Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
The Croatia Effie Awards 2019 has opened the regular application deadline, and on this occasion HURA talked with Nikola Žinić, a prominent expert known for the continuous raising of the scale in the profession and the member of the organizing committee of the competition. Nikola shared his experience from Euro Effie jury, his vision of effectiveness, and the ways in which it can successfully be shown in the application.
Is the significance of Effie in Croatia adequately recognized given its global reputation, and how does the local edition differ from the international one?
Nikola Žinić: The number of works being submitted is constant. Market limitation doesn’t allow for some greater oscillations. Excitement among agencies and clients is felt when announcing the contest. Throughout the year, campaigns are commented with the phrase “This is Effie worthy!” All this tells us that Effie has become a part of everyday life and is deeply respected as an award.
Effie Croatia doesn’t differ from Effie in other markets. Only some details are adjusted for the context and size of the market.
You were one of the members in the Euro Effie jury. What is it that is missing for the local practitioners to become global players?
Nikola Žinić: It’s very simple. Experience. There are several of us already who have experience of work on global markets. And I hope our numbers will grow.
What is the decisive detail when making a case study? How would you approach that task as someone with great experience in leading marketing campaigns? Is there something that is often overseen in applications?
Nikola Žinić: Compiling a captivating case study of a successful campaign is the Holy Grail of Effie entry. Constantly answering questions why and why and why is the recipe for every good case study. And when you manage to get a structure of a crime flick on top of that, then you have the potential for one of the Effie awards. If there’s an extraordinarily good result there as well, then you are in the waiting room for the Grand Prix. I like this award show because it allows for the awards not to be awarded. I like that consistency. That’s what makes Effie unique. It’s hard to get it. And you should be aware of it.
Effie, according to Ipsos research, was named the most important award in the industry of market communications. Given the project it awards, is there visible improvement of the competition, and where is it most obvious?
Nikola Žinić: Research says progress is visible through the fact that it is perceived as the most important award in the competition with other award shows (IdejaX, Mixx …). It evaluates a concrete result that is the result of several factors. Context, strategies, ideas, realization of ideas, results and, at the end of the day, the way in which a case study is written. Every year there’s a step forward in the quality of the application. I would dare to say that the whole mindset of the industry has changed since the appearance of this award. Of course, I can’t prove this with any research, but with a subjective impression, which Effie, naturally, does not admit.
What can applicants expect from this year’s edition of the competition?
Nikola Žinić: Jury process is extremely tiring and demanding. Entrants can expect people there to thoroughly dissect their work and look for answers to all the questions that can prove that the campaign was successful.
The most important award in the market for communications industry, according to Ipsos’s 2016 research, is being awarded in Croatia for ten consecutive years. The regular deadline for submissions is open until February 9, 2019, and members of the HURA association are eligible for a discount. Those interested can enter at this link.