By: Adnan Arnautlija
Today we will hear impressions of 2015 and plans for 2016 from Olivera Peković, director of the agency McCann Belgrade.
MEDIA MARKETING: What was 2015 like for McCann Belgrade?
OLIVERA PERKOVIĆ: As expected, 2015 was a challenging year for the agency from the standpoint of the increasing complexity of business and clients’ higher expectations of their agencies, and consumers’ higher expectations of services, products and brands. We are seeing that relevant innovation is a necessary ingredient in strategic thinking and creative expression, and that it can come from a variety of sources – with the help of technology, with the help of more sophisticated targeting, with relevant human or cultural insights, from connecting technologies and environments, or different categories … closer connection with needs, or rather a better understanding of people’s needs and a concrete contribution will be crucial for the relevance of communications and strategic solutions, and key to strengthening our brands.
MEDIA MARKETING: What will you remember 2015 for?
OLIVERA PERKOVIĆ: We will remember it for our festival successes, for the further development of collaboration with our key clients, for our entry into new categories such as private labels, and for the return of the Plazma brand to the agency, which for us – in addition to our clear business success and our satisfaction that our client portfolio expanded – also carries an emotional satisfaction.
MEDIA MARKETING: What do you expect from 2016? What are your plans?
OLIVERA PERKOVIĆ: We will intensify the education and training of our people, and in this area we are planning a larger investment than in the past. We will also develop our own tools and methodologies. This is primarily related to individual disciplines in the field of strategic planning and in the field of digital creativity. In relation to the regional centralization of our key clients, we expect even stronger connections with our agencies in the region, especially in Zagreb and Skopje. I believe that through these three mechanisms we will become richer in resources and expertise, and will thus raise the quality and flexibility of the agency and develop specialist expertise in key disciplines and categories.
