× Expand Vincent Valentine and Chris Rowan of The Agency.

As part of our Entrepreneurs Explain series we speak to expats about their experiences developing a business in Barcelona. We caught up with Chris Rowan, who is co-founder of the successful social media marketing company The Agency.

Craft Barcelona is a charming bar snugly located on a tiny bent street off Plaça Sant Jaume behind the Barcelona Cathedral⁠—but this story is not about Craft's eclectic decor, gastronomy or home-brewed craft beer on tap. This story is about the media company that was born in its underground bodega.

It’s about how Vincent Valentine and Chris Rowan become co-owners of the bar as well as owners of a booming social media company and a growing celebrity booking & events organization that has put on the biggest English-language comedy show ever in Spain.

Basement Brews More Than Just Talent

When they became friends in 2016, Vincent Valentine was running music and comedy open nights in the belly of Craft, both of which drew local talent. It was chaotic and fun, and week after week, Vincent’s magnetic personality gave budding musicians and comedians a welcoming place to hone their skills, experimenting in front of a supportive crowd.

However, that wasn’t all he had in mind. Vincent’s background in app development had him thinking about how could he help Barcelona’s artists even more. He quietly began developing his own app for Instagram growth, designed to raise profiles, drive traffic to websites and increase sales. He recognized that in today’s media-driven world things like events, artist management, and social media management all went hand-in-hand, and there was room in the market for an innovative solution.

Vincent approached Chris in August 2017, and by January 2018, they were in business with a new name: The Agency.

The Social Media Revolution Is Here

The social media marketing company within The Agency took off faster than even they could have predicted, currently with 8500 clients and counting, including celebrity agencies and other advertising agencies who don’t have the capabilities that they can offer. “We take a down-to-earth approach,” says Chris, “because in this industry most people are trying to sell you snake-oil. We work with people and handle issues with transparency, and once they see the kind of results we’ve been able to achieve, it’s an easy deal to make.”

The company went from just the two of them to an international staff of 27. Chris became the Managing Director, while Vincent took on the Technical Director role full time. The social media growth capabilities have become a cornerstone of The Agency’s success.

“Raise the Bar, and People Will Follow”

Chris and Vincent took over the management of the bar in September 2018, but they were so successful that in November 2018 the bar’s owner, Jordi Llord, approached them to become co-owners.

“We wanted to differentiate ourselves and not be boring,” says Chris. “And to raise the caliber of artists, by introducing competitions and prizes and giving whomever won paid gigs at the end of the month.” They also experimented with a dozen new concepts to see what really worked, like Live Band Karaoke.

By then, comedy and music open mic nights had been running at Craft for over two years, so they knew who they could involve in order to strengthen their open mic sessions with better equipment and talent. Craft developed a reputation as one of the “must have gigs” around Barcelona.

Instead of booking more established bands, they focused on bringing in rising talent. “We try to book interesting Catalan bands on Saturday nights too, which has been hugely popular,” adds Chris.

Boosted by word of mouth and social marketing, the new events and up-and-coming bands have completely changed the energy of the bar. Many of the locals who had stopped coming are returning to Craft because there is something new happening, in a mixed atmosphere, where the hosts and staff are local and the crowd is evenly split between Catalans and internationals.

A Celebrity Break

Having proved their expertise with these very successful weekly events, the company set their eyes on booking bigger, special events featuring international acts.

The Agency got a big break in March 2018 booking Grammy-winning comedian Jim Gaffigan, which went so well that the comedian used The Agency to book his 2019 Spanish Tour, selling out the 1500-seat Teatre Coliseum in Barcelona and 700-seat Teatro Figaro in Madrid. “We hope this inspires other artists⁠—musicians as well as comedians⁠—in the future to come to us for booking here in Spain and Europe,” says Chris.

Be the Community You Want to Live In

“One of the things we are really proud of is how well Catalans have responded,” says Chris, “both in the sense of creating an exciting business in Barcelona with Catalan partners as well as drawing them into our shows.”

This year, the company will be getting involved with festivals in Lleida and upcoming charity gigs. Chris and Vincent are even exploring the possibility of opening a new bar in Girona. “We are here to stay,” adds Chris.

The Agency doesn’t just serve tourists, it gives locals interesting things to do, fosters local talent, and offers tools to promote local artists and businesses. The integration of these services is cutting edge, and it is already a part of the modern Barcelona community.

For more information, visit The Agency's website at theagency.io or follow on Twitter @TheAgencyBcn, Facebook @TheAgencyBarcelona or Instagram @theagency.io.