Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović, ekrem@www.media-marketing.com
Photo: Marija Vićić, Jelena Mihelčić and Sonja Dragojević
For five consecutive years, every morning (even when I’m on the road, and often on weekends and holidays), at dawn I sit in front of my computer, opening an empty document for that day, and as if I’ve been unleashed, I start searching the internet and looking for news, sending questions for interviews, emailing columnists, consulting with Amir and Adnan … And thus starts the creation of content every day. I have a weekly plan, but there’s always something new that comes up, someone is late with sending materials, some are not good so we change them, refine them, search for new information… The passion for advertising that leads us is stronger than all the difficulties encountered almost every day. The biggest problem comes in the form of that damn PR! PR folk who every day mull new things, tighten some things, drag other, and eventually send the news of which vast majority ends up in the trash bin because they are bad, written by semi-illiterate people. But I will not talk about them. They will be a topic for a text of their own one day, and that day will come very soon.
It’s nice to go to Google Analytics and see where we are read in the world. I’m often surprised by the orange circles in countries for which I never dreamed of that someone there could look at a text of ours. Today, for example, the most widely read thing on the portal was the column by Janez Rakušček (Indonesia, Vietnam, Austria, USA, UK, Germany, Ireland …). When the text is good, it always finds a way to its readers, and Janez’s column was really great.
I devoted almost the entire day to the book about the most successful creative directors in the region. It’s no longer 20 of them. Now there are 26. They themselves (the original 20) suggested some of their colleagues that we unjustly overlooked. The book will now have 396, instead of the planned 320 pages. A book of nearly 400 pages! That will look fantastic. We will print it in Zagreb’s Printera, not because they made the best offer, but because we were told that they are the best. The title will be THE BEST OF CD, as the creative directors decided themselves. I asked them to name ‘their own’ book. First they sent individual suggestions, and then they voted. In the first round the most votes went to the title BALKANCI (BALCANIANS, with a small association to Cannes), but since there are women there also (Balkanieras), this proposal could not pass. Again, it’s the women making problems. :)
Today I’ve sent questions to all creative directors. This was the first step. When I get the answers, to each of them I will send additional questions so I could make stories. Also, I’ve sent them e-mails to send visuals of their top five campaigns. The book will have 130 most successful campaigns in the region. I’m so much looking forward to this book. In terms of the quality of content, volume and graphic quality, this book will probably be one of the largest publishing projects in the region. Am I afraid? Not in the least. Moreover, I can’t wait for the answers to come, to start writing. The book will be released in Bosnian and English language so that the world can see our superior creativity. By God it will look good. Design will be done by Žare Kerin from Futura DDB Ljubljana. The most beautiful books I’ve seen so far were done by Žare. For art direction of his books he won many international awards. Žare is a genius, full stop!
I haven’t yet lost my mind, which does not mean that this fate will not befall me maybe, but I would like to do two more books. One about the best art directors, and one which would be dedicated to young talented creatives. The first one (about the creative directors) is like a guinea pig for these two :)
When sometime in the afternoon came time to put the costs on paper, I didn’t exactly feel very pleasant. I’m trying to quit smoking. I mostly smoke 3-4 cigarettes a day. One in the morning, two in the afternoon and definitely one in the evening. But when I drew a line under the costs, I stormed out to the balcony like possessed, to have a smoke. Of the total cost, the press makes one third, two thirds fall on distribution, promotional events (6 cities), technical costs and fees. As fate would have it, just around that time arrived a mail from Marija Vičić of I&F McCann Group. Since today I exchanged letters and sent questions to Jana Savić Rastovac and Vladimir Ćosić from McCann Belgrade, I put Marija in the cc. Creative people are tardy on writing, but when I cc Marija for McCann, Jelena Mihelčić for Bruketa&Žinić and Sonja Dragojević for agencies within the MMS Group, I know I will get everything on time. Anyway, Marija sends a mail in which she asked me how can I&F McCann support the publishing of this book. That mail was a good sign that this project can go through. It will take more people like Marija in this industry in order to bring this to an end, but she is a good ‘first customer’.
OK, the ‘crisis’ lasted about ten minutes, with another ’emergency’ cigarette, and I moved on.
Slovenes from our industry are more and more picking up golf for a pastime. I chose five of them and sent them questions for the Theme of the Week, in which I asked them about golf and what this sport has and other sports don’t. I know that in other countries of the region creatives and managers of the communications industry are playing golf. Maybe next year we will make the first golf tournament of the communications industry.
There was a lot of other work today as well. With Helena Škof Mihovilovič from New Moment Ljubljana we’re working on the campaign for IBM portal. I talked with Nikola Žinić about a very interesting ad that is linked to a historical date in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I realized further contacts on the launch of the portal in Slovenian language. I’m preparing for tomorrow’s debate in which I participate over Skype regarding the Golden Drum, which is organized by Slovenian Advertising Chamber. I’m making the concept for Blogomanija in Pohorje. I’m sending a lengthy mail to Marina Bolanča from Zagreb’s Abeceda regarding Art&Business Conference and Art&Business Award. Marina’s answers give me the right to believe that we have successfully started off with these projects. I’m sending offers and consulting with my marketing associates. We need money. We’re entering a serious investment cycle (Slovenian and Macedonian edition of the portal, events, books …), but we don’t want to sell our need for money to anyone, but values that are acceptable to everyone. Results are there.
Sarajevo, 18 May 2016
