When María, Irene and Cristina Aguilar launched Bacana in 2006, Spain's luxury communications market was largely an afterthought for global agencies. Two decades later, the sister-founded firm has become the country's go-to partner for premium and luxury brands, with a client roster that has included El Corte Inglés, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Kölln, Sotogrande, Small Luxury Hotels, Pixi Beauty and The Clark Art Institute.
The idea took shape from two different vantage points inside the industry. Two of the sisters ran communications departments at major multinationals, where they hired and managed outside agencies themselves. The third, María, worked as a journalist, receiving pitches from those same agencies every day. Between them, they saw exactly what the market was missing: agencies nimble enough to pitch original ideas, with deep knowledge of each client and a strong network of contacts - and a policy of never representing two direct competitors at once.
"We built the agency we wished we could have hired," said Cristina Aguilar, co-founder of Bacana.
Built to make the news, not just report it
For María Aguilar, the mission was rooted in a specific frustration with how agencies typically operate. "Journalists need speed, accuracy, and - above all - a story that's actually news," she said. That focus on generating genuinely newsworthy stories, rather than simply packaging information and hoping it lands, became one of the agency's founding principles.
Bacana started as a traditional press office but quickly expanded into social media, digital marketing, influencer relations and event production, evolving into the full-service, 360-degree agency it is today. For Irene Aguilar, that growth has always come back to one idea: consistency. "We work to make sure a brand's message is coherent across every channel, and we believe strongly in collaboration between brands - that ability to create synergies is one of our defining traits," she said.
That integrated approach - public relations, content, social media, digital marketing, influencer management and events, all under one roof - is now central to how Bacana pitches itself to brands looking for a single communications strategy rather than juggling multiple vendors across markets.
Two decades in the luxury segment
Bacana's early decision to never sign direct competitors has shaped two decades of steady growth across luxury hospitality, gastronomy, wellness, design, fashion and, more recently, luxury real estate. Along the way, the agency has built relationships that extend well beyond the press: it now counts opinion leaders and executives at major companies among its network, connections that regularly translate into cross-brand collaborations.
Behind that growth is a team of specialists across every sector and channel the agency serves. As the latest milestone in that trajectory, Bacana has built out a new specialty in AI brand positioning, helping clients improve their visibility in AI-powered search engines and generative assistants - a space the agency sees as the next major battleground for brand reputation.
To mark its 20th anniversary, Bacana points to that transformation - from a small press office into a full 360-degree agency that now includes AI positioning alongside PR, content, social media, digital marketing, influencer relations and events - as its clearest measure of how far it has come. The firm expects to keep growing in 2026, with a particular focus on expanding its footprint with international brands entering the Spanish market. For PR professionals watching how agencies adapt to AI-driven discovery, Bacana's move signals where the discipline is heading - and the AI Learning Path for Public Relations Specialists offers a structured way to build those skills.
Why this matters for PR and communications professionals
Bacana's 20-year run offers a clear lesson for agency professionals: the firms that survive are the ones that treat AI visibility as a core service, not an add-on. As generative assistants and AI-powered search engines reshape how consumers discover luxury brands, PR teams that can manage a client's presence across these new channels will have a distinct advantage. The agency's growth - from press office to full-service firm with an AI positioning specialty - shows how the scope of PR work keeps expanding, and professionals who add AI skills to their toolkit are positioning themselves for that shift. For those looking to stay current, AI for PR & Communications resources cover the practical applications emerging in the field.
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