Gruppo Alcuni’s Francesco Manfio on Diversifying Investments

Gruppo Alcuni has built a reputation on its original, reliable, non-violent content that promotes positive values and helps kids develop multifaceted skills. Its productions are viewed in over 150 countries, and it has new highlights for MIPJunior and MIPCOM it believes will follow suit. The Black Diamond Race, for one, is a brand-new upper-kids series that will launch early next year initially on Rai and RTVE. Gruppo Alcuni is all about kids, but not just cartoons. In 2008, it developed the Talking Tree theme park, where families can spend time with Gruppo Alcuni characters in an 18th-century setting. Francesco Manfio, CEO of Gruppo Alcuni, talks to TV Kids Weekly about targeting different age demographics and what’s at the heart of compelling stories that captivate an audience’s interest.

TV KIDS: What is driving Gruppo Alcuni’s business today?
MANFIO: The entertainment market, specifically animation, is going through a rapid transformation with regard to new production trends and distribution strategies. I strongly believe innovation should be a guiding principle for every company seeking to increase its business.

In this sense, Gruppo Alcuni is actively investing in research and development, along with executive training for the various sectors of our company. One key element of our strategy is scouting new talent, and in order to do so, we have established a school (with support from the autonomous province of Trento) for advancing young artists. Our objective is to provide them with the necessary skills to excel in the field of animation while giving them an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned by working with our creative and production teams.

Along with this, I believe it is essential to keep diversifying our investments. From the outset, we specialized in preschool series with Pet Pals and Mini Pet Pals. However, in recent years, we have successfully expanded into the kids’ market with productions like Leo da Vinci and Vlady & Mirò and edutainment such as Gateway 66. Now, we are producing tween content with The Black Diamond Race. In addition, we have opened a theme park dedicated to our animated characters, the Talking Tree Park, while also investing in developing the video game market to further enhance our presence in the entertainment industry.

TV KIDS: How are you serving the needs of your broadcast and streaming clients around the world?
MANFIO: We are working to diversify and expand our content library so as to meet the various demands of broadcasters and streamers. However, it isn’t just a matter of increasing the quantity of our content; it is also essential that we strive toward quality. We do this by telling compelling stories that captivate an audience’s interest, wherever they may be in the world. I firmly believe it is possible to produce content that can spark a global interest, even if it is rooted in the culture and tradition of a singular geographic area. To achieve this optimum result, it is necessary to pursue those universal values and emotions that belong to every citizen in this world. For example, take our movie and television series to honor young Leonardo da Vinci. The work was inspired by the life of the world-renowned Italian artist and inventor, but our writers revisited his character through a narrative based on friendship and adventures that everyone can relate to.

TV KIDS: What are your goals and ambitions for the company over the next 12 to 18 months?
MANFIO: It would be a great satisfaction if Gruppo Alcuni could establish its distinctive brand as a leading creator of successful, quality productions in the animation world, and we are already striving in this direction. We trust that The Black Diamond Race series, which is currently in production and set to launch in 2025, will have the same enthusiastic appeal to audiences and markets as it has for our 500-person team currently at work on this remarkable project.

Additionally, my goal is to reach 5 million visitors at the Talking Tree Park, thus making it a must-visit destination for families and schools.