European communication under debate: MARCO convenes its First EU Summit

 

The event, which took place at its headquarters in Torre Spínola, brought together senior officials and European affairs professionals to discuss and collaboratively shape the evolution of communication on the continent. The central focus was the co-creation as a driving force to achieve more human, impactful and forward-thinking approaches.

 

The meeting of ABOUT US, an international consultancy of Spanish origin, was structured around four essential thematic pillars to fulfill its central purpose: co-create meaning, co-create knowledge, co-create futures y co-create connection.

 

The day began with the words of Didier LagaeFounder and President of MARCO, followed by the co-CEO, Noelia Cruzadowho detailed the agency's core values—Passion, Sustainability, Ambition, Creativity, and Excellence—and how these shape its partnerships and daily work. The inspiration came from Pablo Vilar (Creative Director) and Manex Rekarte (Senior Creative Strategist), who illustrated how the creativity It is key to driving significant changes through institutional campaigns.

 

The first pillar concluded with a conversation between Lagae and Mònica Faro, Senior Communications Advisor at the European Investment Bank (AT), on the role of financial institutions in supporting the innovation y projects within the EU.

 

Leadership and Work Culture Analysis

 

On the axis of "co-creating knowledge", Carlos Garcia Martin, Head of Relations at MARCO, presented the findings of Consumer Study MARCO 2025The study highlighted current public expectations regarding a transparent and responsible leadership, as well as the need for a organizational purpose and a meaningful connection. Later, a debate moderated by Mathew Wintercross, Head of EU Affairs, enabled participants to share perspectives from diverse cultural contexts.

 

The afternoon focused on "co-creating futures," highlighting the presentation by James Ferrand-Gutiérrez, Head of Data Intelligence at IPSOS, under the title “Empathy at scale: from data to dialogueFerrand-Gutiérrez emphasized the relationship between the use of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the human role of empathy, highlighting its essential role for collaboration and hyper-relevance.

 

“Today we can use data to build a dialogue and treat genuine human expression as our most valuable asset. The AI ​​revolution isn’t just about producing content faster: AI has given us the technical capability to industrialize empathy“We don’t use it to replace human connection, but to scale it up,” said the IPSOS executive.

 

The meeting culminated in a collaborative exercise of 2030 outlook where the groups addressed the impact of communication (redefining metrics beyond scope) and the ultra-localization (managing ethics and consistency in a world hypercontextual).

 

The Commitment to Cross-Border Collaboration

 

The closing of EU Summit MARCO reinforced the agency's commitment to a communications ecosystem collaborative, insight-based, and forward-thinking.

 

Didier LagaeThe Founder and President of MARCO emphasized the need for collaboration: “Today’s Summit has demonstrated that the future of communication cannot be built in silos. It requires shared purpose, cross-border collaboration and the value of rethinking how we connect with audiences. When partners sit down together, share openly, and think boldly, the future becomes a opportunity and not in a challenge.”

 

The partners' reflections underscored this view. Alberto A. LeviDirector of Growth for Communication Services at Cronos Europe, noted that: “EU institutional communication is entering a phase of unprecedented challenges and opportunities, and no single company can credibly address them alone. […] The MARCO initiative aligns perfectly with this vision, and we are pleased to contribute our perspectives on the digital transformation, the IA and the need for a renewed European communication framework".

 

For its part, Larry FergusonThe Managing Director of Action Global Communications highlighted the value of what was learned: “It has been very enriching to see how co-creation can transform communication strategies. The exchanges reminded us that innovation is not just a matter of ideas, but of driving a real social impact. "

 

Finally, Noelia Cruzado He highlighted the value of unity in Madrid: “This Summit reaffirms how values ​​are only powerful when shared. Bringing our partners together in Madrid has allowed us to transform those values ​​into collective intelligence, knowledge, and future perspectives. Co-creation is no longer an aspiration; it is the path to effective communication.” significant and truly shocking".