The transformative impact of Akademia on the career of Lucía Presencio, Art Director at SAMY Alliance

At the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, we are very proud of the alumni who have been part of our Akademia programme.

The uniqueness of the program lies in its design and execution: it ranges from a meticulous student selection process to a practical and avant-garde approach to the content of the classes, complemented by the excellence of the teachers. This results in students who are enthusiastic about innovation, ready to bring new ideas and creative solutions in their respective fields.

On this occasion we interviewed Lucía Presencio, an Akademia alumna and Art Director of SAMY Alliance, a digital marketing agency specialized in helping brands grow through innovation and talent.

Lucía studied a degree in Communication, with a mention in Advertising and Corporate Communication at Loyola University. After an international stay at Loyola University New Orleans, she was doing an internship at Push Digital, a political communication agency in South Carolina. Upon returning to Spain, she was a finalist in the Versus contest of the Club de Creativos, and after passing through several Spanish creative agencies, she is now Art Director at Samy Alliance. He recently won, together with Ricky Hontañón, the Bronze Lion in the Young Lions Digital competition.

Below, we reproduce the interview we had with Lucía:

How did the Akademia program influence your professional and personal development?

The Akademia program significantly influenced my professional and personal development, offering me a new perspective on how to translate my creative ideas into real projects that can have a positive social impact. During my time in college, I was very involved with the entrepreneurship department, which sparked my interest in how to materialize my ideas. It was then that I discovered Akademia and, after going through a selection process, I had the opportunity to learn how my projects could take shape and solve social problems.

The program gave me access to high-quality training from experts in different fields, which allowed me to open my mind and better understand today’s global challenges. These presentations motivated me to think about how I could anticipate these challenges and contribute with solutions. Akademia was an impetus to define my career path, teaching me to focus my efforts towards creating impact through innovation.

Of everything you experienced at Akademia, what did you like or have an impact on the most?

What I liked most about my experience at Akademia was, without a doubt, the training and the process of creating and presenting projects. The training was very valuable; I particularly remember a presentation by Álvaro Berbís, which I found very shocking. However, the aspect that stood out the most was the development of the project that we had to present at the end of the program. I’m not sure if the process is still the same, but it involved creating a team project and then presenting it. The process of forming teams with students from different careers at the same university was enriching. Working in multidisciplinary teams allowed us to complement each other, with each one contributing their specialty, which greatly enriched the project. This dynamic led us to develop a proposal that we felt was truly ours and that we believed had a meaningful purpose. Finally, presenting our project, first within the university and then having the opportunity to go to Madrid to compete with teams from other universities in front of an outstanding jury, was an incredible experience. It was a very rewarding and exciting moment, especially being in the third year of my degree.

You mention the importance of “making things happen” in the professional field. Could you explain in more depth what this mantra means to you and how you apply it in the development and execution of creative and advertising projects?

The mantra of “making things happen” for me means taking initiative and being proactive in the professional field, especially in creative and advertising projects. I adopted this idea after hearing someone describe themselves as a “rainmaker,” someone who makes things happen, which resonated deeply with me. This is because I have always felt very committed to my passion and vocation in the field of creativity and advertising. I have always been clear that this was my path, but I also understood that it was not enough to have passion; it was necessary to act to make my aspirations come true.

This approach has led me to constantly look for training opportunities, participate in talks, compete in prizes and, in general, be that “drop that is sinking” through constant effort. I don’t sit around waiting for opportunities to come my way, but I actively seek to make things happen, charting my own path to where I want to go. This has defined me in both my personal and professional development, as was the case when I participated in Akademia.

In practice, I apply this mantra to the development and execution of creative and advertising projects by working with a clear goal and looking for ways to achieve it. If there’s a campaign for a client and we want to achieve something specific, I focus on how we can make it happen. This involves thinking about strategies to reach desired customers and finding innovative ways to meet campaign goals.

For me, “making things happen” is a way of always working towards a goal, “chipping stone” until it is achieved. If something doesn’t go as expected, I don’t stop; I simply look for the next opportunity. This approach has allowed me to drive creative and advertising projects successfully, always looking for how I can actively contribute to making things happen.

Despite the fact that you say that your career has “only just begun”, you already hold the position of Art Director at SAMY Alliance. What have been the key steps or decisions that led you to reach this position in your career?

First of all, actively participating and continuing to work on their own projects has been crucial. My arrival at SAMY was partly due to my previous experience, especially at Weber Shandwick, a communication consultancy where I worked in the creative department. This experience was valuable not only because of the skills I gained, but also because of the relationships I built with coworkers. Teamwork and the creation of synergies between teams have been central aspects in my professional development. I’ve found that when you find people you work well with, there is a mutual desire to continue collaborating on future projects. This compatibility is based on sharing ideas, agreements on certain visions and ways of understanding the world, which is essential to create an enriching and productive work environment.

In addition, I have always been open to new opportunities and challenges, such as the interest in being part of the SAMY Alliance. The company caught my attention because of its unique characteristics and I saw the possibility of contributing and growing professionally there. The decision to pursue how to become part of SAMY also reflects my approach to “making things happen,” taking initiatives that have led me to where I am today.

Could you share some examples of how SAMY uses innovation and new technologies to create successful digital marketing campaigns?

At SAMY Alliance, innovation and new technologies are fundamental pillars to create successful digital marketing campaigns. Originally conceived as a startup with the aim of becoming a social network for influencers, our company has evolved over 10 years to become a group of specialized agencies, each focused on offering concrete solutions in different areas of digital marketing. Within this ecosystem, we have agencies dedicated to public relations, digital marketing in general, and specifically, SamyRoad, which focuses on influencer marketing. A prominent example of our innovative approach is Capture Intelligence, our agency specializing in data collection and social listening. Although we operate as independent agencies, our collaboration is close and we work in an integrated manner.

A concrete example of how we apply innovation for the benefit of our clients would be based on the following: the first step is to use Capture Intelligence’s capabilities to understand what is being said on social media about topics relevant to the campaign. This phase of social listening and data analysis allows us to obtain valuable insights that are crucial for the development of the campaign strategy. From this information, we build the campaign in a way that directly responds to the needs and preferences of the consumer identified during the analysis. This data-driven approach and deep understanding of the consumer allows us to create highly effective and personalized campaigns.

The use of innovative tools, including artificial intelligence, is part of our daily process. These practices are embedded in SAMY’s DNA, providing us with a deep understanding of consumers and allowing us to target our campaigns more effectively and accurately towards the target audience.

Winning a Bronze Lion at the Young Lions Digital at the Cannes International Film Festival is an impressive achievement. Could you explain more about the “Gamemeficated learning” campaign and how the idea came about?

The “Gamemeficated Learning” campaign emerged as a creative response to a challenge posed at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the youth category. The process started in Spain, where we had to develop a campaign for Samsung in 48 hours. After winning at the national level, we advanced to the phase in France, where the challenge intensified by having only 24 hours to work on a new brief. The brief we were assigned in France was focused on India, specifically on how to change the population’s perception of certain centers in rural areas, traditionally seen as feeding points, so that they would be recognized as educational centers. With no direct prior knowledge about India, the start of the process was challenging. We immersed ourselves in intensive research, talking to acquaintances who had been to India and looking for relevant information. The first few hours were difficult, with little progress and time moving quickly.

The key idea arose during a moment of disconnection, having a beer and talking in a relaxed way. We realized that despite cultural differences, humor and memes are universal and could be a powerful tool for communicating important messages in a way that resonates. We note that the majority of Indian society has access to mobile phones and the internet, even in rural areas, and that WhatsApp is widely used to communicate through stickers and memes. We decided to create a learning campaign through gamification and memes, using WhatsApp to communicate directly with the parents of the children who attend these centers. The idea was to send memes that, through humor, highlighted the importance of education and regular class attendance. For example, a meme showed a scared cat with the text “when you don’t go to class on Monday, but you go on Tuesday and you don’t know anything”, conveying in a funny way the importance of continuity in education. In addition, we incorporated educational games so that parents could interact and see what their children were learning.

This innovative approach to education through Gamemeficated Learning allowed us to address the challenge effectively, creating a campaign that changed the perception of schools, and that engaged the community in a fun and meaningful way.

From the work you do on a daily basis, is there any campaign that you would like to highlight?

One campaign I’ve worked on recently was the Christmas campaign for Maizena. This campaign takes us all to a nostalgic place, remembering moments shared in the kitchen with our grandmothers or mothers using this brand for their recipes. The challenge was to create a holiday ad that captured the essence of the brand and connected with audiences on an emotional level during this special time of year. The campaign was entitled “I want to know about you” and consisted of two spots: one starring a father and a daughter, and the other by two friends. The central idea was to relive memories and reconnect with loved ones during the Christmas holidays. Creating an ad for the holiday season is an important milestone in any advertiser’s career, and this campaign was received with great affection and sensitivity from the public, making it a significant achievement for our team.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to students who aspire to pursue a career in advertising and digital marketing?

Well, look, I recently went to what was my university, Loyola, and they asked me to talk to the students about my professional experience. So, I went to tell them things that had inspired me or helped me, in which I had failed or that have caught my attention in my professional career. My advice to students who aspire to pursue a career in advertising and creativity is to look for opportunities and stay curious. There are numerous paths within this industry, and it’s important to explore different options to find what you’re truly passionate about. They don’t necessarily have to follow a traditional path in an advertising agency. For example, I started in a public relations agency in the creative department, I did not enter a traditional advertising agency as such, and then I moved to SAMY Alliance, where advertising is integrated from different disciplines to the most conventional.

It is essential that students soak up training, talks and are encouraged to participate in awards. Learning occurs mainly through practice, so it is important that they immerse themselves in real projects and gain experience in the world of work.

And what I said, curiosity is fundamental in the creative field of marketing and communication. Being open to new ideas, seeking inspiration, and being willing to innovate are all essential aspects of excelling in this ever-evolving industry.

From your perspective as a professional and now an educator in the field, how do you see the future of advertising creativity and digital marketing? Are there specific trends or emerging technologies that you think will be crucial in the coming years?

I believe that the future of these disciplines is marked by constant evolution and innovation. Trends, such as the recent fascination with “the coquette” that is now a trending topic or the arrival of the Apple Vision, are examples of how the new captures our attention; However, what will be relevant next year is uncertain, reflecting the changing nature of our field.

A current trend is the development of immersive digital experiences, such as FOOH (“Fake Out of Home”) ads that use 3D technologies to create illusions so realistic that they make us question our perception of reality. These innovations, which once seemed unimaginable, are testament to the rapid advancement of technology and its ability to merge with our daily lives.

In any case, and despite new technologies, the central element continues to be human creativity. These technological tools are powerful, but they depend on our ingenuity and creative capacity to really impact and capture the attention of the public. The challenge for digital marketing and advertising professionals is to keep up with the latest technologies and how to apply them creatively to maximize their potential.

In the coming years, I think it will be crucial for us to maintain an attitude of curiosity and creativity. We should not see emerging technologies as a threat, but as an opportunity to explore new ideas and concepts. Fueling these innovations with our creative approach can open up uncharted paths for advertising and digital marketing, allowing us to develop campaigns that not only sell, but also enrich the human experience. The future of our industry depends on our ability to integrate technology with our creativity, always looking for new ways to communicate and connect.

Thank you very much, Lucia!

If you want to know the testimonies of other Akademia alumni, you can see them here.

And if you want to know more about the Akademia program, we invite you to visit the Foundation’s website.