On December 22nd Ignacio Guasch, a BBA and MBA alumni from European University Barcelona, returned to his alma mater to share his experiences and success story. On completing his studies with EU Business School Barcelona 20 years ago, Mr. Guasch launched a luxury chocolate brand, Petit Plaisir, which is based in Barcelona, with 2 shops in the city and a further store in Madrid. The brand was launched in a bid to fill the gap in the market for luxury chocolate and with this mind, Mr. Guasch set out to provide a product modeled on a minimalist marketing style which has expanded and re-invented itself time and again over the past 20 years.
The strategy of the company has been to associate with brands from other sectors, especially the ones that reinforce the ‘gift concept’. One example of this was two years ago, when they launched a special chocolates’ edition that was sold together with a Paco and Lola wine bottle.
On his return to European University Barcelona, Mr. Guasch spoke of his enthusiasm for the merits of entrepreneurship and innovation and emphasized the impact which social media has had on the development of Petit Plaisir.
He encouraged current European University students to capitalize on the opportunities available at European University “to exchange ideas with classmates, build on case studies and learn from the practical approach within the classes”. He also emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship in today’s uncertain economic climate and that ultimately, “in a crisis you have to survive”. Mr. Guasch maintained that innovation, creativity and the courage to change a business plan if it is not working are the essential elements to ensure the survival of a small business.
When Petit Plaisir experienced some challenges as a direct result of the economic crisis, they were forced to rethink their business plan and look at the part which social media could play in their development and indeed how it could lead to new channels of distribution. There was almost a re-birth of the company, with a new focus on youthful and fashionable products. Petit Plasir created a community around its brand on the web, incorporating their webpage with Facebook and other social media to attract a more diverse demographic which otherwise would have been difficult to reach.
He commended European University for its practical approach to business education and enforced the importance which his time at the university has had on his career to date.
European University Barcelona would like to congratulate Mr. Guasch on his success and are proud to have him as an alumnus and wish him all the best with future endeavors with Petit Plaisir!
Innovation key for EU alumnus success