COSMOFACTORY

Deanna: [00:00:00] This episode is about creating a multisensory brand experience. It's about using AI thoughtfully to enhance. A cultural export strategy. It's also about professional beauty, consumer beauty, product manufacturing, and the efficacy of naturals. Today as we record live on the CosmoPack show floor here at cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna. I am joined by Chiara Arborea, export Manager at PDT Cosmetici  Chiara , welcome to CosmoFactory a.
Chiara : Thank [00:01:00] you. Thank you for the invitation. Exciting to be here today.
Deanna: Yes. No, it's, it's wonderful that you can be here in person and we're going to get to the ai, the creative and strategic way that your team is working with artificial intelligence. But let's start with a quick introduction, uh, to PDT Cosmetici this is a contract manufacturing company.  Chiara , can we hear about the key details of your company, maybe where it's located, what you specialize in, the sort of partners you serve?
Is this regional, global. Paint a picture for us.
Chiara : Absolutely. Uh, Petchi was born in 1996. We are based in Pano, near our bar in Pya. So we are surrounded about, uh, sea and beautiful nature. So we are, um, since the beginning we tried to, uh, take the best from the nature and the territory and we started, uh, um, travel together, starting as manufacturing company for third parties.
So we started with [00:02:00] these core business. We produce cosmetic product. It mainly, uh, body care and face care product like, uh, serum mask and every, everything, uh, useful for, uh, skincare and body care. And, uh, we are specialized, uh, because our CEO are a pharmacist, so he's starting in the behind of his pharmacies.
So the base of our, uh, business is pharmaceutical. So we started with this and then we continue, uh, growing, launching the, a laboratory, uh, the production department, and so on. So during the time, uh, now, uh, in 2026, we celebrate our third anniversary. So, uh, we, since 30 years ago, we started, uh, producing for third parties, uh, giving to the clients the quality of a natural cosmetic, but effective.
Deanna: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Wonderful. And not all [00:03:00] contract manufacturing companies create an, operate a brand. Uh, some do. Uh, there are various reasons for this. Um, but please tell us about the physio natural brand that your company does. Does produce.
Chiara : Yes. During years we decided that also by our own we would like to launch and to create a brand that was, uh, that identified the, uh, the nature that we feel inside.
So we launched ura. It was, it is, uh, brand dedicated mainly to the professional aesthetics. It is, uh, it goes through cabin beauty centers, beauty salon and spa. Um, and the, we would like to underline that with the quality of the product that we can, um, create and the, uh, with the natural product, we can reach a great result also in cabin.
Mm-hmm. Always ob obviously combine it with some. Technological active [00:04:00] ingredients because we always would like to combine our, um, pharmaceutical base that we feel, and also the naturality. So we would like really to promote this type of, uh, topic and, uh, show that in cabin this type of product could be very functional, could be effectively, it could help the beautician to, uh, have a great, uh, great result in the treatment.
Deanna: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So it sounds to me, and, and. Tell me if I, if I didn't hear you correctly, but that, um, you have an owned brand to showcase manufacturing capabilities, but also to really demonstrate the potential efficacy or the, the genuine efficacy of naturals. Is that
Chiara : Yeah, exactly, because, um, in general, our product.
All, um, the, mainly the physio natural products are, um, have inside high percentage of naturality. We are talking about from 85 up to 99. Mm-hmm. So. Uh, [00:05:00] we, uh, take from Italian territory, the natural ingredients. Uh, we extract in collaboration with some university in Italy, and we try to, uh, add these, type these actives inside of the product.
And these allow the product to reach high percentage on Naturality. Yes.
Deanna: And. That's not always true with products that are used in the professional sector, in medis spas, in beauty centers. They're not always such a high percentage of natural, and, and so this is distinctive in that way. Yes.
Chiara : Uh, yes, we use this type of product in the cabin.
Uh, but obviously we are, uh, looking also, um, always looking for, to claim, uh, also the, um, active ingredients and technology active ingredients. For example, uh, last launches are combining exosomes or PDRN or, uh, actin all the latest launches. Technology always with an, uh, natural active ingredients in order always to be functional together.
Deanna: Wonderful. Thank you for that. And [00:06:00] here at Cosmo Pac, uh, where it, it seems the entire global cosmetics and fragrance industry supply chain can be found. This week, PDT is exhibiting showcasing your contract manufacturing capabilities and services. Of course, many other companies are doing the same. But then in the area of cosmoprof, worldwide bologna dedicated to professional beauty physio, Naura, the company's brand is exhibiting separately.
And, and your brand team is launching an AI resource there. Uh, what is this new tech project?
Chiara : Yes, this is a project that we launched, uh, just few days ago. In fact, we are presenting, um, it in, uh, in our booth. We will have also like a display showing, um, the, our a e. Um, and um, this is a project in which we, uh, every, uh, resource in the company, uh, put a lot of effort agencies, team, marketing team, communication team.
So we tried, um, very, [00:07:00] um, strongly to, uh, try to communicate while this type of project, obviously it is a project that is starting now. So we would like always to. Uh, uh, push the project and, uh, adding some futurists or something to, to them. But at the moment, yes, uh, we have flora. We will present, uh, flora in our booth and she's our, uh, beauty virtual consultant.
So she will help the um. For us, she's a part of the team of our marketing team, and she will help, uh, the hand consumer, but also the professionals to, um, to get in touch with physio Naura, understand more about the brand, but also to, uh, create a network between the professionals and also, uh, to get, to give to the professionals, um, marketing support.
Deanna: Uh, yes, this makes sense. I would love to hear more about how [00:08:00] MediSpa and beauty center professionals will use Flora. I'm, I'm guessing maybe if you talk about the sort of, um, engagement or activity that your team is demonstrating to attendees here at the fair.
What, what happens when they're looking at Flora? I'm guessing on the screen, maybe it's on their phone or, um, a, a laptop. How, how do they engage with Flora? What, what happens?
Chiara : Yes, uh, consider that if someone is, uh, arrived on our website, the first, uh, things that, uh, he will, um, understand it, uh, to see the image, the little image of Flora.
The symbol. So, uh, and, uh, flora is asking if, uh, there is some question or if, uh, someone needs help. So it's like the first, uh, things that you can see, um, uh, visiting our website.
Deanna: And let me just ask. Mm-hmm. Flora looks and moves and sounds like a real person. Yes,
Chiara : exactly. Okay. Uh, in fact, during the project we were wondering if you, if we would.
That [00:09:00] Flora looks like a real person or like a hey. And we decided that maybe, uh, in order to communicate them, uh, help that flora can, um. Can give, but also to communicate that flora is a real part of, um, of our team. We decided to give to her some physical human appearance. In fact, flora, uh, has, um, a tone of voice.
Um, if, if you want, she can type, uh, she can write or also she can, uh, register some vocal notes. And yes, also the image is really. Um, human.
Deanna: Yes. Yes. And, and you were saying about how the MediSpa or beauty center professional will actually interact. Yes. Tell us more about that experience.
Chiara : Uh, yes. I anticipated, uh, flora, uh, in the first, uh, step of visiting our website.
Uh, will ask about if you need some help and can also, um, help the end consumer to create a [00:10:00] skincare routine or, uh, maybe support them on, uh, the purchasing, but the. Real, um, uh, importance of flora. The real, um, significant that we want to transmit with there. It's for the professional beauty. Mm-hmm. Because we would like.
To, uh, respond to a need of the professionals. The beauty professionals, uh, needs to be supported. Obviously, uh, during the treatment, they maybe need some information about the products or the combination about the products because maybe you can have a huge catalog and you are, uh, treating a client with a different type of skin, so Flora can help them.
Uh, professionals to create routines, adapt to each type of skin or each type of, uh, clients. Mm-hmm. But, uh, the most important things is that Flora is, uh, working also like, uh, uh, an agency for the professionals because, [00:11:00] uh, we, uh, try to, uh, give all the information to Flora. And she can help the beautician, uh, if she have an Instagram page or something like that to ask which marketing material physio Naura is promoting and which, uh, in which way she can, um, promote the physio Naura brand on the social media.
So, uh, she can give to the professionals. Also some tips about marketing.
Deanna: I like this. I like this. She's a skincare. But she knows quite a bit about social media marketing. That sounds very clever. And you mentioned that end consumers do have access to Flora. Mm-hmm. Is that more, um, the sort of. I guess AI interaction that, that we've come to expect from a brand, you sort of go online, you describe maybe your skincare issue and, and Flora will recommend a product in the, in
Chiara : the brand.
Exactly. Okay. For the moment, yes. For the end consumer, Flo Flora is working like that. Mm-hmm. So if I need [00:12:00] some information, uh, about my skin and I need a skincare routine, uh, advices, flora can help me.
Deanna: Yeah. Okay. Okay. Wonderful. Um, and you mentioned. Uh, that this AI tool will also help create a network of the professionals mm-hmm.
Who work with your brand. Can you share more about that concept?
Chiara : Yes. Uh, because, uh, for example, if a beautician is asking, hi Flora, how can I, uh, push the new launch line by fi naura on, on my Instagram page? Uh, flora can give her some advices about it, so can recommend, uh, to the, the caption or for example, the image to be used.
Uh, obviously she, uh, flora, um, is connected also, um, to every background part that we have on our website, in which we have marketing materials that the beautician and our client could use. So, um, making all the [00:13:00] combination about these items, uh, she can recommend the correct, uh, copy post image that the beautician can use.
Mm-hmm. And in addition. Due to the fact that we would really like that the beautician that work with us, uh, collaborate between them in order to create a network, uh, we are launching and Flora is like the, um, the best image of this group. We are launching also a network of beautician, uh, that are called Skin Bloomer.
So it's a community in which our client are communicated between them in order to create these, um. Uh, big community, we hope, big community soon. Mm-hmm. Uh, in order to, uh, communicate and, um, share information between them.
Deanna: Mm-hmm. And, and thinking about building this community, you probably already answered this earlier, but how wide or, or.
Expansive, I guess, is the reach of physio Natura. Is this, um, a regional brand? Do you have [00:14:00] global reach? Where are the, the medic or, I'm sorry, the beauty professionals mm-hmm. Using this
Chiara : Yes. Uh, at the moment, but we hope, uh, expanding soon also in our, in other countries at the moment. Uh, we are in Italy.
Obviously the main, uh, business is in Italy, but since, uh, 2012 we tried to reach, um, outside, uh, outside countries. And we are, we have, we are at the moment in at least 40 countries between Europe and Asia, mainly Asia. Yeah. China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong. So we are trying our best to, uh, push the Made in Italy, these made in Italy brand, but to be appreciated for our made in Italy quality and image also, um, worldwide.
Deanna: Yes. No, that's, that's so helpful to know. And, um. I I love that you remarked there that that maiden, the maiden Italy story is very central to the PhysioNet brand, and I'm imagining that Flora is helping [00:15:00] expand on that story. Can you talk about what Flora, this AI technology can do that the brand could not do with conventional marketing campaigns?
What's, what's possible now?
Chiara : Yes. We, as anticipated we will try, uh, to. Uh, present. Flora has like a marketing manager or marketing communication for the future. We are not afraid that the hay could, uh, uh, steal our jobs because we. Uh, really are, uh, convinced that we can collaborate together and as demonstrated with the launch.
Uh, with the launch of Flora, we know that, uh, in every field that, uh, could be marketing or commercial, um, the AI could help us. So we would like to, uh, go deeper in, uh, marketing fields. Um. Mostly because maybe, uh, we would like that our professional get, um, um, used to use Flora [00:16:00] for these kind of topics in order also to, um, uh, maybe the internal team could go working on other field so we can, uh.
Uh, dedicate a part of our, um, uh, job to completely, to Flora and we would like to automatize these marketing, um, field, for example.
Deanna: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. No, that makes very good sense. And I, I do wanna think more about, um, sort of that idea of brand purpose a little further and, and what you're describing.
Certainly. It fits into this question. I think so many brands today have a larger purpose. Um, in your case, you know, you're looking at this sort of country of origin effect, but there are brands that have a very social purpose. Um, some brands are very environmental or focused on education. I'm trying to think what other brand leaders, uh, might learn from your team or even other, you know, folks in the contract manufacturing space.
What. What have you learned while developing Flora, that that might be helpful for [00:17:00] someone listening?
Chiara : Um, we have understood that, um, the AI is not an enemy because now we are in the. Uh, part of the, like the, of the time in which, uh, we are trying to understand if they could help the company or the AI could be a problem for the company.
So we are, um. Really would like to, uh, be convinced it also from our own, that the AI could help the company to, um, uh, understand better about the market, to help them, uh, help us to going worldwide, uh, can, um, maybe reach, uh, topics or, um, field in which we are not. So we would like to. Um, be supported from them.
Uh, and in fact, we are always looking [00:18:00] for, uh, looking, uh, with admiration to a company that maybe have, um, a bigger, um, standard or system of, uh, AI support in order to, uh, understand the, as much as possible from them and understand how. Uh, in a small, uh, company because, um, we are, um. Historic. We are an historical company, but obviously we would like to, um, we aim to become, uh, important and well known around the world.
Sure. So we always, uh, look for, um, some advice from the bigger company in order to understand how to, uh, arrive at the same level.
Deanna: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. No, that's, that's wonderful. And that answer, and something you said earlier, really. Speaks to the potential for, um, further learnings, for additional development, for change in this technology.
Um, you're certainly looking to others as an example. Um, but I [00:19:00] know there, there will be companies looking at, looking to you as an example, um, if someone from a, a similar sized company mm-hmm. Uh, were here in, in the room with us. Are there any best practices or, or ideas that you can share that might be useful?
Uh, maybe mistakes they don't have to make. 'cause your team did.
Chiara : Uh, yes. Uh, the importance is first of all, the communication because it's really important to communicate what you do because, uh, we pass through this and we do many things, but maybe. At the time, we didn't communicate well. So we are working very well on the communication or what we are or what we can do.
So we could suggest to push the communication or the ity of the company or the, um, like the most important features of the company. In fact, we try always to. Push about made in Italy, about [00:20:00] naturality, um, every, uh, futures that could align, uh, company and yes, of company. So this is one of the reason for, um, because we know that, um.
We have a huge catalog of made in Italy, company that goes around the world. So, uh, obviously you always need to have your identification and your, uh, different, um, characteristic in order to differentiate from the other and not to be, uh, to have a competition so everyone could, uh, continue the path together.
Deanna: Mm-hmm.
Chiara : So, yes, for us, the most important things is the communication.
Deanna: Yeah. No, that makes really good sense. And I, I know through my work in the industry. It's not unusual for a company to almost forget to share those details. Exactly. You get so familiar and so passionate about what you're doing at your company.
You forget sometimes that you need to remind everyone you speak with, yes, we're made in Italy, or, yes, this is what's. Special or [00:21:00] differentiating about our brand. You repeat that every chance you get. Um, it's certainly a great opportunity and it makes sense, uh, that it, it works here with technology. You know, as we've been talking it, it makes me think that these ideas of, of brand voice or the face of a brand.
These are not new concepts, um, but we're moving into a whole new world with artificial intelligence. It's very exciting.  Chiara , I thank you for sharing Flora with us and for joining me today here in the CosmoFactory podcast booth at CosmoPack in Bologna, Italy. Thank you.
Chiara : Thank you for hosting me today here.
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