Đorđe Jovanović is the winner of the Mark Awards SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSION. He tells CorD what role the marketing departments of companies play in creating the business of the future.
How would you rate the Serbian marketing communications market?
Where are we in relation to the region? We have had an excellent bounce-back after the corona crisis period. Growth is visible, both in marketing investment and in the growth of the number of agencies. That is why it should be especially focused on improvement through education. We continue to run behind the EU countries in investments, while in terms of the quality of marketing, I can freely say that the markets are quite similar. I think the key thing for the growth of the marketing communications market is the constant education of people at the C-level.
Who creates the reputation of the profession in Serbia today?
The reputation of the profession is created by everyone who works in this sector, and we are all equally responsible for it. Whether it’s about company or agency staff, everyone is individually responsible, but also collectively, because we all know that the best ideas are born in a team and implemented through joint efforts.
Why is it necessary to involve companies more actively in education and knowledge- sharing with young talents who are taking their first steps in the profession?
It is extremely important to deal with young talents and share knowledge as much as possible, because in this way they mature much faster in a business sense and get a foundation at a high level. This is how we will get much more expert marketing people, who will constantly “raise” the reputation of the profession to an ever higher level.
What role do the marketing departments of companies play in creating the business of the future?
In the fastest companies, the most important role. Only agile companies can respond quickly to micro-moments or market situations. There are official and unofficial statuses. In some companies, marketing is officially an important function, while unofficially, it is not. The business of the future is a company in which marketing is unofficially the most important department of the company.
What does REMARKABLE business success mean today and what percentage of that success is attributable to marketing?
It depends on how we look at it, for some it’s achieved numbers, for some it’s campaigns that leave a mark, the emotions we evoke in consumers… Also, it’s every opinion that is different from the generally accepted one, which leads to campaigns that are later viewed as unique – out of the box.
Remarkable business success is when you go from being anonymous to becoming the number 1 brand. REMARKABLE is the game changer. These are marketing experts who recognize a micro-moment in market behaviour and change the game, i.e. they satisfy a great unconscious need on the market. A good marketing expert makes the company or brand look smart, and a REMARKABLE expert makes the customer feel smart.
What does the Mark Awards recognition mean to you and how will it affect your further career?
As for my career, I don’t think it will change anything, except that it confirms that I have overcome all the challenges and that I have learned from them. Throughout my career, I was authentic, found new ways of promotion, I was not afraid to try something else, that’s how I learned and developed. This award is one of the signs that I am on the right path, an incentive to continue developing myself and others, and above all to believe in my vision and be persistent.