In any company, two years is a long way ahead. We talk about this with Jaime Sánchez, COO at beon. Worldwide, independent corporate group that empowered the group in the last 730 with the acquisition of two communications giants.
Two years have passed since the group acquired Sorënsen and beon. Worldwide entered into the advertising industry. How would you assess this period?
The acquisition of Sörensen, one of the major advertising agencies in the event industry with a firm foothold in the advertising, marketing, and communication sectors, has reinforced what we had been empowering in our group strategy: implementing and positioning ourselves in this industry to offer a much more emotional communication.
Although we already had creative professionals in the group, we still needed to have an agency structure that allowed us to transmit to our brands our potential in this regard. Thus, we expanded our division and strengthened the advertising area with a team of professionals in relation to communication and advertising.
A year after, the group expand their presence in the communication and creativity markets by incorporating the Andalusian Advertising agency Avantine, an operation that transforms the company into one of the biggest, independent giants in Spain. Has this move helped to consolidate your position within the creative sphere? How can a company go from being a firm specialized in events to an integrated service group?
The integration of Avantine within beon. Worldwide has been the result of our commitment to growth in this sector. Using the two agencies professionals know-how together with the group’s expertise and our experience in the market has allow us to establish our group as an independent force in the creative field.
It is true that moving from being an event agency to presenting ourselves as a group of integral services has not been easy, since this change of mentality requires a strategy that we continue to strengthen day by day. In fact, comprising events, production, entertainment, technology, communication, and advertising services is not an option easily found in the market. We have evolved at the same pace as consumer and brand’s needs.
Is there a beon. Worldwide creative trademark?
There is nothing such a determined creative style. Both brands and consumers demand their own style. The advantage of having professionals of different profiles allows us precisely the opposite, not to pigeonhole ourselves in a certain style.
If we look for a common ground in terms of creativity, we can find it in innovation, in the integration of technology, and in the emotion that lies in everything we do.
What type of brands and advertisers are part of the portfolio of the creative branch of beon. Worldwide? Has the group launched a new business model? Have you a particular client profile in mind?
We work with clients from very different industries: financial, consumerism, automotive, industrial, retail, services, music or entertainment.
Apart from our divisions, which offer comprehensive services in the field of communication, we are alert to market movements to adapt ourselves to any need that arise. Being an economically independent group allows a fast response and flexibility.
In your opinion, what are the latest demands on the part of brands?
Brands have also jumped onboard the innovation bandwagon via technological tools: big data, neuromarketing, artificial intelligence, or face recognition. All of them will help companies to obtain a much more precise information and thus offer our best results. However, we should never forget that the main objective is to create emotional experiences that leave a trace in our audience.
Growth is one of the company priorities. After the acquisition of both Sorënsen and Avantine, is there another advertising goal in the horizon?
We have several challenges ahead both as company and business models, and therefore our main objective now is to reinforce, consolidate, and expand our line of business. In addition, we cannot forget the effort made in our international expansion strategy that, after the last openings in France, Italy and Portugal, we look towards new horizons and open our last headquarters in the United States. We will keep advancing in this area with our focus on other European markets such as Germany, or even in Asia.
