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35 years of Deltatre, 35 years of innovation

25.02.21

by Carlo De Marchis

In our 35th year as a company, our Group Chief Evangelist, Carlo De Marchis, reflects on the vital role of innovation in our past, present, and future

25.02.21

by Carlo De Marchis

In our 35th year as a company, our Group Chief Evangelist, Carlo De Marchis, reflects on the vital role of innovation in our past, present, and future

Change has been at the heart of Deltatre since the very beginning. I joined in 1988, when the company was a team of just five people. Back then, I was at university with Giuseppe Capella, our current Chief Procurement Officer, and would hear about all their incredible work with Formula One and the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. When Gipi asked me to come on board, I didn’t think twice. That was the beginning of everything.

It was a pioneering time and one where transformation was the only thing we could rely on, innovation was fast-paced, and new ideas implemented in weeks. Passionate and ready to adapt to whatever challenge was thrown our way, our team quickly grew, and we started working with the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics. It didn’t take me long to realize that we were building a sector-changing company.

We were tasked with creating products and delivering experiences that not only solved new challenges for our clients and their fans, but also reshaping how the world would consume sport forever. Launching our video player, DIVA, was (and is) a prime example of this.

In the years ahead, we significantly widened our focus from sport alone, to sport, media and film and television entertainment. These industries have their differences, but they have passion at their heart and all mean so much to so many people across the world.

And now, as I reflect on our 35th anniversary, I know how lucky I am to work in fields that almost take innovation for granted. From day one, we’ve known that if we don’t change, we won’t just stagnate – we’ll go backwards. This is something we will never let happen.

Throughout my career, I have focused on anticipating change to ensure our clients always have a point of difference. The technology at the center of our products and services has changed beyond recognition, and in many ways, the world is much more complex than it was back then. But over the years, our purpose has remained clear – to transform how the world engages with content.

We always knew that offering what fans ‘might’ like would never be a strong enough approach. Instead, we’ve found every opportunity to immerse ourselves in fans’ actual needs and wants. I have always been driven to delight fans with something new that they never thought possible. Truly understanding the features and experiences that they love and being open to new thinking and approaches has been integral to our success.

Finally, looking back, there have been many key moments that have paved the way for new thinking and unexplored routes – the introduction of the web in the 90s was plainly life-changing for all of us. It’s clear that the last 12 months have been a similarly monumental period. Although it’s brought many challenges for all of us, it’s unlocked many opportunities and accelerated change too. It’s given us a fresh outlook and made us revisit the many ways we can place fans at the center of the experience.

I am inspired every day by our Innovation Lab who are working tirelessly to offer world-class ideas that ensure the consumer feels closer than ever before to the moments that matter most to them. But every single one of us, all 1,000+ in hubs across 15 key cities, continue to adapt and work together to deliver innovation every day. We know that continuing to build this direct relationship with fans is pivotal to our clients’ success both today and tomorrow.

Personally, ever since 1988, my ‘north star’ has always been to create transformations that people will remember; to influence change that will be adopted by millions of people. Working with Deltatre means that I have never been alone in this dream, and together, we have achieved this ‘star’ many, many times. And I know that the same will be true as we look to the decades ahead.

Carlo De Marchis