Xavier Oliver worked for over thirty years at the
advertising agency BBDO Spain, where he eventually became the managing director.
He gave a lecture about the state of advertising today and how it has evolved
over the course of its history.

Oliver spoke about the normal reaction companies
have to any financial crisis, not just the one the country is currently going
through. New rules are imposed, rankings are banned and control systems are
increased. "Ultimately, the idea is more control", the advertising
guru said. "Communication companies end up being controlled by financiers
who don't want any problems. But the truth is that they're creating another
problem: control is creativity's archenemy, which means companies end up losing
their creative talent".

Professor Oliver also talked about the change
marketing has undergone since it began. It has moved from investing everything
in communication to relying more on distribution and price. "Companies
have realized that the only thing that drives consumers to buy a certain
product is brand notoriety, and not whether or not it has advertising
campaigns", he said.

Xavier Oliver noted that for a company to
be successful today, it must turn consumers into fans. "The most important
thing is to be a company that dreams big and has followers", he said.
"That is what Mercadona and Apple have done".

During his professional career, Xavier Oliver held several
posts at BBDO Spain before leaving the company in 2007. He was involved in
memorable campaigns such as the '92 Barcelona Olympic Games ("Friends For
Life"), Danone and Tenn ("The Butler"). He began teaching when BBDO
University Worldwide was founded and is currently a professor at IESE Business
School and in the Faculty of Communication at the University of Navarra.