If 2025 revealed anything, it is the fact that the communications industry in the region can no longer rely on routine, proven patterns and an illusion of stability. Planning has become more complex, budgets more unpredictable, and the pressure for speed increasingly intense. On top of that, AI has become part of everyday life, while audiences do not necessarily want things faster, and clients are increasingly willing to step outside safe communication frameworks.
Within all of this, agencies have been the ones forced to slow down decision-making when necessary, take risks when it makes sense, and clearly set boundaries at the very moment when they are easiest to ignore.
From the perspective of Communis, an agency that spent the year balancing strategic shifts, creative risks in public space and very concrete questions of responsibility toward audiences, clients and its own team, this conversation opens topics related to technology, trust and work culture. Instead of talking about trends and results, the focus is on real decisions that shape how the agency thinks and works today.
With Zvezdana Žujo – CEO and Managing Director, Hamdija Pašić – Executive Creative Director, Aida Šehić – Financial Director & HR, and Azra Dedić – Account Director, we talk about changes that were not cosmetic, about risks that are not measured only in awards, and about moments when professional responsibility is more important than speed, visibility or short-term effect.
Zvezdana Žujo – CEO / Managing Director
- If you had to sum up 2025 in one strategic decision you would make again, and one you would handle completely differently today – what would those two “plot twists” be?
Plot twist #1: In 2025, we made a bold pivot and accepted that tectonic changes are sometimes necessary if you want to remain relevant. This was not cosmetic, but a conscious shift in focus and mindset, with the goal of adapting the agency to a faster market and new client expectations. That is why I would do it again.
It is no coincidence that the slogan of the NetWork 13 conference was TEChTONIC CHANGES, because the industry is indeed moving seriously, from digital transformation to changes in how audiences choose content and brands. Global trends confirm this as well: advertising is growing, but budgets are increasingly flowing into digital channels and more efficient formats.
Our conclusion from 2025 is simple: those who do not dare to change remain trapped in models that no longer work, while those who embrace change gain space to grow and maintain quality.
Plot twist #2: On the other hand, one decision I would approach differently today is how we planned capacity allocation across the entire portfolio at the beginning of the year. We entered 2025 assuming that market and budget dynamics would be more stable than they ultimately proved to be. However, with several partners we experienced simultaneous shifts in timelines, additional approval rounds and priority changes, often due to factors beyond our direct control.
This required faster reshuffling of resources than initially planned. The lesson from 2025 is not to lower ambition, but to further increase flexibility. In 2026, we will build in more buffer space earlier, define critical points in timelines more clearly, and establish an even stronger structure for rapid changes.
So, I would repeat the tectonic leaps that drive progress, but I would set up the mechanisms that protect us when the market does not follow the expected “rhythm” differently.
- What pushed your agency the most to “grow up” this year, and what allowed you to play again like a child?
In 2025, what made us “grow up” the most was the need to clearly set a boundary between technology as a tool and creativity as the essence of our work. The market is changing rapidly, but we come from a creative industry where human touch, emotion, intuition and individuality remain irreplaceable.
That is why we did not pursue automation of creativity, but rather its relief. We used artificial intelligence where it makes the most sense, for routine, technical and research tasks, in order to leave our people more space for what only they can contribute: ideas, feeling, a different perspective.
This forced us to further professionalise our processes and think more responsibly about decisions, because when you work on projects with major reputational or social impact, there is no room for improvisation. Everything must have clear logic, context and purpose.
This combination of discipline and freedom, structure in process and freedom in ideas – is what helped us mature as a team. Not by becoming “technologically colder”, but by consciously protecting what is most valuable in the creative industry: human creativity.
On the other hand, what made us “playful” again were not new formats as such, since we have been working with experimental and unconventional approaches for years, but the fact that in 2025 clients made an even clearer decision to pursue bolder communication moves. Especially through activities that go beyond classic advertising frameworks, such as guerrilla marketing and site-specific installations that communicate ideas, not just messages.
Such activities require trust, patience and a willingness for brands to expose themselves to different audience interpretations, which is never an easy choice. One example of this approach was work on an unconventional installation in public space, conceived as a tactile and visual experience that surprises passers-by and communicates brand values without a classic call to action.
This type of guerrilla activation does not work through mass reach, but through strong experience, organic spread and long-lasting, memorable impact. Another example was work on a fashion installation that went beyond a one-off campaign and continued its life across different contexts and spaces, placing it in the realm of experiential and art-driven marketing.
This is a form of brand communication that uses artistic expression, design and symbolism to tell a story about values, sustainability and the relationship with consumers, rather than just about the product. This part of the year was particularly important for us because it showed that the market is slowly but surely moving toward deeper and more meaningful forms of communication.
We are glad our partners dared to be different and that we tested formats together that are not “safe” by definition, but are relevant and long-term valuable. These kinds of projects remind us why we do this job, because creativity then stops being decoration and becomes a tool that challenges, engages and stays remembered.
- If the Adriatic industry were a publicly traded company, what rating would you give it entering 2026? And why should investors keep (or not keep) their shares?
From our perspective, I would give the Adriatic advertising industry a solid “Hold” with a slightly positive outlook, let’s say a BBB+ rating, meaning reliable with growth potential. Here’s why:
(1) The fundamentals are healthy.
The creative industry in the Adriatic region has shown maturity and resilience in recent years. Even in turbulent times, our regional marketing “GDP” has not experienced steep declines; on the contrary, the market is slowly but steadily growing as digitalisation gains momentum even in smaller economies. Global trends are working in our favour, with global ad investment seeing strong growth (8.9% this year), and locally we feel an increase in projects, especially on digital platforms.
(2) The region’s creative potential is on the rise.
Agencies from BiH and neighbouring markets are increasingly excelling, and regional festivals and competitions show that Adriatic creatives can compete with much larger markets. Some campaigns from this region have even broken through internationally. We know that campaigns from BiH have been awarded at global competitions, which is a clear sign that “small” players can step into the ring with the “big” ones. These successes increase the value of our industry’s “shares” globally.
(3) Why hold the shares:
Those who invest trust in this industry are unlikely to be disappointed, because the greatest growth may still be ahead if we unlock our full potential. That said, there are challenges preventing me from giving an A or Strong Buy rating. For example, we are still struggling with chronic lack of boldness. Many clients (and agencies) in the region continue to play it too safe, unlike global trendsetters. According to Cannes Lions research, only 13% of marketing teams globally consider themselves ready to take creative risks; in our region, that percentage is likely even lower. But this is exactly where the hidden potential lies: the moment we dare to make bolder moves, results can explode. Statistics support this, brands that take creative risks achieve up to four times higher profit margins than those that play it safe.
So my message to investors would be: stay with our agencies. The shares may not double overnight, but they will grow steadily, paying dividends in the form of innovation and increasingly strong creativity. If we work together to make the industry more daring and agile, 2026 could bring a breakthrough that justifies all expectations.
Hamdija Pašić – Creative Director
- Which idea in 2025 made you stand up from the table and say: “Okay, this is why I still do this job”?
This year was very successful for Communis, but I would single out two different yet essentially similar ideas. For the first one, you could say it required “balls”, not just metaphorically. We wanted to create a campaign that didn’t look “like one egg to another” compared to others, and I believe we succeeded.
It was the idea for the campaign “This Is Not Waste” for Sparkasse Bank BiH. An attractive glass installation in public space was initially filled with eggshell waste, and later transformed into a functional, beautiful interior with objects made from those same eggshells.
The idea showed that we don’t always have to use conventional marketing communication channels to present ideas successfully. This was confirmed by the second idea, Perwoll’s “big dress” in the context of the Sarajevo Film Festival. The Festival is synonymous with elegance on the red carpet and countless parties, and into that context, within the SCC space, we introduced a 6.5-metre dress as a symbol of glamour, care and respect for the clothes we already own.
For me, these were moments that reminded us all that this job is still a space where creativity can change perspective, not just be another client task to complete.
- What was your biggest creative risk this year, and did it pay off as you expected – or in a way you couldn’t have predicted?
The biggest risk was consciously abandoning classic communication tools and relying on the feeling that audiences also want new and different experiences when receiving marketing messages they are constantly bombarded with.
With both the “Glass Cube” and the “Perwoll Dress”, the risk was whether audiences would accept these different presentations of ideas and not perceive them as ordinary ads. Fortunately, both ideas were very well received by the public and by industry peers, delivering results primarily for clients and then for us as an agency.
At the 10th No Limit BH Advertising Festival, held in early December, both campaigns were awarded several prizes across multiple categories.
- Which creative weakness does the regional industry persistently hide, and what would you do if someone appointed you to “expose” it in 2026?
I believe our creative industry persistently hides fear of responsibility toward ideas. We often hide behind formats, trends and “proven solutions” instead of daring to be bolder and firmly stand behind what we create.
Many campaigns produced in BiH look correct, but few leave a mark, and I believe audiences forget them “overnight”. I would always insist, and I do, primarily with clients, that they dare to pursue bolder ideas and slightly different production approaches to create something that remains relevant even after the campaign ends.
More bold ideas would refresh clients, their brands and their target audiences.
Zvezdana Žujo – Head of Strategy
- Which common assumption about consumers did you have to “smash with a hammer” in 2025 because it was no longer true?
The myth we had to break in 2025 was that consumers automatically perceive technological innovation as progress and convenience. For years, it was assumed that audiences want faster, smarter and more automated solutions, but research and practice showed this is no longer universally true.
According to studies from 2024 and 2025, as many as 74% of consumers are already familiar with AI and digital tools, while at the same time the number of people expressing concern about AI quadrupled in just one year. In other words, technology has been normalised, but enthusiasm has not kept pace.
People are not rejecting innovation, but increasingly evaluate it through the lens of trust, privacy and sense of control. The assumption that “more automation means a better user experience” proved false.
We do not view innovation as a value in itself, but through how it is communicated and how it affects the audience’s emotional response. Data clearly shows that trust is becoming a key factor in accepting new technologies, often more important than speed or functionality.
That is why we now approach every introduction of technological solutions primarily through a communication and creative framework: what feeling does it evoke, what message does the brand send, and does it give audiences a sense of control. This perspective shift was one of the most important lessons of 2025 and strongly influenced how we think about communication today.
- If you had to predict one psychological shift in audiences in 2026 that will most change communication, what would it be – and why is it invisible until it already happens?
Analysing changes in audience behaviour and the signals we track through research and communication practice, we believe one of the key psychological shifts in 2026 could be a changed relationship to decision-making.
People are increasingly tired of constant choosing, comparing and filtering information, yet they are not ready to completely relinquish control over decisions. Research already shows that a significant portion of consumers use digital recommendations and assistance in the buying process, while trust in fully automated decision-making remains limited.
In this space, we see a potential shift: audiences will not want technology to decide for them, but to make choices easier without a feeling of lost control.
This psychological shift often remains invisible until it happens, because it does not manifest as one big change, but through a series of small, everyday habits that gradually become normalised. At some point, it becomes clear that communication is less about persuasion and more about building trust, clarity of message and brand consistency.
From an industry perspective, this could mean a shift toward content and messages that help people make decisions more easily, rather than overloading them with information. Brands that offer clarity, relevance and a sense of security are likely to have an advantage. We believe this is one of those shifts that is only just emerging today, but could become far more visible during 2026.
Aida Šehić – Financial Director & HR
- Which new skill, habit or team ritual this year could be labelled as “born in the Adriatic industry”, something that doesn’t exist anywhere else?
What we could label in 2025 as something “born in the Adriatic industry” is not a single new skill or formal ritual, but a long-term culture of relationships that Communis has lived for years.
Practices such as a child-friendly and pet-friendly office, a flexible approach to parenthood, care for daily team balance and mutual support are not things we adopted because they became popular, but part of our DNA from the very beginning.
In that sense, what we see as our special value is the way sharp boundaries between professional and human are erased. The Communis team does not function only as a work structure, but as a community of people who know each other, socialise outside of work, travel together and build mutual trust that directly reflects in work quality.
This is not the result of team-building programmes, but a natural extension of relationships nurtured daily. Why do we consider this “born in the Adriatic industry”? Because it comes from the mentality of this region, where relationships are personal, communication direct, and trust is a key currency.
We translated these values into a modern agency context and showed that warmth and professionalism are not opposites, but strengths. At a time when wellbeing policies and corporate care are widely discussed, we simply continued doing what we always have, creating an environment where people feel safe, valued and free to be who they are.
We believe this combination of humanity and professional responsibility is one of the reasons our team remains stable, motivated and committed long-term. It may not be a practice that is easily copied or formalised, but it is a value felt in every project and every relationship we build.
Azra Dedić – Account Director
- What was the most unexpected sentence you heard from a client this year, and how did it change your brief, campaign or relationship?
The agency has existed for 27 years, and I have personally been part of Communis for almost that entire time, so we have seen, heard and experienced a lot in working with clients. That is why it is rare for something to truly surprise you, but it is always rewarding when a moment happens that reminds you why you still do this job with the same enthusiasm.
One such piece of feedback came just a few days ago, after delivering a corporate campaign, when we were told that the project’s internal premiere presentation within the client’s company was met with great enthusiasm.
In the context of a serious, structured system where communication solutions rarely receive public applause, such a reaction carries particular weight. It was a clear confirmation that the campaign was recognised as relevant and strong within the client’s own system, which in large organisations is often just as important as external reception.
This kind of relationship usually brings greater freedom in idea development, but also greater responsibility. When you know your work must withstand both market and internal scrutiny of a large system, every brief is approached with the same seriousness regardless of the project.
More attention is always paid to tone, argumentation and message consistency, because the campaign must function as a tool that connects teams, not just as external communication material.
For us, it was a reminder that campaign success is not measured only by external reactions, but also by how it is experienced by people who live with that brand every day. When internal audiences respond positively, it is often the best confirmation that communication is set up correctly and that it builds long-term trust and stable partnerships.
Collective answer
- If someone offered you the chance to start 2026 with a single “act of courage” – professional, creative or human – that would push you completely out of your comfort zone and move the industry one step forward, which act would you choose and why?
If we had to choose one “act of courage” to start 2026, it would not be a single spectacular move, but a conscious decision to consistently remain true to what we believe is the right way of working, even when it means a harder, slower and more complex path.
In an industry increasingly driven by speed, trend-chasing and instant solutions, we see courage in resisting superficiality and continuing to build communication based on trust, understanding and long-term values.
For us, this act would mean even clearer boundary-setting toward work models that neglect the human aspect, creative depth or professional responsibility. We do not believe in communication that exists for its own sake, nor in technology as an end goal, but in ideas that have meaning, context and emotional relevance.
We believe the industry can move forward only when it stops confusing courage with noise, and innovation with mere experimentation. In that sense, our choice for 2026 would be to continue a conscious, responsible and partnership-driven approach, toward clients, audiences and our own team.
It may not be the trendiest or loudest act of courage, but we believe it is one of the few that can truly change the industry from within over the long term.
