BarcelonaJournalists Toni Ruiz and David Saura, dismissed a few months ago by order of Joan Laporta’s board, have founded Xerpa Studio, a consulting company for strategic communication, content for social networks and crisis management. Both have 25 years of proven experience leading Barça’s communication, referring to the sports and entertainment industry on a global scale.
With the motto “We build reputation to provide value”, Xerpa Studio offers communication audit services, strategic communication, digital content strategy, crisis prevention and management, and networking and public relations. “We have verified the strategic value of communication in the management of any project and its direct impact on the achievement of reputational and commercial benefits. And we have also noticed that each project requires a customized solution”, says Ruiz about the background that his previous experience at Barça brings to this new initiative.
On the one hand, Xerpa Studio is aimed at the sports industry, to support the different players in the professional field – athletes, clubs, federations, media…– and the companies that offer services to the industry (agencies and brands). But the new company also works with all kinds of corporations and institutions, advising companies and organizations, both in the public and private sectors, whatever their size. This vocation fits with Ruiz’s most recent professional experience, which between 2017 and 2022 led Barça’s corporate communication department. He has worked at the club from Núñez to Laporta. Few high-responsibility employees can say that.
Ruiz has directly participated in the construction of Barça’s communication department over more than 25 years, and has been a part of the institution’s conversion into a global brand, a leader in its sector. With senior management responsibility, experience in team management, he has experience in corporate communication, reputation building, media, spokesperson training, diplomacy and crisis management. He has a broken hand especially in the last section, considering the recent history of the club.
Complementary professionals
Beyond services related to auditing and communication strategy, Xerpa Studio focuses on digital content. David Saura, the other founding partner of the company, has headed, until the summer of 2022, the Barça team responsible for the content of the Club’s website, digital video and social networks. In recent years, Barça’s social networks have been a reference in the sports industry, both for the volume of followers, exceeding 400 million, and for the interaction figures with its audience. In the audiovisual field, the management of Barça’s YouTube channel, which has more subscribers than any other professional team worldwide, has been an example in the sector for the type of content, focused on entertainment, and for the viewing figures, surpassing clubs in La Liga, Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A.