Ruth Fochs + Comunicom: The perfect synergy between communication and graphic design at CREC Poble Sec

Sometimes, the coworkers know our Community Builders so well that they are able to anticipate their connections. Carles López, manager and CB of Poble Sec, had a clear idea about the CREC Connect between Ruth Fochs, brand consultant and coach (strategic marketing and communication), and Oriol Peñalver, graphic designer and Founder of Comunicom. But a casual meeting in Room A brought things forward and a connection that is sure to last for a long time was born.

This is one of the more than 1.200 connections that, nowadays, have been generated from CREC Connect from 2018 (you can check the map with all the connections between coworkers on our website). We had a talk with Ruth and Oriol to find out more about the projects they have launched!

Video and pictures by Vera García

“From CREC Connect, we started talking and we realised that our projects matched perfectly. If we came together, we would add or even multiply”

What are your projects about?

Ruth: As an entrepreneur, brand consultant and coach (strategic marketing and communication). I do help to grow to new companies with sustainability and awareness values, to establish branding basis… But also more consolidated companies that want a change. It is a very new project, because until two years ago I was working in a company as a marketing manager. The adventure as an entrepreneur started shortly before the pandemic broke out, and the project has been going strong for a few months. But I am really looking forward to working and putting my experience into practice.

Oriol: I am a graphic designer and I founded Comunicom 13-14 years ago. We are specialized in designing album covers, CD’s, LP’s, digital covers for Spotify, SoundCloud…We also create corporate image, poster advertising, packaging, etc. And recently we are incorporating web design and the creation of banners, although our speciality has always been music. That’s not the only change, because we have always been very consolidated in jazz but now we are also working with new musicians from the digital field, bands that are starting up…It is an exciting stage!

And what is your collaboration about?

R: We complement each other really well. As a strategic branding consultant, I get to the identity of brands and companies. Moreover, as a coach, I can accompany brands better and provide them a more introspective journey. There is always a point where companies need to show their entire strategy into a visual graphic identity. Here is where Oriol and I work together. And we started with a project for a consolidated client of his.

O: This is Etima, a Comunicom client. This is Etima, a client of Comunicom. It is a family business that has grown a lot but without a marketing and design department… And we were able to detect these weaknesses. They are recognised for their specialty, consumer labelling, and have more than 20 employees. That’s why I asked them to do some background work first, to see where they wanted to go, their mission, their objectives, what they are essentially… And with that, to be able to define how they could communicate with the outside world. I asked Ruth for help, she liked the project, she got more and more involved and it went very well. The client is really happy with us and I think that we can collaborate for a long time.

R: At first, I thought that an industrial client was not aligned with the values of my project. But it has also allowed me to corroborate what I always say: Companies are built by people. And if people want to do things consciously, to improve… Go ahead.

“When Carles explained to me what CREC Connect was, it was clear to me that I wanted to do it. Because for me that’s what gives meaning to coworking: the network of contacts with different professionals and companies”

How did your collaboration come about? Did a Community Builder connect you?

O: (Laughing) Carles was supposed to connect us, and what is more, we saw how he had written it down. But one day we sat in front of each other and asked each other what we were doing. And it was a spontaneous connection. We started talking and we realised that our projects matched perfectly. If we came together, we would add or even multiply. And in this particular project it has been very simple, because I have known the client for a long time and she brings a lot of knowledge to the table. Each one of us has been able to contribute a lot in their own field and has allowed us to evolve.

R: This ease of networking greatly enhances our network of collaborators. We can create synergies with graphic designers, photographers, web developers, community managers… And my idea is to consolidate this business model. If we unite, we are stronger. Finding partners to connect with makes you loyal, and allows you to have a sense of teamwork. Companies should focus more on the prospect of horizontal collaboration. It is the model that works and the one that makes the most sense to me.

What collaborations have you had with other coworkers?

O: I have had some very interesting collaborations at CREC Coworking. I’ve been able to work with  TAPP Water, with 080Webs at the time, we presented a project to the training department of Ametller Origen, we collaborate with Atomic4, we work with Marcos Pellicer… There are always synergies that give meaning to coworking.

R: I also started with Atomic4 at the time. I collaborate with Laia Font de Mora, I work with Década Studio with whom we have a fantastic connection and I’m sure that for a long time, we’ve done two projects together with Nicola Mesken; I’ll also promote a joint project with Gemma Beltran of Quality Of Family Life; I’ve met the team from The Clickest… It’s a non-stop!

“Ee joined CREC 7 years ago and I really understood the true meaning of coworking. And that happens in very few places”

What did you expect to find when you entered CREC Coworking?

O: Well, when we started, the concept of coworking didn’t exist as such. It was a new world. In fact, before we arrived at CREC, we moved 8 times. We went into the offices of companies that had surplus office space and we paid them a rent. After a while, we went to a coworking space in Gràcia, but it was more of a shared work space, a place where you could rent a desk… Than a coworking as such. Finally, we joined CREC 7 years ago and I really understood the true meaning of coworking. And that happens in very few places.

R: Since the visit to Poble Sec it was clear to me that CREC Coworking would be more than just a physical work space. I was open to collaborate, to see what I could contribute with… That’s my way of seeing it and I identify with it. But what I have found is even better than I expected. Since I joined, I haven’t stopped making contacts. When Carles explained to me what CREC Connect was, it was clear to me that I wanted to do it. Because for me that’s what gives meaning to coworking: the network of contacts with different professionals and companies. And the coworkers who can grow the most are those who understand that they have to take advantage of coworking to strengthen their network of contacts and collaborate with each other. And the contribution of the Community Builders is also very important, always making our projects visible on social networks, on the web…

O: And speaking about the Community Builders, I would also like to highlight the human treatment, especially after the pandemic. At the time when everything was falling apart, the projects were hanging on by a thread, the costs were brutal… You made every possible effort to understand everyone’s problems. You have tried to give a helping hand, you have helped us to help each other… And for me that has been very important.

R: I agree with what Oriol says about human treatment. During the first months of the pandemic I wasn’t here yet, but I was surprised by the personalised attention, the efforts to find a way for me to enter, the desire to help me… The doors were wide open and the treatment was spectacular. We felt very well looked after!