Some campaigns fail because they fail to find the right message. Some campaigns succeed because they get the tone, the timing and the right approach just right. And then there are campaigns that fail for a reason that is harder to pinpoint: what they choose not to say.

At comma, we are convinced that communicating is power. The power to construct narratives, to raise awareness, to preserve memory and to decide who takes centre stage in a public conversation.

The latest campaign by Madrid City Council to mark Pride 2026 is based on a slogan that appears to be friendly. “Diversity is lived in Madrid”. It sounds positive, inclusive and easy to accept. Perhaps that’s why it’s worth looking at it with a bit more attention. Who experiences that diversity. Who represents it. Who appears in the story.

Because on the posters we don’t see any LGTBIQ+ people from Madrid. We see balconies, flowers, shops, terraces, colours and scenes from everyday life in the city. We see Madrid. But we don’t see those who have made Pride a collective achievement, a public presence and a shared memory.

This shift and this absence are no small matter. The campaign positions Madrid as the centrepiece of Pride, whilst LGBTIQ+ people are reduced to an implicit presence, suggested merely through the colours of the rainbow flag. The result is a visually appealing but politically incomplete message.

In communication, these omissions also convey a message.

When absence also conveys a message

Pride did not begin as a friendly celebration of diversity in cities. It began as a response to persecution, silence and invisibility. It began as a way of claiming public space at a time when many people were being excluded from it. It began to give a name, a face and a voice to those who had been forced to live on the margins.

That is why promoting Pride requires more than simply using that rainbow colour scheme, which has been so overused and trivialised by the mass media. It requires an understanding of what it stands for. We are not just talking about an inclusive campaign or a positive image for the city. We are talking about a collective memory built on a spirit of advocacy.

The slogan “Diversity is lived in Madrid” can be seen as an invitation to normalise diversity in everyday life. And that idea is valuable. Diversity should not exist for just one week, nor should it be confined to high-profile moments. It should be part of everyday life, of neighbourhoods, of homes, of workplaces and of shared spaces.

The problem arises when that standardisation is communicated without subjects. When diversity becomes part of the urban atmosphere, but not in human presence. When we talk about a diverse city, but not of the diverse people who live there.

Madrid is no minor player in this story. Its Pride is one of the major international events, one of the most well-attended gatherings in Europe and a space where celebration, activism, tourism, culture, the economy and rights coexist. Precisely for this reason, institutional communication surrounding Pride carries a greater responsibility than perhaps any other. It cannot be treated merely as a city asset or a tourism brand. Nor can it be seen simply as a pretty postcard depicting Madrid’s spirit of togetherness.

Pride is a celebration, yes. But it’s not just that. It is also remembrance, protest, reparation and presence.

When Madrid takes up the whole frame

Every institutional campaign chooses a central figure. In this case, the spotlight seems to be solely on… Madrid. Its balconies, its terraces, its shops, its colours. Its sense of community. Diversity emerges as a defining feature of the city, almost like a brand attribute. Madrid is open. Madrid is welcoming. Madrid is diverse.

None of that need be problematic in itself. The tricky part is that, by placing the city at the centre, the campaign runs the risk of appropriating a history that did not originate in institutions, but on the streets. Pride does not exist simply because a city is diverse. It exists because there were people who had to publicly assert their right to be so.

Therein lies one of the most interesting tensions in the field of communication. An institution can celebrate diversity, but it must do so without marginalising those who brought it to light. It can champion an open city, but it should not reduce the LGBTIQ+ community to a mere backdrop. It can talk about coexistence, but without erasing the conflict that made that coexistence necessary.

The campaign aims to convey that diversity is part of everyday life in Madrid. But by avoiding faces, bodies, names or explicit references to the community, it leaves a question unanswered. Are we talking about diversity, or are we using diversity as a way of talking about Madrid?

When the representation is not an ornament

In corporate communication and institutional communication, we talk a great deal about representation. Sometimes it seems like an overused term. But cases like this remind us why it still matters.

To represent does not mean to place symbols in a generic manner. To represent is to decide who appears, who speaks, who occupies the centre of the story and who is left in the background. In a campaign on LGTBIQ+ diversity, the absence of people from the community is not a neutral decision. It can be interpreted as a way of universalising the message, but also as a way of neutralising its political agenda.

Institutions need to address a wide audience. They must craft inclusive messages. They must ensure that public communication does not become a source of exclusion. But inclusivity must not mean blurring the lines. And toning down a message should not mean stripping it of its history.

When a Pride campaign replaces people with objects, it runs the risk of shifting the focus from rights to decoration. From memory to aesthetics. From advocacy to a postcard.

When we run the risk of turning diversity into a mere backdrop

One of the major challenges facing communication today is to prevent social causes from becoming empty visual codes. This happens with sustainability, equality, diversity and in any area where symbols carry reputational value.

The rainbow, like any symbol that is powerful, can mean many things. It can be a flag of struggle, a gesture of support, a symbol of belonging or a visual device. The difference lies in the context, the intention and the consistency.

In this campaign, the colours are there. So is the urban setting. But the community seems to be diluted into an abstract idea of the city. Diversity is presented as something that Madrid embodies, rather than as something that LGBTIQ+ people have championed, fought for and upheld for decades.

Communication does not just shape our image. It also shapes our memory. It determines what we remember, how we remember it, and whom we recognise as the protagonist of a story.

When we realise that memory also communicates

At a time when many social achievements seem to be firmly established, there is a risk of presenting rights as though they had come about of their own accord. As though equality were a natural evolution of societies rather than the result of decades of mobilisation, organisation and conflict.

But rights are not merely institutional window dressing. They are hard-won achievements. And every achievement has names, bodies, voices and memories.

Pride came about precisely so that LGBTIQ+ people would not be silenced or rendered invisible. That is why any campaign that aims to represent it should ask itself a simple question. Is it raising awareness, or is it replacing that awareness with a feel-good metaphor? Is it commemorating the struggle, or merely celebrating its outcome? Is it talking about diversity, or is it avoiding any mention of those who made it possible? Memory does not preserve itself. It is shared. And when it is not shared, it weakens.

When we can celebrate without holding back

Institutions find themselves in a complex (and sometimes even delicate) position when faced with movements that arise from social demands. When they incorporate these movements into their communications, they can help to normalise rights, broaden support and project an image of a more open city. But they may also be tempted to neutralise the conflict in order to make it more palatable, more aesthetically pleasing or easier to share.

The challenge lies in striking a balance between celebration and advocacy. Between a sense of belonging and remembrance. Between pride in the city and pride in the community.

Madrid can celebrate the fact that diversity is part of its everyday life. It must do so. But that idea gains strength when it acknowledges those who made it possible for that diversity to be experienced freely. Without that acknowledgement, the campaign remains a correct but incomplete statement.

Communicating Pride isn’t just about saying that Madrid is diverse. It’s about explaining why it can be so – and thanks to whom.

When we learn to recognise who not to delete

Every institutional campaign makes choices. It chooses images, words, symbols, approaches and what it leaves unsaid. Much of its credibility hinges on those choices.

The controversy surrounding the 2026 Pride campaign should not be limited to whether people like the posters or not. What happens when a public message tries to be so universal that it loses its connection to its origins? What happens when a cause becomes merely a matter of aesthetics? What happens when a city takes centre stage in a story that was created to raise the profile of a community?

Pride does not need to be expressed in a strident manner to be a statement of defiance. But neither can it be expressed with absolute neutrality without losing some of its meaning.

In communication, it is not enough simply to be on the right side of the values. You have to know how to represent them well. And representing them well involves something as simple and yet as difficult as not erasing those who gave meaning to that narrative.

Madrid City Council should learn a lesson from this campaign. After all, Pride wasn’t created to decorate the city. It was created to take it over.

La entrada When Pride is left without people: the campaign by the Madrid City Council and the power of what is not said se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

The recent digital upheaval caused by the organisation TetayTeta following a viral video has laid bare an unbridgeable rift. This is not a case of a strategic failure or a ‘communication error’; what has happened is, quite simply, that they have been caught red-handed, and it is this reality check that has triggered the crisis. When the actual aid is negligible compared to the publicity campaign, the problem is not that the message was poorly managed; it is the lie. It is the fundamental lack of consistency in organisations that, quite profitably, confuse marketing with ethics.

The trick of donating stands instead of cash

The transparency report from the organising company, Sport Life Ibérica, reveals that it allocated €264,967 to “charitable initiatives”, a figure it claims represents 20% of its net registration revenue. It sounds impeccable in a press release, but the small print analysed by El País hides the accounting sleight of hand: of the 36 beneficiary organisations, 23 received this aid in the form of the provision and assembly of stands at the event’s fair. To imagine a team of scientists trying to pay for reagents in a cancer laboratory with three square metres of advertising marquee and foam board counters is almost a joke. Valuing the space you manage yourself and counting it as a “donation” is not philanthropy; it is a commercial exchange disguised as aid. Financial transparency is the only antidote: if an initiative does not specify from the outset how much cash is going towards research, brands should not offer their support. Otherwise, they are not victims; they are complicit in an accounting sleight of hand.

The legal excuse for ethical deception

Faced with the runners’ outrage upon discovering they were funding a for-profit event, the organisers defended themselves by claiming it is “a sporting event with a social commitment, not a charity run”. Their aim, they say, is to promote exercise. They are right about one thing: their strategy is entirely legal. In Spain, there is no specific regulation governing charitable advertising and, as FACUA points out, the masterstroke is that not a single poster needs to use the word ‘charity’. The sea of pink and the ribbons do all the associative work implicitly in the consumer’s mind. However, under the Unfair Competition Act, a campaign is misleading if it presents information in a way that misleads the recipient, thereby altering their economic behaviour.

Women don’t pay a registration fee to play sport on a rainy Sunday; they do so because they firmly believe their money will go towards saving lives. Exploiting legal loopholes to rake in millions with the public’s emotional complicity is, quite simply, an ethical deception. This ‘pink capitalism’ also generates a dangerous anaesthetic effect: it stifles political demands and mobilisation by delegating the solution to consumer brands. Who do we ask to look after us – a brand or public institutions? Window-dressing solidarity privatises empathy, turning it into an indicator of advertising performance.

Four rules to ensure CSR is no longer just for show

For brands seeking genuine commitment and wishing to avoid the backlash of pinkwashing, the solution lies in taking action with radical honesty right from the outset of the project. We must focus on and demand transparency regarding the flow of funds: before signing, the CSR department must audit where the funds are going. Demand clauses stipulating the actual net percentage of cash that will reach the laboratories. If there is a lack of transparency, withdraw the sponsorship.

Swap large-scale events for local aid: large-scale events provide spectacular photos but dilute the impact of aid. It is far more transformative to work directly with grassroots organisations or independent foundations, fully funding a researcher’s salary or local equipment. The impact is direct, measurable and human.

Assess the consistency of the product: It is inconsistent to see highly processed food or cosmetics companies that are under scientific scrutiny sponsoring women’s health events. If your products are not suitable for someone whose immune system has been compromised by cancer treatment, you fail the ethical test. CSR starts within your own production chain.

Start showing solidarity within your own organisation: there is no point in funding external ‘pink tide’ initiatives if, behind closed doors, your work-life balance policies penalise female employees undergoing medical treatment or fail to support staff with sick relatives. Involving your workforce in the assessment of social projects fosters a genuine sense of pride that no amount of advertising can buy.

Show the impact, hide the logo: effective communication gives the floor to those at the heart of the story. Showcase the scientific progress you’ve funded or the families supported thanks to your direct cash transfers. When the facts speak for themselves, slogans become unnecessary and any suspicion of a mere facade naturally disappears.

The end of pink paint

This crisis of confidence is not directed at the thousands of citizens who are acting in the best of intentions. It is a warning to the management committees. Consumers have become more discerning; they know how to access transparency portals and are no longer satisfied with the colour of a T-shirt or with press releases drafted by public relations departments.

Companies face a very simple ethical dilemma: either they continue to spend their budget on tins of pink paint to hide the cracks in their corporate inconsistency, or they start investing that money in laying the foundations for genuine social impact of which they can be proud, without fear of being called to account.

La entrada The pink wave: the great accounting illusion behind the brands se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

A rebranding is never simply an aesthetic decision. It is a move that responds to changes in the market, technology and consumer values. Between 2024 and 2026, three of the pillars of the IBEX 35 and benchmarks of the Spain Brand, Repsol, Mapfre and the former Cepsa (now Moeve) have undertaken rebranding processes that mark a before and after in their strategic visual communication. Why now? What do their new typefaces tell us? Why is colour no longer flat?

Moeve: how to ‘kill’ a giant to save the brand

The case of Moeve (formerly Cepsa) is undoubtedly the most radical. The rebranding process also includes a name change. This is the riskiest move in communication: giving up decades of brand recognition. Remember the case of HBO Max, which changed to MAX only to reverse the change a few months later.

Cepsa was founded as the Spanish Petroleum Company. In 2026, petroleum is a concept that is declining in terms of social reputation. The brand needed a conceptual clean-up. You cannot sell green hydrogen under a name that includes the word petroleum in its acronym.

Change in the colour palette: the traditional red and yellow have been abandoned. These colours are highly visible on the road, but are associated with fossil fuels. The new palette focuses on deep blues and turquoise greens. In colour psychology, this shifts the brand from the industrial sector to the technological and sustainable sector.

The naming and typography: Moeve plays with the word move (movement) and evolution. The typography is of style sans-serif, geometric, modern, with rounded terminations that suggest smoothness and efficiency.

Strategic implication: Moeve no longer competes with Repsol at petrol stations, competes with Tesla in chargers and with Iberdrola in energy for the home. Graphic design has been the bridge needed for the consumer to accept this new paper.

Repsol: farewell to flat design

Repsol could not afford a complete breakaway like Cepsa’s. Its logo is one of Spain’s most valuable assets. Its strategy has been one of adaptive evolution.

Repsol’s previous logo was a design from the analogue era: solid, flat, static. The new Repsol logo seeks to represent a company that no longer just extracts energy, but also transforms and distributes it in multiple forms (solar, wind, electrical).

Gradient and 3D: as we said earlier, the popularity of mobile phones with high-performance processors and fast download speeds means that the resource optimisation championed by flat design is no longer necessary. Repsol is joining this trend by evolving towards a more realistic style, transforming its logo into a three-dimensional shape that relies heavily on the use of gradients. The transition from dark orange tones to this gradient, which starts with yellow and reminds us of the sun, creates a sense of luminescence. The logo seems to emit its own light, simulating a source of living energy.

The circular shape: the edges have been polished. The R of the typography and the central symbol now are integrated into a narrative of circular economy. Graphically, everything flows towards the centre, eliminating the sensation of heavy blockage. It represents the heat of the sun, the vibration of movement and the warmth of service to the customer.

Mapfre: the revolution of lowercase letters and mobile-first

The case of Mapfre is a lesson in humanisation through typography. Historically, insurance companies communicated from a position of authority: capital letters, logos enclosed in shields or circles, dark colours…

Today, the relationship with Mapfre does not take place in a physical office with marble walls. It takes place in an app. The design of 2026 responds to the need to be an icon on the desktop of a smartphone, not a poster on a building.

From uppercase to lowercase: this is the most powerful change. By writing Mapfre in lowercase, the brand renounces imposing itself in favour of conversation. Lowercase letters are perceived as more friendly, modern and digital (think of logos such as Amazon or Airbnb).

The clover without borders: the circle surrounding the iconic shamrock has been removed. In graphic design, a circle is a border. By removing it, the symbol breathes. The aim is to create a more open, transparent and collaborative brand. The tone has been adjusted to a more vibrant red, less blood-like, optimised for screens. It is a red that conveys vitality and active protection, not relief after an accident.

Implications: What does this tell us about the current market?

When we analyse these three cases together, we see patterns that are worth highlighting:

· The dictatorship of the pixel over the paper. In the past, logos were designed to look good on paper. Today, they are designed to be a 16×16 pixel favicon or an Instagram avatar. Mapfre’s simplification and Repsol’s brightness are designed to shine in digital environments.

· The end of corporate authority. Brands no longer want to command respect through their size. They want to be partners. The use of rounded shapes, lowercase letters and softer colour palettes responds to a consumer psychology where users value empathy over hierarchy.

· Sustainability as a primary colour. It is no longer an addition to the annual report; sustainability is the visual focus. Moeve uses green, Repsol uses light and Mapfre uses openness. Graphically, the brands are eliminating visual noise to project cleanliness and efficiency.

Conclusion: design as a business driver

The changes at Mapfre, Repsol and Moeve show us that design is the visible face of business strategy. If a company changes its revenue model (from oil to renewable energy, or from insurance policies to digital services), its image must change for the market to believe it. These are not just logos. They are the insignia of a new economic era in which Spain seeks to lead the energy and digital transition. No one disputes the importance of strategic design anymore. Designing is deciding. And these three brands have decided that the future is lighter, brighter and, above all, more human.

La entrada Rebranding: changes in the visual identity of three Spanish giants. se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

Offering personalised musical experiences, whether through acoustic performances at corporate events, brand activations or sensory environments for VIP clients, allows companies to create memorable and distinctive moments. Live music not only adds aesthetic value, but also conveys emotions, reinforces brand values and creates an atmosphere conducive to human connection.

From an intimate performance with vocals and guitar at a business dinner to a sound experience designed specifically for an opening ceremony, the key is to adapt the musical style to the message the company wishes to convey. It is not just about entertainment, but emotional strategy.

Today more than ever, companies are seeking authentic ways to build loyalty and surprise their customers. When used with intention and sensitivity, music becomes a powerful tool for connecting, moving and leaving a lasting impression. Of course, for the event to be successful, it is necessary to have a comprehensive and detailed briefing and to have both the artist and the client on the same page. With all this in place, a unique and unparalleled moment can be achieved. As Nietzsche said, “without music, life would be a mistake”.

Music as a strategic resource (not an accessory)

For many brands, music continues to be an ornamental or atmospheric addition. But in reality, it should be integrated from the strategic design stage: what emotions do we want to evoke, how do we want the public to relate to the brand, and at what key moments can music become an ally?

Research into emotional branding shows that music not only moves us, but also shapes our perceptions. Recent studies on the subject point out how music can be the link between the mind and the consumer, generating emotional associations that influence purchasing decisions. Furthermore, in sensory marketing or audio marketing, physiological and psychological effects have been observed: rhythm, timbre and harmony activate regions of the brain associated with pleasure, which ‘prepares’ the person to receive the brand’s message with greater openness.

When music becomes part of a brand’s sound identity—not just at isolated events—it fulfils key symbolic functions: it reinforces brand attributes, shapes a perceptual universe, and leaves deep impressions on the memory.

Keys to using music as a tool for connection

1 · Design a music briefing that is as rigorous as the visual or content briefing. Key questions: What emotions do we want to evoke? What brand attributes do we want to resonate with? What musical styles are in tune with our audience? When (time of event)? Where (physical space, digital space)?
Sharing musical references with the performer ensures that the performance matches the intention.

2 · Consistency with brand identity
Music should dialogue with the brand’s words, colours and communication tone. It cannot contradict them. If your brand is elegant and understated, loud trap music will sound like dissonance. Music should amplify what you already are, not try to ‘cover it up’.

3 · Sound segmentation by target audience
Not all audiences respond in the same way to the same genres. What excites a segment of urban millennials does not necessarily work with a senior audience. Conducting studies or preliminary tests with music samples can help you get it right. Even within an event, you can organise ‘micro scenes’ (spaces with different sound environments) for different attendee profiles.

4 · Live experiences versus designed sound environments

· Live: voice and instrument(s) create closeness, spontaneity, and human presence.

· Soundscape: curated playlists, background music, themed loops, or soundscapes allow you to modulate intensity according to the moment (reception, break, closing). You can combine both: key live moments and then background music.

5 · Adaptability and flexibility
Music must adapt to change: programme delays, technical glitches or pitch adjustments during performance. Having flexible ‘musical modules’ is key.

6 · Measurement and feedback
It is not enough for everyone to enjoy the moment. It is advisable to measure perceptions afterwards. Short surveys can be conducted: “How did the music make you feel?”, “Did you perceive consistency with the brand?”.
Also analyse qualitative metrics: comments on social media, content generated by attendees, spontaneous mentions, but above all, what remains in the memory after some time has passed.

Music, when properly understood, is a way of communicating without words. When a brand manages to make its sound speak with authenticity, it not only accompanies its message, it amplifies it. The right melody can transform an event into an experience, a message into an emotion, and a memory into a lasting relationship. That is why integrating music into communication strategy is not a fad, but a decision based on corporate emotional intelligence: a way to make brands not only heard, but felt.

Article written by Miquel Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer of Idea Events LLC

La entrada Music as an emotional bridge between businesses and customers se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

Image plays a crucial role in the perception of our company or brand by customers, partners and/or the general public.

A well-planned and executed corporate photo shoot not only projects professionalism, but can also be a powerful tool to strengthen brand identity and enhance our reputation. Attention to detail is crucial to achieve professional, high quality and aesthetically pleasing material that can be used, among other things, in media collaborations.

Basic recommendations prior to the session.

Define the objectives and the scope of the session.

Before starting any photo shoot it is essential to be clear about what you want to communicate with the images. Is the aim to introduce the management team? Show the working environment? Highlight specific products or services? Defining these objectives will help you to properly guide the photographer and determine the style of the photos as well as ensure that the message is consistent with the company’s identity and values.

Select a professional photographer, not everything goes.

The choice of photographer is one of the key decisions for a perfect corporate photo shoot. Hiring a professional with experience in corporate photography is essential, as they will understand the specific needs of the business environment and know how to capture the essence of your brand through their lens.

Tell the photographer what the objectives of the photo shoot are and what exactly you need and what you need it for, not forgetting to put the photographer in context before the shoot. Explain what the company does, what sector it works in and what you want to convey with these photographs. Working out objectives and expectations prior to the session is important to ensure that the collaboration with the chosen professional is successful.

Plan and prepare the session in advance.

Planning is also important for a perfect and smooth corporate photo shoot. Some things to bear in mind:

• Choose the location: whether in the office, in a factory, outdoors… the location also affects the image you want to project. The location we choose should be uncluttered and not too distracting and, if possible, should somehow integrate the organisation’s logo or corporate image. Make sure that the chosen venue is clean and well organised before the session. It seems obvious, but often such considerations are overlooked and then the photos show details that we have overlooked.
• Day and time: choosing the right time can significantly influence the quality of your photos. On the day you choose, you should make sure that the people to be photographed have enough time to be relaxed and that they spend enough time with you. And, with regard to the time, although the professional will take it into account, you should also think about the light. Natural light is often the best option, so sessions in the morning or at dusk can provide the best lighting for a good result.
• Logistics: coordinating in an orderly and organised way the participation of all the people to be photographed will be key so that everything flows smoothly and takes as little time as possible.

Recommendations for the day of the corporate photo shoot.

The appearance of employees in corporate photos should be aligned with the image of your company or brand. Here are some important guidelines to keep in mind:

Define the type of clothing.

It is important that you define a clear dress code that all participants must follow. It can be formal, business casual or work uniform, depending on the type of company and the message to be conveyed. The most timeless clothing is the most advisable so that the photos can be used for a longer period of time. Once decided, share it with the employees to be photographed before the shoot. Avoid plaids, stripes, bright colours or excessively flashy accessories.

Special attention to personal care.

Ensure that all employees are well groomed, with appropriate hairstyles and make-up, if necessary. It is important that everyone feels comfortable and confident in their appearance.

Watch the visual consistency of the photographs.

Consistency in the style and tone of images is essential to maintain a strong visual identity in keeping with your company or brand. Ensure that the colours used in clothing and surroundings match the brand colours or at least do not clash. Neutral colours are the most recommended, without prints or glitter.

Watch out for non-verbal language.

Always look for naturalness but don’t forget that the body language is essential in a corporate photo shoot. Do not force your posture or gesticulate excessively. Don’t pose with extreme seriousness either: a half-smile is ideal. If possible, avoid folded arms.

Choose the photographic style.

Decide whether you prefer a more formal, posed style or a more relaxed, natural one. Whatever style you choose, give directions so that it is maintained throughout the session and with all participants.

Take the opportunity to take several shots.

At least several close-ups and medium shots should be taken. However, you can also take advantage of this to take some American shots (cut above the knee) and a general shot of the site. Remember this with the photographer and make sure it is repeated with all participants in the shoot.

Consider the composition.

Work with the photographer to create compositions that are not only visually appealing, but also convey the values and culture of your company or brand.

Recommendations after the photo session.

Ask for files in various formats.

Ask the photographer to send you all the photographs in various formats. One that is of high quality (required for print publications) and one that is of moderate quality and can be easily shared, e.g. by email (valid for online publications).

Don’t abuse retouching and filters.

Editing is a crucial part of the photographic process. A good photographer will know how to retouch the images to bring out the best aspects without losing the naturalness. However, it is important not to overdo it with filters and effects in order to maintain the authenticity of the photos.

Review and feedback from participants.

After the session, it is important to review the photos with the people who participated in the session. Receiving feedback and making adjustments, if necessary, will ensure that everyone is satisfied with the final result and that the images meet the objectives previously set.

Image rights and usage.

Make sure you have all the necessary rights to use the photos on different platforms and for as long as necessary. It is also important to inform employees and obtain their consent to use their images in corporate materials.

If we fulfil all these premises, it is very easy for the corporate photo shoot to be perfect. A well-executed photo shoot can be a powerful tool to enhance a company’s image and strengthen its brand identity. If you follow these basic recommendations, your corporate photos will not only be visually appealing, but also effective in communicating the values and objectives you had previously set out.

La entrada Keys to a corporate photo shoot se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

This presents a scenario in which brands must rise to the occasion and connect and speak to their audiences and stakeholders at an ever deeper level. The brand experience reminds us that brands are like people, and as such, they must have a purpose, values and personality, so that the public can interact with the brand not only on a rational level but also on an emotional level. This is according to the ‘IV study of brands with values’ which indicates that 60% of respondents value positively the fact that a brand has values. In this way, entities manage to create a long-lasting bond and connection with their stakeholders, which goes beyond the mere commercial transaction and involves touching the hearts and minds of consumers.

Purpose and values

This is how we understand it and put it into practice at Mutualidad. We have recently revisited our purpose and values, our brand promise as an entity, and we have done so in a collaborative way by co-creating with all our stakeholders. Only then will the result be connected to what they expect from the company.

Once we were clear about what drives us as an organisation, we moved forward in adapting our visual and verbal identity to our purpose and values, so that they would be consistent with each other. We thus defined a new range of colours that would set us apart from other entities in the insurance sector and that would help us to make visible, through our corporate colours, everything we set out to be: sustainable, inclusive, transparent, reliable and committed to the mutuality as a bulwark.

A meaningful experience

All this accompanied by a unique personality based on behaviours that will speak to our audiences in a proactive, honest, credible and empathetic way. We are embarking on a journey towards a more meaningful brand experience in which we are clear that all our actions must fulfil our purpose of improving the quality of life of our members, contributing to a more collaborative, fair and inclusive society.

In this sense, it is as important to set goals as it is to maintain consistency along the way to achieve them. The weight of consistency in building the reputation of any entity is very high. Organisations should be aware of how necessary it is to make sure that what you say always matches what you show yourself to be.

This closes the circle in which brands can not only meet the expectations of their stakeholders, but also become a reference in society. The journey towards a deeper brand experience lays the foundations for a future where authenticity, emotional connection and delivering value to society will be key elements in building and consolidating corporate reputation.

*Article written by Idoia Revuelta, Head of Communications at Mutualidad

La entrada Reputation building through brand experience se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

What is brand reputation

Brand reputation refers to the public’s overall perception of a brand. It is a subjective assessment based on consumers’ past experiences, current interactions and future expectations of a company or product. This is the most ‘formal’ description. However, I think it is much better understood by this quote from Abraham Lincoln: “Reputation is like fine china: once broken, it is very hard to repair.”

Even more so, online reputation is especially important in the digital age. Reviews on Google, forums, rating sites such as Tripadvisor or on social networks have become the salvation or the stigma of many brands and companies, whether selling products or services. This reputation, which can be created or destroyed in a matter of seconds by users, is one of the most direct impacts that currently exist in the perception of a brand.

Why does online reputation matter so much?

Let’s see; imagine that your brand is a book and the reviews are the criticisms that determine whether someone decides to read it. Well, your company’s digital reputation is the first impression consumers get of it, and reviews are kind of like the synopsis we read on the back cover.

According to a BrightLocal report, 87% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision. . I don’t know about you, but I haven’t entered a restaurant without reading the reviews on Google or Tripadvisor, I don’t buy anything on Amazon without looking at the reviews, or I don’t read all the reviews before booking a hotel on Booking. It seems that the idea of passing by a place and going in because ‘it looks good’ is no longer valid. Reviews are the new word of mouth; it’s about trusting real strangers who say that this place “is wonderful, with a sublime service and a meal to repeat”, or that you shouldn’t even go “because the owner is a nasty person and the soup arrived cold”. Subjective? Well… maybe.

The power of Google Reviews and Google MyBusiness

When it comes to reviews, Google is a sort of wizard behind the curtain. It is the one who ‘runs the show’. Google Reviews and Google MyBusiness are crucial tools for our online reputation. Whether we like it or not. According to the Google MyBusiness blog, “businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and 35% more clicks to their websites”.

But let’s look a little more in detail at how these two tools affect any business:

Google Reviews: the voice of consumers.

Google reviews provide a direct window into the customer experience. They are authentic testimonials that significantly influence the decision making of all those who are considering hiring our services or buying our products. The star rating system and detailed reviews allow users to evaluate the quality of a company’s products or services. A high number of positive reviews not only improves brand visibility in search results, but also creates a positive impression in the consumer’s mind.

Impact on SEO

Google values freshness and relevance of content, and reviews are a dynamic form of user-generated content. A higher number of reviews, especially positive ones, can improve a company’s ranking in search results. Businesses with a higher number of reviews tend to attract more clicks, leading to increased visibility and ultimately more traffic.

Google My Business: the key to local presence

GMB is a comprehensive tool that allows businesses to manage their presence on Google, especially in local searches. By claiming and optimizing your profile, businesses can provide key information to consumers, such as opening hours, location, reviews and photos. This profile appears in search results and maps, providing an instant first impression to users interested in local products or services.

Improve local visibility

GMB not only facilitates business information management, but also improves local visibility. Businesses that are well optimized in GMB are more likely to appear in local search results and in the popular ‘three-pack’* on Google Maps, increasing the chances of attracting local customers.

*The Google Local pack or Google Local Pack is a section that appears in the organic results taking into account the user’s geolocation, showing them the three most prominent businesses closest to them, based on their query or query.

Direct interaction with clients:

GMB provides a direct channel of communication between the company and customers. Question and answer functions allow companies to address common queries, while post updates keep customers informed about relevant events, offers and news.

At the event “Generación y reputación de marca a partir de opiniones” held by the Escuela de Unidad Editorial and Expansión, one of the speakers, Alejandro Garrido, Retail Industry manager at Google commented: “The review is just the tip of the iceberg of an ecommerce. There are a lot of steps that are necessary in a purchase process. And what is Google Maps or My Business? It is proximity, it is knowledge and it is communication“.

How to manage and improve your online reputation: always respond!

“Building reputation is something that does not only happen in crises, but always. It is a constant, eternal work, with fleeting results, but this construction is a kind of ‘deaf labor’ to build in all channels”. And this is what Carlos Fernández Guerra, digital and social media director of Iberdrola, commented at this same event.

This management, as he pointed out, is something daily, something to which to dedicate time and effort. The key is how you handle the situation. That’s why it’s critical to respond to reviews, both positive and negative. Thank happy customers and proactively address the problems of dissatisfied customers. According to a Harvard Business Review study, companies that respond to reviews have an average rating 0.1 stars higher than those that do not.

Remember, transparency is key. If you made a mistake, admit it and offer solutions. Authenticity in your responses builds trust and shows customers that you care about their experience.

La entrada The importance of online brand reputation: How do online reviews affect it? se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

I even remember once he brought us a PhD student who had surprised him with a brilliant exercise; He had to describe something without words and we had to guess it; With very musical rhythmic sounds, that girl spent a minute telling us about a birth; It was impressive;

All this prologue comes from the commonplaces (those clichés that are repeated over and over again, and which have lost their effectiveness after being used so much). One of the first days of class, in the first year, he asked us if we knew what they were; I don’t know if no one knew or no one dared to raise their hand, but we had to find out for the next class; This professor, an enemy of commonplaces, which are multiplied by the written and oral language promoted by the media, would suffer from the discourse of the professionals I usually interview because of this recurrence to empty and common concepts; In the magazine Anuncios, we take it with humour every time we hear these three commonplaces:Putting the consumer at the centre. We can’t wait to meet a brand that doesn’t, that would be innovation; The courage of the customer;Nobody talks about cowardly customers; Innovation is part of the DNA. They can replace innovation with any other noun they want to boast about;

Straitjacketed spokespersons

Over time, I have noticed that interviewees are becoming more and more constrained, especially if they work in multinationals; If you have the questionnaire in advance, the answers are even more measured; It is difficult to achieve a climate of freedom in which they can express themselves without fear; Many also ask to review what they have told you so that they can modify what may seem to them to be less appropriate in the cold; These practices undermine journalism, whose credibility has been undermined for years by the media’s economic crisis;

How to educate this politically correct generation of spokespersons where every line is so measured? Communication consultancies have an important role to play in advising and guiding their clients in the creation of a discourse that is profound, interesting, contributing and, of course, far from commonplaces;

Of course, we journalists must also make amea culpafor having ceded ground in our independence in these complicated times.

I am sure that many of the journalists trained at the Complutense will have identified the professor; It wasPedro Sorela.

*Article by Cruz Cantalapiedra, head of digital strategy at Publicaciones Profesionales (Anuncios, MarketingNews y Mujeres a Seguir)

La entrada Commonplaces in brands speech se publicó primero en Agencia comma.

It’s been a fun year, I’ll say that; And not because it has not been free of difficulties, hardness, intensity, threats… but because it has not allowed us to stop or stop learning; At this stage of my professional (and also personal) life, to continue learning and having fun with what you do and what you are involved in, seems to me a luxury;

I have asked our friends, the intelligent but artificial ones, to tell me what they think are the barriers we have been working with this year and the challenges for the coming year; And, it turns out that for these girls, the past and the future are similar; This we are told: “the fragmentation of the media landscape, making it difficult to reach target audiences with traditional methods such as advertising; the increasing use of social media and other digital platforms by consumers, requiring communications and PR professionals to be more innovative in their approach; and a shortage of talent, as there are not enough qualified professionals to meet demand”;

Grammatically correct, I think this approximation could be an approximation for last year, for this year, for two years from now… Although it can serve as a reference, that is not what I was looking for; I wanted enlightenment and this, I’m afraid, comes from our experience, our work, our research, our practice… That AI is here to stay, there is no doubt about it; But it is firmly linked to two coordinates that we must not lose sight of:

1. The danger of content by weight: quality versus quantity? And what will make us able to distinguish the true origin of a content?
2. Will it mean the disappearance of content creators (read writers, journalists, bloggers, editors, designers, artists…) I’ll leave it there and go back to the subject of this last post of the year: perspectives of communication 2023;

Communication challenges in 2023

1.- Uses of technology

To continue to deepen in identifying how all these new tools are transforming the practice of our profession; and, as a by-product, whether we professionals will be prepared to face the multiple challenges;
With regard to the use of artificial intelligence, I think it explains it perfectly calvoconbarba in his last post. Beyond the coordinates outlined above, we will see how it can change the way we interact with information and how it will affect our decision making; I worry about whether we will be able to tell when we are being sold a bill of goods; We will have to be more awake than ever and never stop learning;

2.- Sustainability, transparency and accountability

Can these words be more beautiful? Brands are (or should be) striving to communicate more clearly and transparently their commitment to ESG in the broadest sense of the word, not only in their speeches but also in their actions; Consistency is going to be closely monitored. The Global Alliance’s annual report explicitly states: “Knowing how to detect, analyse and counteract these unethical techniques has become key to maintaining trust and reputation in the long term. Trust and reputation are strategic issues for companies; Ethics must always be at the heart of our actions: integrity, objectivity, honesty; ESG criteria are here to stay and it will be the territory of communication to ensure their identification, performance and transmission;

3.- Data, data, data

Increasingly, communications work requires a deep understanding of data to demonstrate its true impact; Professionals will have to know how to interpret them appropriately and to make the most of them in an efficient and effective way; With data, possibly, we will be able to demonstrate the value of intangibles whose management depends directly on our work and which is not always sufficiently valued; Just look at the communication and marketing budgets; There is much to be done here and the work of associations such as ADC is going to be essential;

4.- Innovation and creativity

Our ability to imagine, to create narratives that capture the dialogue between technology and creation, adapting the content to the logic of the digital but without losing the essence of humanism, will be fundamental to break the limits and self-imposed rules; But “The challenge of innovation in the sector remains enormous.” and requires a change of beliefs; Are we prepared? Are we ready?

5.- Real-time communication

Agility; Everything is moving too fast; Although, as Mario Tascón (Prodigioso Volcán) in the latest episode of El elefante verde, “Thinking requires stopping. If you don’t stop, you don’t think”, companies must become more agile and be prepared to respond to social, technological and economic changes in a fast and at the same time effective way;

I could go on and on, but I think that with five references we can mark the challenges on which we should not lose focus in the year that is about to start;

From comma, with all the passion for communication that characterises us, we wish you a good end of 2022 and a powerful energetic charge to put the power of conscious communication at the service of people and the space we inhabit during 2023;

La entrada Five challenges for communication in 2023 se publicó primero en Agencia comma.