Recently, I got in touch with Katarina Petrović, a young, very creative, ambitious, and capable woman who is a great example of how age and the fear of artificial intelligence don’t have to be obstacles to making a significant leap from Belgrade, across the Atlantic, to clients in America.
For me, the change in these 54 years, during which I’ve been in the communication industry, has been quite a lot. I’m impressed by artificial intelligence; I’m a big fan and user of ChatGPT, and that’s where I would stop. For those who want more, even reaching as far as America, I suggest reading notes from a brief conversation with Katarina Petrović, with whom, given the current AI trends, we’ll often collaborate on the Media Marketing portal.
MM: Four years ago, you founded the ITK Digital Media agency for Branding, Consulting, and PPC Solutions. What motivated you to take this entrepreneurial step?
Katarina Petrović: The founding of ITK Digital Media was a natural continuation of my personal professional development. I saw the need for an agency that offers innovative, personalized marketing services while creating unique creative content through 3D and CGI technologies. The focus was on providing clients with something beyond standard solutions and creating added value through advanced technologies.
MM: The first three or four years are the most important in a company’s life. If it survives them, it means it was meant to be. You’ve survived! Are you satisfied with what you’ve achieved?
Katarina Petrović: I’m very satisfied with what we’ve achieved. In the first three years, we managed to position ourselves on the global market, especially in the USA, which is a major success for an agency from Serbia. Our work with clients such as Fable – Paint Visualizer, Empire Steak House, and Chazz Palminteri shows that we’re on the right track. We continue to grow and work on implementing innovations, which has been our main goal from the start.
MM: ITK Digital Media is a fast-growing marketing agency with ambitions to one day become a leading agency focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and expand its operations worldwide. What are the foundations for such ambitious goals?
Katarina Petrović: Our ambitious goals rely on the growing trend of applying artificial intelligence and automation in marketing. We believe that AI is the future, and we’re already implementing these technologies in projects like the Fable – Paint Visualizer app. Our strength lies in combining technology and creativity, which allows us to provide innovative solutions that are globally relevant.
MM: The agency’s focus is particularly on 3D and CGI creatives, as well as PPC campaigns, where you’ve already achieved impressive results. Could you illustrate this with a specific example?
Katarina Petrović: One of our most significant projects is the campaign for Fable – Paint Visualizer, where we combined AI, 3D, and CGI to create visually impressive ads. This campaign allowed us to rank the app at 64th place in the Lifestyle category on the U.S. App Store, which is a fantastic result for such a globally competitive market.
The U.S. market is one of the most competitive in the world, and the fact that we managed to secure such a high position shows that our campaigns are effective and that our strategy is yielding results. Additionally, we achieved a 78.6% conversion rate on the App Store, while the global average is up to 30%, which further highlights the success of the campaign.
MM: How do you manage to find adequate personnel? Who are the people on your team, and where are they located – in Belgrade or the USA?
Katarina Petrović: Our team is a mix of local and international experts. The main part of the team is based in Serbia, but we also collaborate with talented individuals from abroad. We carefully select our staff, focusing on creativity and expertise in areas such as 3D, CGI, and PPC. Retaining quality staff is a priority because we know that team loyalty directly impacts success with clients.
MM: How do you see the Balkan market or, more specifically, the Adriatic region market in your work?
Katarina Petrović: The Balkan market has huge potential, especially in the field of digital marketing. While many brands are still focused on traditional communication channels, we are noticing increasing openness to innovations like AI. I see a great space for growth and development in the Adriatic region and believe that we can play a key role in bringing these technologies to the regional market.
Interviewed by: Ekrem Dupanović
