CHATTING AT GEMA: Pierluigi Colantoni | RAI

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Media Odyssey

Episode: Chatting at GEMA: Pierluigi Colantoni | RAI
Hosts: Evan Shapiro & Marion Ranchet
Guest: Pierluigi Colantoni, Creative Director at RAI
Recorded: June 17, 2025, GEMMA Europe Summit, San Sebastian, Spain

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Episode Overview

This special episode, recorded live at the GEMMA Europe Summit, features an in-depth conversation between co-host Marion Ranchet and Pierluigi Colantoni, Creative Director at RAI, Italy’s national public broadcaster. The discussion centers on the evolving nature of creativity within broadcast media, the role and limits of data in creative processes, grappling with artificial intelligence, and the unique challenges and advantages of being a public service broadcaster in a crowded, increasingly globalized content market.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to RAI

[00:34–01:43]

• RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) is Italy’s national public service broadcaster, comparable to France Télévisions or RTVE (Spain).
  • Operates multiple TV channels (three major national, and about ten niche) and three radio channels.
  • Offers digital video streaming (“RaiPlay”), radio and audio (“RaiPlay Sound”) including podcasts and audiobooks.
• RAI’s output is broad: news (Radio 1), entertainment/music (Radio 2), culture/jazz (Radio 3).

The Creative Director’s Role & Team Setup

[01:43–02:27]

• Pierluigi leads RAI’s in-house creative agency (about 80 staff), responsible for:
  • Promotion, branding, design, opening titles, and program packaging.
  • Teams comprise directors, editors, art directors, and designers, all integrated under one “creative hive.”

Balancing Data and Creative Instinct

[02:27–04:36]

• Pierluigi’s approach: “Creativity needs few data. Not so much, not so many data, just two, three data that are important and then goes into creativity ideas.” [03:22]
• Warns of “data overload” which can paralyze or dilute creative instincts.
• The essential data points:
  • Understanding audience psychology—what viewers feel and look for.
  • Preferences and behavioral insights from social networks can be valuable, but should be kept high-level.
• “Everyone wants to give you different data and many numbers and so on. But at the end I really believe in the creativity and the instinct...” [03:20]

Nurturing a Healthy Creative Culture

[05:19–07:32]

• RAI’s creative leadership focuses on authenticity and wellbeing:
  • “What I really try to have to work is to work into a sincere and true environment. ... Creativity could be a place where everybody want to put their ego. And I'm really very careful about these kind of things.” [05:42]
• Avoids the empty chase for awards:
  • Awards matter insofar as they foster pride and team spirit, not ego and narcissism.
  • Memorable Moment: After a recent awards win, “10 people were sending message each other, creating something sane. ... Something good. ... It’s a stimulation, right?” [06:47]
• Believes in “less is more” — pushing back against the market’s saturation with ultra-produced content by focusing on strong ideas and simplicity. [07:32]

The Role and Limits of Artificial Intelligence

[07:32–10:13]

• RAI uses AI to produce promos, especially for cost-effectiveness, but Colantoni expresses dissatisfaction:
  • “I’m not really happy about this kind of spots. ... There is no empathy, that there is something that we have to work on.” [09:06]
  • Finds AI-driven content emotionally lacking.
• Notable Quote & Metaphor:
  “I remember this movie that everybody knows that it's called Ratatouille... The food critic ... when the waiter goes to him and say, ‘What do you want?’ And he said, ‘Please bring me a little bit of perspective.’” [10:13]
• Warns against being blinded by cost-efficiency at the expense of true audience connection:
  “The boss say, it's amazing because he knows that two years ago this was a €50,000 promo. But the reality is not to convince our public to see and to watch this program or believe in ... what you're communicating.” [10:43]

Creativity, Competition, and RAI’s Standing in Global Media

[10:43–12:47]

• With global players like Netflix and Disney+, RAI adapts its creative and business strategies:
  • Collaborations with HBO (“My Brilliant Friend”) and France Télévisions (“The Count of Monte Cristo”).
  • “Of course we need to have partners because the price of series production is growing up.” [11:57]
• On creative competition:
  “I really believe in an Italian way, in a France way, in a Spain way. ... What we said at the beginning ... is to feel the hurt of people and try to be close to them. ... This is something that we can't forget. Whatever happens in the market...” [11:57–12:41]

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Memorable Quotes

• On Data & Creativity:
  “Creativity needs few data. Not so much, not so many data, just 2, 3 data that are important and then goes into creativity ideas.”
  — Pierluigi Colantoni [03:22]

• On Creative Culture:
  “Creativity could be a place where everybody want to put their ego. And I'm really very careful about these kind of things. ... I really want to be sincere and understanding what we're really doing. We're not saving life...”
  — Pierluigi Colantoni [05:42]

• On Artificial Intelligence:
  “I’m not really happy about this kind of spots. ... There is no empathy, that there is something that we have to work on it.”
  — Pierluigi Colantoni [09:06]

• On International Collaboration:
  “I really believe in an Italian way, in a France way, in a Spain way. ... To feel the hurt of people and try to be close to them. This is something that we can't forget.”
  — Pierluigi Colantoni [11:57–12:41]

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Notable Timestamps

• [00:34] — Introduction to RAI’s structure and services
• [02:27] — Data’s role in creativity: “Creativity needs few data”
• [05:42] — Fostering a sincere creative culture
• [06:47] — Team pride and the positive effect of awards
• [07:32] — Reflections on industry change and “less is more”
• [09:06] — Limits of AI in creative work
• [10:13] — Ratatouille reference and the need for “perspective”
• [11:57] — International co-productions and the importance of local creative identity

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Summary Takeaways

• RAI’s creative ethos prioritizes emotional connection and authenticity, resisting both unnecessary data and the allure of impersonal, AI-driven creativity.
• Awards are secondary: They matter for team morale but are not the creative north star.
• AI is a tool, not a substitute: Used for efficiency, but any work lacking empathy or human touch falls short of the mission.
• Local perspective matters: In a global media ecosystem, RAI values maintaining a distinctly Italian creative identity while partnering internationally when needed.
• The episode offers an inspiring look at the balance between tradition and innovation in European public broadcasting, emphasizing the ongoing need for sincerity, empathy, and cultural nuance in media creation.

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Transcript

[A]

This week on the Media Odyssey Podcast, Evan Shapiro and I are in San Sebastian, Spain for GEMMA Europe Summit 2025. So what is Gemma? Gemma is the global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts and Science. And for the occasion we're doing a chatting at Gemma format for you guys. I'm super happy today to welcome Pierre Luigi Colantoni. He's the creative director at Pierluigi. Welcome.

[B]

Hello, Marian. Thank you.

[A]

Tell us a bit more about the hive. We have a very global audience and so we don't. Not everyone knows about rai.

[B]

Okay, well, it's very easy. RAI is the Italian national broadcaster public service. Well, it provides a wide offer, a TV and radio wide offer with 3 TV national channel, mainstream and I think 10 more specific channel. And the same is with radio 1, radio 2, radio 3. Radio 1 is about news and sport. Radio 2 is about entertainment and music. And radio 3 is about culture, jazz.

[A]

Fantastic.

[B]

Classic.

[A]

So you're the Italian France Television, The Italian rtve. If I have to look for comparison. Right.

[B]

The public service was like France Television. Yeah, yeah. Okay. And we have three, three platforms. One is video streaming and on demand platform. And then we have a radio, it's right play sound and is about streaming, but also audiobooks and podcasts and renews. That of course is about news.

[A]

Fantastic. Okay, so tell me a bit more about what you do, what it is that you do as a head of creative at chi.

[B]

Well, we have a kind of in house agency that works for the promotion and branding and design and. Yeah, yeah, opening titles and so on. So everything is about creativity and yeah, packaging of programs and promotion, promotion, promoting. Everything is in.

[A]

Within that ecosystem.

[B]

It's about branding, but it's about also programs and so on. We have directors and editors and yeah, art directors, graphics, all into the in house agency. It's. Yeah, it's amazing. Quite. I think 80 people.

[A]

Yeah. I wanted to ask you the sales team. Wow, okay, cool. I'm more from the business side of it all, so I would love to understand how you do your job essentially in the sense that, you know, it's not coming out of thin air, that creativity, all of that work to promote your programming and your company's platforms. So how do you use data to inform your creative decisions and at the end of the day, how do you make sure that you don't go overboard with the data nor overboard with your creative instincts, so to say.

[B]

Yeah, well, I think that this question is very subjective or very relative because for me there are too many data. Yeah, okay. I think for me it's a big problem.

[A]

That's interesting.

[B]

And I think that creativity needs few data. Not so much, not so many data, just 2, 3 data that are important and then goes into creativity ideas. And in this moment everyone wants to give you different data and many numbers and so on. But at the end I really believe in the creativity and the creativity and the instinct of. And well, it depends if you're working. For example, with Sirius, you have to be very careful because in RAI in Italy, our public is. They want kind of codes in this kind of communication. But for what concerns branding and big events, I think that we have to follow, to follow our view, our creativity.

[A]

Super interesting. So fewer data. And so what would those be? Right, the two, three data points, elements that you would use with parsimony to make creative decisions. What are those? I agree with you. There's too much data. We're overwhelmed by data. So I like the idea of going nimble on the data piece, but what would those be?

[B]

Well, I'm very interested in people. Yeah. And yeah, the kind of psychology of people who. What they are interested on really how they feel and what they are looking for. Because now of course the public is more curious. They have a lot of. They're overstimulated.

[A]

Yeah. There's a lot of. There's many more opportunities today to watch something than 20 years ago, for sure.

[B]

And so understanding what are their preferences and yeah. Social networks and this kind of analysis, this kind of data could be very, very useful for us.

[A]

Super interesting. Okay, so you guys have won a lot of awards. You said over a hundred. That seems insane, but good for you guys.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

What kind of, you know, cultural atmosphere, work atmosphere are you building, you know, at high to foster that without falling into the trap of chasing the awards?

[B]

Okay. What I really try to have to work is to work into a sincere and true environment. Okay. I think that creativity in general now in our world, narcissism is a problem and creativity could be a place. I think creative contests, creative habs can be place where everybody want to put their ego. And I'm really very careful about these kind of things. Like everybody is using words like thinking out of the box, et cetera, et cetera. I really want to be sincere and understanding what we're really doing. We're not saving life or things like this and trying to involve, of course the people into the project. And for what concerns awards, I think that it's important because it creates a good feeling into teams. For example, yesterday we won three telly's awards and they told Me and I received many messages on WhatsApp from people that worked one year ago in this project. And yeah, the producer said, you know, the DOP made a great job and said to me, why don't we do another work like this? The director was great. And I know that in this moment yesterday, 10 people were sending message each other, creating something sane.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Something good.

[A]

It's a stimulation, right? Yeah. And at the end of the day, we need that today, right?

[B]

Yes. And I think that awards, in this moment, where things are changing so quickly and we are living in an amazing moment, it's interesting. To know where the wind blows. My idea is that with artificial intelligence, we have so many great promos with cgi, but made, but artificial intelligence. And the market now is over. There are so many. This kind of spot are so many that now my idea is just less is more, but with a good idea, with a nice touch, with comedy, with something that we need to go back. Go back to.

[A]

So that's super interesting that you bring AI because of course, there's a lot of chat around our industry about how it's going to change our jobs forever. In some cases steal our jobs. So let me ask you, are you staying clear of AI or are you just using it for what you need and then the creative portion, what you love the most, you keep it for yourself and for your team, so to say. Right. So you delegate to AI things that you maybe don't want to do, or they can do it can do faster and focus on the creative side of your job. Or do you simply just don't want to do anything with AI?

[B]

No, no. We are working with AI. We are doing many promos. But I tell you something, I'm not really happy about this kind of spots. I'm not really satisfied. There is at the beginning, I was surprised, say, wow, we did. With €5,000. We did. This promo is amazing. Okay. Now more and more, I'm feeling that there is no empathy, that there is something that we have to work on it. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So it's. It lacks emotion, essentially.

[B]

Yes, yes. I think that we need this kind of empathy now. So I don't know what the future will bring to us. But I remember this movie that everybody knows that it's called Ratatouille. You remember Ratatouille? I love that. Is the food critic. It's alter ego, ego something. And when the waiter goes to him and say, what do you want? And he said, please bring me a little bit of perspective.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Okay. So I really scared about the fact that everybody now is going on AI and can show to their boss, look what I have done with €5,000. And the boss say, it's amazing because he knows that two years ago this was a €50,000 promo. But the reality is not to convince our public to see and to watch this program or believe in this, in what you're communicating.

[A]

Yeah, okay. Okay. One more question for you. I was thinking about the place of RAI within the global ecosystem. Right. Like all European markets, you are now playing with folks like, you know, Netflix, Disney, etc. In your own markets. I had a question for you that was more strategy and business driven. But let me go on the creative sides. How has your job changed since they've come into your market, so to say, is that pushing the boundaries of creativity for you guys? Is there a bit of competitiveness? You know, what is it like the

[B]

first part of the question? Yes, of course. We are working with other players recently. Many people know that. We know that. We work with HBO for My Brilliant Friend for the series of Ferrante. And yeah, two, three months ago, we aired the Count of Monte Cristo. The Count of Monte Cristo that we've done with France television. So, yes, of course we need to have partners because the price of serious production is growing up.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Yeah. And for creativity, I don't know. I think, and I really believe in an Italian way, in a France way, in a Spain way. So many times. Yes. I have the opportunity to see Netflix promos that are very expensive and very beautiful. But my idea is, what we said at the beginning of this interview is to feel the hurt of people and try to be close to them. And I think that this is something that we can't forget. Whatever happens in the market, and you're

[A]

focused on doing that, I love that. Thank you so much. That was awesome. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[B]

Bye.

[A]

So I was live at Gemma chatting with Pierre Luigi from hai. That was fascinating. Awesome to have an Italian perspective. I think not enough is said actually about the Italian market, the Italian players in that market. Also fascinating to see how, you know, creativity at the center of everything is all about, you know, the emotional connection. And I like the idea that he's using the best of AI, but what his team knows how to do to super serve the Italian audiences.