Summa Branding, more than 30 years building leading brands
Conrad Loren’s, founder and CEO of Summa Branding
What does Summa Branding do?
We help companies to grow and develop by means of comprehensive solutions that exploit the full potential of their brands. We combine strategy and creativity with digital vision and business orientation.
When was the company founded and when did you start to work there?
I founded Summa in 1990, together with several other prestigious professionals in the fields of management, marketing, design and communication. We were pioneers in the Spanish market and we are now a benchmark for the sector. There are currently 5 partners: Josep María Mir, Jordi Mateu and Marcel·lí Zuazua and Rafa Soto, who were partners of Herraiz Soto, a company that became part of Summa in 2019.
What do you like most about your job?
Having the opportunity to carry out projects that have an impact on the growth and development of companies and people; becoming familiar with a wide range of sectors; working with very talented people; and learning continuously.
And what do you like least?
The fact there are still many companies that see brand management from a very tactical perspective, despite the fact that, when properly managed, brands are very powerful business generation tools and a strategic asset of the first order.
What do you think your company is particularly good at?
We offer both conceptual and management support, so we have top-level specialists in all the areas necessary to build and develop leading brands. We seek to support our customers at all stages: creation, development, new opportunities, transformation, etc. We also have specific teams to work on projects for corporate brands, consumer brands, and sports brands, which require different approaches. We also help startups to grow and consolidate.
What is your main challenge?
To be a world benchmark in our sector. We need to make sure we incorporate all the necessary capabilities to help our clients in everything related to their brands, in terms of both concept and management.
Where is your company located? Do you know why that location was chosen?
We were near the Diagonal/Paseo de Gracia intersection for many year, a prestigious location, but we have recently moved to 22@, to an open-plan space that allows us to generate more interaction amongst our teams and expresses the fresh and innovative vision that Summa represents today.
What do you like most about the neighborhood where you work?
I like the contrasts in urban planning, design, leisure, and business in 22@. It is a neighborhood in which there are many cultures and it has has a very cosmopolitan character. It also has many areas that are still little-known.
How important is Barcelona for your company?
Although we have offices in Madrid and Lisbon, Summa was founded in Barcelona and its center of gravity for talent and innovation is here. Barcelona stands out for its initiative and talent, and for being a city of contrasts that has a unique balance between leisure and business. And we identify very strongly with the spirit of our city and the sensitivity of its people. Furthermore, about three years ago we had the privilege of leading a project to define the strategic plan for the international projection of the Barcelona brand for the coming years. It is a project that we are very proud of and enjoyed enormously.
With which city would you compare Barcelona?
Barcelona is a city that enables people to undertake life-long projects, and offers a great balance between the professional and the human sides of life. And it has a unique character. Perhaps Amsterdam, Boston or Copenhagen are similar, but with their own individual style.
What city model should Barcelona adopt?
Barcelona must exploit its own identity, and follow its roadmap. It is a medium-sized “new world city” and it must ensure that it continues to attract talent and business. In this respect, Berlin, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv are ahead of us.
What best practices from other cities would you like Barcelona to adopt?
Barcelona is a great city for entrepreneurship, but it should improve the conditions for attracting talent and boosting the development of companies. We also need to connect innovation, science and entrepreneurship.
What do you ask of the Barcelona of the future?
I’d ask it to make sure that it remains true to itself, recovers its vitality, promotes culture, and is capable of attracting the headquarters of large companies and institutions. I would like Barcelona to be a benchmark in technologies that put humans first.
If you want to know the latest English news about Barcelona and the people who bring it to life, sign up to our Blog.
