Photo by Mimi Antolović
After three years at Grey Ljubljana as a strategist, Jernej Špende returned to Pristop. His earlier work at Pristop and Renderspace was marked by breakthrough projects and numerous awards at the largest advertising and communication festivals. He continued with successful projects in Grey, where he and his co-workers, among other awards, won two Cannes Lions for the Bedtime Storytellers campaign for A1 Slovenia.
MM: You’ve returned to Pristop after three years. What was the cause?
Jernej Špende:
When I received the call for this conversation, I recalled our interview from 2015. Everything I said about our industry back then still seems very relevant. Change is our only constant. In recent years we are witnessing increasing number of mergers of consultancies with creative agencies, the new synergies that give birth to these mergers, and the labour contractions that these transformations bring. Last fall, as I sat for a coffee with Saša Dimitrievski in Ljubljana, we talked about all this, about the BBC’s Invisible Cities series, about archaeology and city data, and so we came to the topic of the Pristop group. He presented me with how they improved the work of its member agencies and called me back to tackle new challenges as an advisor and someone who would connect all the departments.
I’ve always loved the creativity that is backed up by data. It is often the most efficient method. I always wondered about those infinite cells in Excel, in which user stories are completely drowned in numbers.
MM: At Pristop, you will now be in charge of developing advanced digital solutions that will connect technological and human resources of agencies within the Pristop Group. What is exactly your job now?
Jernej Špende: My key task is to connect the competent centers of Prsitop member agencies. I am surrounded by a whole range of experienced experts with a wide range of knowledge and top specialists. In projects, I have an advisory role and when necessary I have a helicopter overview that enables me to steer things toward better results.
My experience can help younger colleagues. At the same time, I follow the changes and development of technological and digital platforms with the same great passion.
MM: What are the benefits for the Pristop Group from that work? What is expected as the result?
Jernej Špende: The Pristop Group has always strived to better understand the behaviour of users from business perspectives, strategic guidelines, analytics and data at all levels of action. I believe that we will further increase the ratio of data-driven projects in the future, improve user experience, and develop technology solutions beyond desktop and mobile screens.
