The UVic-UCC creates a chair of Marketing and Business Communication with Lluís Bassat

Marketing and business communication are important tools for the growth and success of companies in today's competitive globalised environment. In order to contribute to development in this area and provide knowledge in the field, the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) has created the Lluís Bassat Chair of Marketing and Business Communication, which has launched its first initiatives this year. Those involved with the Chair include Lluís Bassat Coen, the founder of Bassat Ogilvy and a doctor honoris causa of UVic-UCC.

The director of the Chair is Santiago Jordán Ávila, and it has close links to the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies (FBC) and to the bachelor's degree in Marketing and Business Communication at UVic-UCC. It "seeks to become a benchmark of excellence in terms of research, training and dissemination in this area", as Josep Burgaya, dean of the FBC, points out. Bassat's involvement in the project means that "we have one of the most renowned marketing and advertising professionals in Spain and the world, who is recognised as a leading expert in the management and creation of great brands through advertising creativity," according to Jordan.

Research, innovation and training

The scientific objectives of the Chair include undertaking research and innovation in the field of Marketing and Business Communication, and contributing to the training of professionals in the sector, as well as investigating the evolution of consumers of media and the criteria for selecting brands and trends. In the training field, it will participate actively in teaching on master's degrees, postgraduate courses, specialisation courses, conferences for professionals, seminars and symposia organised by UVic-UCC, like the one that began last autumn on creative environments for entrepreneurs and managers.

According to Santiago Jordán, the aim is to "promote training in marketing and business communication in the University's geographical region and its areas of influence with an international vision." "It also seeks to foster a marketing culture for companies and entrepreneurs, which encourages ethics in the creation, production and marketing of products and services, so that they are an important asset in contributing sustainability to the circular economy," he adds.

The Lluís Bassat Chair of Marketing and Business Communication has been established with roots in the region, but also focuses on national and international collaborations. Likewise, "it maintains a commitment to society, consumers, companies, organisations, the media and the academic world, with which it maintains a proactive collaboration, and promotes good practices based on criteria of ethics and equality," says Burgaya.

A seminar on creativity and marketing with Lluís Bassat

One of the first actions that the Lluís Bassat Chair of Marketing and Business Communication has undertaken is to organise the theoretical and practical seminar entitled Creativity for entrepreneurs and managers with Lluís Bassat, which lasts for 60 hours in face-to-face format, which began in Barcelona in November, and which will conclude in February. Over the course of twelve Friday afternoons, the seminar trains professionals in order to "provide them with the tools they need to evaluate strategic and advertising creativity, facilitate decision-making and create strategic thinking in this area," according to the Dean of the FBC.

The seminar is led by a team of leading training professionals in marketing and business communication, and places particular emphasis on creativity and marketing, and their importance in the business world. Lluís Bassat attends all the sessions, and as he points out himself, he "shares the secrets that have enabled him to help sell so many products and so many brands in the world." One or two renowned entrepreneurs will participate as guests at some point in each session, talking about their own experiences and engaging in a dialogue with the participants.

New actions and new projects by the Chair

Apart from the seminar on creativity, the Chair is currently working on various actions and projects with a view to implementing them in the near future. "At the moment, we are working hard on the organisation of the third UVic-UCC Marketing and Business Communication Seminars, and creating a Marketing Plan for the Trueta Foundation in the circular economy, among other projects," says Jordán. He concludes that "the Chair will draw together and enhance the prestige of what marketing and business communication represents in Catalonia, as the engine for this discipline that it has always been."