At the initiative and due to the complex communication needs of the NLB Group, the largest banking and financial group with an exclusive strategic interest in South-eastern Europe (SEE), a new partnership is being formed in six markets in the region where it operates. NLB has namely completed the selection of a new creative and media agencies that will support their communication strategy and help unify the appearance of the NLB brand on the regional market.
“The process of selecting both agencies has been completed. Our new long-term partner for marketing communication and brand management in all the markets in the region is Publicis Groupe and their creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi. And in the field of media buying we will continue our journey with Media Publikum, which has proved once again during the tender showed that it is up to the complex challenges that lie ahead,” said Andrej Krajner, Director of Communications at the NLB Group.
The tender was undoubtedly one of the largest in recent years in this region. With it, NLB has set up a model for the centralization of regional brand management and communications. The process was very complex, as all markets had to be put on a common denominator. In addition, a single model of cooperation had to be defined and coordinated, taking into account the development of individual markets and the diversity of local strategic and marketing challenges, they explain in NLB.
“We must not forget that the selection of regional agencies was also a part of the broader consolidation of the NLB Group and its more decisive presence on the market. One of the last, key steps in this direction was also the recent purchase of Komercijalna banka a.d. Belgrade, the third largest bank in Serbia with subsidiaries in Bosnia and Montenegro. This, of course, means that ‘our pool’ of customers and stakeholders with whom we communicate has suddenly increased dramatically, and with it, of course, the challenges we have to face. Last but not least, the selection of regional partners to help us take care of the strategic and centralized management of the brand is an important step in the light of the fact that banking in Slovenia, the region and the world is changing rapidly. We will definitely not run out of challenges, but I am convinced that we have chosen the right teams, so we are very much looking forward to working with them,” added Krajner.
“Our response to the task in the tender was obviously convincing, and even more so our advantage to act as one agency for the entire region – an agency with unified ownership and interest, global structure and optimized processes. By combining global expertise and with local teams under joint regional leadership, we ensure the integrity and efficiency of all activities of our clients, including cost efficiency with the philosophy of ‘The Power Of One’ – as we like to emphasize. With centralized management, NLB also follows global trends of large and penetrating companies. We can say that NLB is now the largest client of Saatchi & Saatchi from the region, if we do not consider global brands. The first campaign supporting the merge of banks in Serbia is already underway and we will certainly be committed to building a common path to success,” said Toni Tomašek, Director of Publicis Groupe Slovenia and Chief Business Development Officer of the Adriatic region at Publicis Groupe, of which Saatchi & Saatchi is also a member.
“We have been cooperating with NLB in Slovenia excellently and successfully for many years, and now we are adding five new markets to our partnership: Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Kosovo. This is also a new challenge and complex task for us, but we are already very much looking forward to it – especially to helping our long-term partner to co-create a comprehensive communication story in such a vast region,” said Tilen Klarič, director of Media Publikum.
“The selection of Saatchi & Saatchi Adriatic is another example of the needs of regionally strong client for consistent communication activities in all markets where it operates. Not only linguistic and cultural similarities, the region is also united by universal values of perception of the quality of services and products. With its strong regional presence and business ambitions, NLB is an exceptional partner for the creative industry and I believe that we will implement this in an exemplary manner during our cooperation,” said Andjelko Trpković, CEO of Publicis Groupe Adriatic.
