“THE FOX AND THE CAT”, with “PINOCCHIO”, a fruitful partnership for 25 years and beyond…
In February 1997, as a candidate for mayor of Milan, there began a partnership that, like our friendship, has lasted well beyond the life of the company, which is now 25 years old! Already in that first tormented electoral campaign, faced with the alternative of ‘sinking or swimming’ in the ‘mare magnum’ of politics, the ‘Fox and the Cat’, as someone had nicknamed them, perhaps myself, came to the rescue. The roles have always been interchangeable between the two: Giorgio (the cat)? Mario (the fox)? Or vice versa, depending on the circumstances, I never really understood who they were, in the metaphor. But I certainly was always “Pinocchio” and not because of the long nose caused by lies – which I have never been able to tell convincingly, and so stopped doing, not out of virtue but out of necessity – but “Pinocchio”, because of the naivety of the “wooden puppet”, which must be transformed … continuing the metaphor, into a child that is much less ‘clumsy’ … in all respects. Leaving the metaphor aside, I had to turn into a Mayor of a big city like Milan, never having thought of doing it, nor possessing the aptitude or the experience of a political leader, something, however, that I had to become or at least appear to be… The ‘Fox and the Cat’ not only took care of the image, but with their advice, their closeness, they also offered me help on how to act, and not just on how to appear… No complacency, on the contrary, even some rough criticism: “We try to do what we can… but with a candidate like that…”, he spread his arms wide, in a gesture of disconsolate resignation, in response to a high-ranking political figure asking about the election campaign. Then the… “real consternation”, when I appeared in the Valentino fashion show in my (cashmere) underwear, arousing the almost inexplicably benevolent comments of the national television networks, all the main national newspapers and weeklies and what’s more, even an entire page, with photos, in Newsweek, with the comforting title: “Albertini’s allure”… Were the “Fox and the Cat” wrong? Not at all! Quite simply, all three (the Fox, the Cat and Pinocchio) had understood that, to communicate well, I did not have to “look like” Vittorio Sgarbi, but to “be” Gabriele Albertini… the “puppet” had become a “child”, with much to learn and the curiosity to do so. The consent through the ballot box, almost half a million votes, to my re-election as Mayor of Milan, in 2001, and the 144,000 preferential votes on my first election to the European Parliament, in 2004 – placed second in Italy after Zeus/Berlusconi and ahead of Tajani (in third place, with 120,000 votes) – did not change our relationships: I continued to listen, humbly, like a penitent monk with shaven head sprinkled with ashes, to their reproaches and advice, which I didn’t always follow, much to their consternation, and the two of them continued to …”put up with” and “support”…”someone like me”… I could go on at length, writing about other memories, to tell the story of our association, but I don’t have the space, so I will give the reader a thought in conclusion, one from among the many that I could offer. Even today, if someone asks me to recommend a ‘global’ communication consultant, whether for a political or economic-financial activity, I suggest: “Ad Hoc… ‘The Fox and the Cat’!” Why? Because in them I found that form of collaboration that I have always looked for in people who work with me: they are loyal, of course, but not complacent and even less adulatory, obviously, better than me in their field, capable of sincere criticism and useful advice, but also, sufficiently independent as to be able to disagree and then reconcile, but always and only on the “point” in question, and not on the “person” … after all, that is what we want from true friends, as well as from true colleagues! Happy birthday Giorgio and Mario! Congratulations for the first 25 years! In the next five years, you must do even better! And why shouldn’t you succeed? After all, you are: “The Fox and the Cat”!