Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović
Zdenka Milanović is the Marketing Manager at Pivara Skopje where she is responsible for the communication of brands Coca-Cola HBC and Heineken. Zdenka is a member of the BalCannes jury which is this year for the first time composed exclusively of members of advertisers. However, unlike other members of the jury, besides the client side experience, Zdenka also has a rich agency experience. Prior to joining Pivara Skopje she was the Regional Managing Director of the agencies working under I&F McCann Grupa.
Media Marketing: After many years of agency experience and a very successful career, you have switched to the client side. In which “skin” do you feel more comfortable?
Zdenka Milanović: In any skin I find myself at a given moment I feel the most comfortable. I don’t make decisions on change too “easily” – and especially not such important decisions – so when the change does happen, it’s an expression of complete readiness for a new experience. In addition, my previous experience included a strong strategic role and involvement in the business strategy of clients, which is now being naturally deepened.
Media Marketing: BalCannes will be the first in the region to have a jury composed exclusively of advertisers. What are your thoughts about that? Advertisers are always, in fact, the first jury, when they accept or reject a creative idea.
Zdenka Milanović: It’s a great idea and an important step towards that greater collaboration and teamwork between agencies and clients, which needs to remove the persisting taboos of misunderstanding creativity or business.
For us, as the jury, the responsibility is to show that we are ready for bold ideas that are grounded in good strategy.
Media Marketing: What will be the most important thing for you personally in assessing the quality of entries?
Zdenka Milanović: Relevance, originality, innovativeness, results.
Media Marketing: In the first year of BalCannes, you provided it strong support. As the regional managing director of I&F McCann you brought a considerable number of entries and you brought to Rovinj creatives from the entire region.
Zdenka Milanović: BalCannes is a great project. It is strategically well placed and personally I’m very glad that it is being maintained and developed year by year. The gathering of the region, unpretentious invitation to show good projects, to touch upon important topics in panel discussions, to socialize and exchange ideas, inevitably gave immediate response of the regional leader agency which I represented at the time.
Media Marketing: How do you see the contribution of BalCannes to the development of creativity in regional advertising?
Zdenka Milanović: From its primary role as an integrator of the creative industry of the region, BalCannes has the full credibility to also assume the role of initiator of various areas of further development of the industry – creative workshops for the best young creatives, formation of dedicated regional teams for dedicated projects, education through publishing and the like.
Media Marketing: The jury is composed of marketing managers of companies who are leaders in creative advertising in their respective markets. Socializing with your colleagues, and your jury duty, will certainly be a new experience. Are you looking forward to it?
Zdenka Milanović: I can’t wait :)
