner of Milano Pride 2024 and Pride Sport Milano for the first time and flew the flag at the parade in Milan on 29 June.
PENNY Italy has 5,083 employees, 65 per cent women, 28 nationalities and a large number of political, religious and sexual orientations. A diversity that makes the people of our company its greatest asset. A PENNY Italy float, led by Italian drag queen and LGBTIQ* activist La Wanda, took part in the Milan Pride parade. A total of 180 PENNY colleagues celebrated and, on behalf of the whole of PENNY Italy, showed their full support for an inclusive and egalitarian mindset that sees diversity as a natural added value for society and life itself.
And not only that. The float was voted the most sustainable and entertaining float in the parade. Sustainability, because it ran exclusively on electricity and all plastic parts were 100 per cent recycled. Entertaining because the sound quality was excellent and the music was selected by La Wanda. Two reasons to nominate the car for the Italian Pride in October. This is when the most beautiful and outstanding floats of all Pride parades in Italy will be honoured.
"It's a question of responsibility," says Nicola Pierdomenico, CEO & President PENNY Italy. "Those who, like us, experience diversity and inclusion every day as a fundamental social good and appreciate its infinite value, have a duty to take a stand and show our support for an inclusive culture in which respect for individual choices finds its highest expression. As a company that is part of the REWE Group, which today employs nearly 400,000 people around the world, we believe that true progress can only happen when we are able to create collective well-being without any differences."
During Pride Month in June, rainbow colours adorned PENNY shops across Milan. The campaign claims are clear and unambiguous: "100% hate-free". PENNY was also a guest at the Pride Sport Night and took part with a football and volleyball team.
PENNY Italia is a partner of Milano Pride this year. How did this initiative come about?
Marcello Caldarella: The topic of inclusion and the fight against discrimination is very present both at PENNY Italia and throughout the REWE Group. Our goal is to create a positive environment in which diversity is seen as a sign of strength and a source of innovation and inspiration. And the best way to demonstrate this is to be an official partner and participant of Milano Pride.
You are taking part in the parade with your own float. How many colleagues will be at the start? And what impact will the participation of "La Wanda" have?
Marina Enna: We are taking part in the parade with a float and around 50 employees. "La Wanda" is our testimonial both on our float and for other marketing activities. She has helped us a lot and it is an honour to have the opportunity to work with her.
How has the partnership with Milano Pride been received by employees? The rainbow colours will be clearly visible in all PENNY stores.
Marcello Caldarella: In order to "pick up" the employees, we explained the partnership to our colleagues in small groups and gave the event the appropriate attention. The employees responded very positively and enthusiastically to the topic. Not only in their presence at the parade, but also in the organisation of the event. Each department contributed with its respective expertise. True to the motto "Proud to be Pride".
Marina Enna: And yes, our markets in Milan were really colourful! In the markets, we planned communication that was naturally adapted to the context there and suitable for everyone. We "played" with words and interwove the language of the shop with the messages we wanted to convey at Pride.
Have there been any reactions from customers?
Marcello Caldarella: The reactions from customers have been positive. We have received a lot of supportive, affirmative feedback on social networks. Of course, there has also been some negative feedback. But this shows us how important it is to actively combat discrimination. Significant progress has certainly been made in recent years, but there is still a long way to go and we have the strength and the will to do so.
How do you generally assess the situation of the LGBTIQ+ community in Italy? Are there many parades and initiatives?
Marina Enna: Let's just say that there can never be enough moments of exchange and support. They serve to develop and maintain an open attitude and enrich us as individuals and therefore as a community. And let's be honest: a pinch of fun is also good for the soul.
Marcello Caldarella is Corporate Communications Manager & Press Spokesman PENNY Italia.
Marina Enna is Director of Administration and Finance at PENNY Italia.
***English Version***
With the claim "It's Your Turn", PENNY is committed to diversity and integration: For the first time, PENNY is an official partner of Milano Pride 2024 and Pride Sport Milano and took a stand at the parade in Milan last Saturday.
PENNY Italia today has 5083 collaborators, 65% women, 28 nationalities, and an infinite number of political, religious and sexual orientations. A precious diversity that makes the company's human capital its greatest value: it is therefore with the strong awareness that diversity - and therefore inclusion - is an asset, that PENNY proudly chooses to be a partner of Milano Pride 2024 and Pride Sport Milano, confirming itself as the first and only retailer to support community activities through sponsorship.
A PENNY Italia carriage, led by Drag Queen La Wanda, joined the celebrations of the Milan Pride parade on Saturday 29th in the afternoon, for the entire route, for a moment of celebration, but in which to confirm the company's full support for an inclusive, egalitarian approach that sees diversity as a natural added value to society as well as to life itself.
The carriage was voted the most sustainable and entertaining carriage in the parade. Sustainable because it was exclusively powered by electricity and all plastic parts were 100 per cent recycled. Entertaining because the sound quality was excellent and the music was selected by La Wanda. Two reasons to nominate the carriage for the Italian Pride in October. This is when the most beautiful, committed and musically outstanding floats of all Pride parades in Italy will be honoured.
"It's a question of responsibility - Nicola Pierdomenico, CEO & President PENNY Italia tells us - Those like us who experience diversity and inclusion as fundamental social assets every day, appreciating their infinite value, have the duty to take a position and demonstrate our support for an inclusive culture that sees respect for individual choices as its maximum expression. As a company belonging to the REWE Group - also a supporter of 'diversity & inclusion' - which today employs almost 400,000 people around the world, we are convinced that there is true progress only when economic and social dynamics are capable of generating collective well-being without any distinction."
For the entire month of June, i.e. the "European pride month", PENNY stores throughout Milan dressed in rainbow colours with transparent and clear communication that invites you to act, to take a position, which pushes you to be yourself: "It is YOUR TURN". Honorary testimonial of the campaign is the Drag Queen of reference in the Milanese LGBTQIA+ panorama, La Wanda, present with her image but also physically at the events of the Milan Pride programme. The language of the campaign will then be expressed in other messages, equally unequivocal, still on a retail theme, such as "100% HATE FREE", "NO DISCOUNTS ON RIGHTS" and "ONLY LACTOSE INTOLERANT"...
In June PENNY was also be present as a guest at the Pride Sport Night at the Teatro Dell'Elfo in Milan; the brand then took to the field - in every sense - also with a five-a-side football and volleyball team for the PRIDE SPORT ARENA tournaments on 22 June, at the Arco Della Pace, where there was also a dedicated stand where PENNY gave away athletes and visitors the possibility of shooting a professional video in "red carpet" style, through the Thor system, the robotic camera system equipped with artificial intelligence.
PENNY Italia is a partner of Milano Pride this year. How did this initiative come about?
Marcello Caldarella: The topic of inclusion and the fight against discrimination is very present both at PENNY Italia and throughout REWE Group. Our aim is to create a positive environment in which diversity is seen as a sign of strength and a source of innovation and inspiration. And the best way to demonstrate this is to be an official partner and participant of Milano Pride.
You are taking part in the parade with your own float. How many colleagues will be at the start? And what impact will the participation of "La Wanda" have?
Marina Enna: We are taking part in the parade with a float and around 50 employees. "La Wanda" is our testimonial both on our float and for other marketing activities. She has helped us a lot and it is an honour to have the opportunity to work with her.
How has the partnership with Milano Pride been received by employees? The rainbow colours will be clearly visible in all PENNY stores.
Marcello Caldarella: In order to "pick up" the employees, we explained the partnership to them in small groups and gave the event the appropriate attention. The employees responded very positively and enthusiastically to the topic. Not only in their presence at the parade, but also in the organisation of the event. Each department contributed with its respective expertise. True to the motto "Proud to be Pride".
Marina Enna: And yes, our stores in Milan were really colourful! We planned communication in the stores that was naturally adapted to the context there and suitable for everyone. We "played" with words and interwove the language of the shop with the messages we wanted to convey at Pride. For example: "No discounts on rights".
Have there been any reactions from customers?
Marcello Caldarella: The reactions from customers have been positive. We have received a lot of supportive, affirmative feedback on social networks. Of course, there has also been some negative feedback. But that shows us how important it is to actively combat discrimination. Significant progress has certainly been made in recent years, but there is still a long way to go and we have the strength and will to do so.
How do you generally assess the situation of the LGBTIQ+ community in Italy? Are there many parades and initiatives?
Marina Enna: Let's just say that there can never be enough moments of exchange and support. They serve to develop and maintain an open attitude and enrich us as individuals and therefore as a community. And let's be honest: a pinch of fun is also good for the soul.
Marcello Caldarella is Corp. Communications Manager & Spokesperson PENNY Italia.
Marina Enna is Administration & Finance Director, PENNY Italia.
