The Croatian Association of Communications Agencies (HURA!) has for twenty years been actively promoting the interests of an entire branch of industry, marketing and communications, including the media and forms of business that support or participate directly in marketing and communications, as its professional and representational body. Today it sent a letter of thanks to the National Civil Defence Headquarters and its various regional branches, expressing support for keeping as much commercial and business activity going as possible in Croatia. As a community of communicators, in the letter, HURA singled out the high quality, transparency, and timeliness of the National Headquarter’s communications reporting on all the relevant facts and expressed strong support for their efforts to ensure the safety and health of the Croatian public in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
According to HURA, what is needed now is to do all we can to maintain maximum possible levels of advertising, online sales, and alternative forms of sales that do not involve personal contact, for as long as these exceptional and uncertain circumstances last.
The Croatian public must not see their lives frozen, no matter how difficult the circumstances. HURA’s letter to the National Civil Defence points out that the earthquake that hit Zagreb and its surroundings means many people have urgent needs that go beyond basic everyday food, hygiene, and medicines, which are being met even under the current difficult circumstances. They include basic household appliances to replace damaged ones, and, in many cases, as pointed out in the letter, even TV sets to allow them to follow Civil Defence recommendations and measures and other devices for schoolchildren in familes that are still adjusting to online and TV classes. At a time when our lives have been turned upside down, it’s also important for people to have a way to reduce their sense of isolation and maintain their mental health that doesn’t overstep the line or put other people’s safety at risk.
The communications industry’s business and related activities musn’t be allowed to stall, as they are the only way to preserve jobs along the entire chain – from the producer or client to the marketing agency to the media themselves, whose stability is so important at the moment, when communications on public health and aintaining economic activity depend so directly on them.
That is why HURA is saying thanks to the National Civil Defence for their clear expression of support to maintaining as high a level of commercial and economic activity as possible. For its part, HURA is using this announcement via the media to call on everyone involved in the marketing and communications industry to behave responsibly and keep hard at work, in line with the recommended measures and guidelines.
