Few family businesses reach 150 years of life and there are fewer that reach such an age with the descendants of the founder at the helm of the company. Founded in 1872 in Barcelona by Rafael Roldós Viñolas, Roldós Publicitat is the first advertising agency of which there is evidence in Spain and they assure that it is already the oldest active advertising agency in the world. At the head of this is José Manuel Casasnovas Roldós, great-grandson of the founder and who recently received the Carlos Ferrer Salat award from the Foment del Treball employers’ association in recognition of those 150 years.
“We are dedicated to media planning. In other words, when a company wants to publicize its services or products, we advise them which means are the most appropriate in their specific case”, explains Casasnovas. These are, above all, advertisements in the written press, outdoor spaces, radio, television, web pages or events. To keep up to date with the latest trends in advertising, Roldós Publicitat collaborates with the firms House
With Spain and Portugal as the main markets, the agency’s clients include companies such as New Balance or Fuji Film, the La Maquinista and Westfield Glòries shopping centers or the University of Barcelona. As advertising is one of the main items that suffer cuts in the event of a crisis, Casasnovas acknowledges that the pandemic was a severe economic blow to the company. But not all are bad memories of that time: “We have maintained teleworking several days a week and the habit of making several video calls a day just to say hello has become established,” he indicates. The company is made up of six people.
The company’s motto, established by its founder, is “transparency, respect; of closeness, trust”. “We continue to maintain it because we firmly believe that trust is the basis of business,” says the CEO. To ensure closeness with the media, the agency annually organizes a meeting with the main representatives of the sector.
In addition, it actively participates in the training of future advertising experts, either by contributing the experience of its collaborators as guests in practical classes at universities or by giving classes or conferences. 70% of the ownership of Roldós Publicitat remains in the hands of the family. Specifically, four great-grandchildren of the founder. The turnover of the company revolves around three million euros.
