My business philosophy is based on the belief that art and business have something in common. That “something” is presented by creativity. The importance of creativity is shown in the resulting efficiency, which also delivers profits. The story of Scholz&Friends Belgrade, as well as my own, has grown and developed on the basis of this principle
I guess it was meant to be. My parents were high school professors. My mother was a literature teacher and my father was a passionate writer who taught history. They definitely passed on to me their love of words. My first venture into advertising was when I was a child and I used to make radio commercials. I always had an interest in writing, psychology, sociology, history and literature. Apart from that, my fascination was systematisations of knowledge. I was passionate about studying behaviour, emotions, and motivations, and the mix of rules and art, system and chaos, economy and creativity; in short, the field of the creative economy was a perfect match for me.
After finishing the prestigious Belgrade gymnasium school and spending many years as a pianist, I was not entirely sure about studying Economics. Then I discovered the marketing course and, in a way, it set me free completely. When I graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Belgrade University, I was certain that my thesis on “Socio-cultural dimension of International Marketing Surroundings” would be a huge asset. That also established my “playground” – marketing communication within international cooperation.
At the dawn of the new millennium, I stumbled on an appealing advertisement: “Good morning creative Belgrade”. It was a job offer and I knew right away that I would get it. Out of 700 people who applied, I was chosen to work with, according to Advertising Age an “almost mythical figure, a man who transformed propaganda into advertising in this region” – Dragan Šakan. That was my big break. One of the most special awards I received in my life bares that name – “The Dragan Šakan New Idea Award” for the “Unheard Song” project.
In our region, Scholz& Friends is indeed the only agency that can offer the unique combination of German efficiency and local creativity
Back in early 2000, everything was unfolding perfectly. I had the privilege of working with such a figure, with many clients, on several outstanding projects and with different international networks. Cooperation with Scholz&Friends, The Orchestra of Ideas, one of the leading agency groups in the German-speaking world, started in 2002 when offices opened in Belgrade, Skopje and Ljubljana. By 2005 I was already the representative for Southeast Europe and from 2008 I was running the Scholz&Friends Belgrade office. In 2009, Scholz & Friends was named one of the top three agencies in the world and it continues to rank highly among marketing decision-makers in terms of strategy, creativity and solutions.
In our region, Scholz& Friends is indeed the only agency that can offer a unique combination of German efficiency and local creativity. My personal quest to bring together these two worlds – structure and creativity – and my professional challenge are envisaged under the Scholz&Friends brand. The “German way” is important in communications, because it contributes precision with much-needed efficiency. The Scholz&Friends method, called Orchestration, is based on one strong conducting idea and harmonious integration of different communication instruments. This ensures effective use of the entire communications palette and adaptability to the ever-changing market environment.
Now, after 17 years of experience in the agency business, I feel obliged to nurture creativity and professional standards of the highest value. My mission is to demonstrate that creativity leads to achieving business goals and maximising client’s profits. As Managing Director of Scholz&Friends Belgrade, and as a member of almost all professional societies, I look forward to making further contributions in the future by keeping creativity fascinating and the business profitable.