Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ivona Radić, Komunikacijski laboratorij
As we come nearer the fifth edition of the Days of Communication festival, it’s time to find out first hand what awaits us in the beautiful surroundings of Rovinj from March 30 to April 2. We spoke with Davor Bruketa, President of HURA Board, about the novelties in the festival program and competition, about the must-see world-class lecturers, on which everyone are already buzzing, and we also touched upon the situation in the industry.
Compared with previous editions, what are the main novelties of the direction and program of the fifth edition of Days of Communication? Which parts of the program would you highlight?
The main novelty is that we have extended the duration of the festival to three days, and that almost the entire first day we will devote to public relations. In fact, we are referring to the concept of integration, which is present from the first edition of the festival. So far we have dealt with the integration of creativity and efficiency, then the integration of online and offline, and this year we are dealing with the integration of advertising and PR.
Thus we will host one of the most famous PR specialists in the world, Alex Brown, who is known here for his involvement in the last parliamentary elections in Croatia. On a global level, he has participated in some of the most interesting political campaigns, for instance, Hillary Clinton’s and Tony Blair’s. He will talk about his experience in political communication and how it connects with the current engagements on commercial projects. PR is an integral part of the communication process, so, like everything else, it should be considered in terms of integration, in order to reach the best possible solutions.
Which lecture at the festival is a must for you, and why do you consider the chosen topic important for the profession?
The program is promising for anyone who is aware of the importance of communication in daily operations, as well as the general public. First of all, all the creatives will surely be most interested in the lecture of Chuck Porter, the legend of advertising in the United States. This is a man who presided over the juries at Cannes and D&AD in London. I hope he will give us an interesting indication of the future of work that we do. This year we want to talk more about data, and its impact and role in communications, particularly in social media. In this respect it will be interesting to hear the lecture by Vesselin Popov from the Centre for Psychometrics of the University of Cambridge, a man who specializes in so-called big data psychology. But perhaps the most intriguing lecture of the festival will be what the co-founder of the portal The Pirate Bay, Peter Sunde has to say, as he will stimulate the debate on the border between copyright and the democratization of access to information on the Internet.
This year there will also be the second Export stage and CEO panel. These are content through which you additionally open up to the industry and the business community. Is there a need for additional work on raising the importance of this profession?
Communication has always been one of the fundamental pillars of the business, today even more so because of Digital, and all successful entrepreneurs and business leaders know this. By joining the European Union, a new dynamic and a very heterogeneous market opened up to everyone in Croatia. We already touched upon the principles of the subject of export potential of our creative industries last year, and we will build on that. This will be the focus of Export stage. The panel Keep Calm and Communicate is intended to put the emphasis on knowledge and communication skills, which play a key role not only in exports but also in the successful achievement of the business goals of any company, even in everyday life, if you will.
Are you continuing with the development of professional competitions? What kind of response have you had this year and what novelties have you introduced in the competition rulebooks?
There were some minor corrections to the rules that will allow a more transparent process of judging, especially in IdejeX. Competitions are recording exceptional growth in the number of applications, particularly Effie competition with an increase of 40%, as agencies have recognized it as the most important for advertisers. MIXX is logically growing, and follows the market situation in which the share of Digital is increasing. Registrations for IdejaX, at the time of writing this, have not yet completed, but we expect more and we want to encourage small agencies and studios to apply as well. We wish to position IdejaX really as a competition of ideas, and the size of the idea does not depend on the size of the agency. In particular, we look forward to the second edition of the Croatian competition Young Lions, which allows young talents to prove themselves and to go to Cannes to the central global event of our industry.
Unavoidable part of the festival is entertainment and more laid back formats, like panels and discussions. What can we expect this year?
Good fun, in addition to education and awards, is the third pillar of the Days of Communication. In addition to good parties, memorable or forgettable – but not due to boredom (laughs) – the program includes some more casual forms of education through discussion, such as PPP (Piva Poslije Programa – Beer After the Program). This year, we will discuss about influencers, research and their impact on creativity, artificial intelligence and many other topics. Along with many DJs, we will have Psihomodo Pop performing, so you should also bring some good dancing shoes.
How would you rate the state of market communications in Croatia given the status of the profession, business climate and the development of agencies?
Everything is growing: investment, quality, ambition. Export has imposed itself as the main topic for agencies and advertisers alike. We are opening up to the world, and we have the courage to compete with the best.