Photography: Matija Petrović & privatna arhiva
Author: Ivka Barić
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Every road to success is paved with a lot of learning, tremendous effort and huge sacrifices, along with inevitable mistakes, but also that special sense of moving onward and upward. There are many wonderful things to experience at the beginning of that journey, while the trails of success are still being blazed.
The road that Boban Spasojević took at one point in his early life was uncertain – he himself now admits that he had no idea where it would take him. He only knew he was listening to his heart and trying to make his dreams come true. Therefore, he paved the way for his first job all by himself…
That is, you see, how the beginning of the career of the man who swapped his Belgrade address for a one in Zagreb seven years ago looked like. He did so, of course, for the most compelling of all reasons: love. But not without securing a good job first.
As a person who absolutely loves what he does, he constantly emphasises that professional and innovative work is not actually “real work”, but rather sheer pleasure. When that is the case, he tells us, you do not feel like you are actually working.
Today, after two decades of doing a job that entails professional and very specific knowledge, but also social skills and networking, Boban Spasojević, having moved from Belgrade to Zagreb, started a new chapter of his living autobiography that has, as we can see, turned out to be a huge success. First and foremost, in terms of the main, romance storyline, but also the side business quests.
– All of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place at the right moment – he says.
Today, he heads the magazine called Diplomacy & Commerce Croatia, along with organising conferences and events that bring business and diplomacy together, and which are unique in that regard in the whole of Croatia.
His magazine is not only a valuable source of information for the business world, but also a springboard to reaching better international connectivity.
Promoting transparency, reputation building for companies and shaping public opinion are keys that unlock the door to long-term success in the business world.
In a world where social media have become one of the key factors in communication, our interlocutor sees new challenges and new opportunities, albeit still relying on tested and traditional practices. In this era of transparency, he considers digitalisation to be a burning question boiling up to a hot topic but not the only one we should be fired up about – he points out that the press still has its place in the world of media.
What do you make of the current state of the media in Croatia, but also the entire region and beyond? How would you describe it?
It seems to me that the media today have somehow become a house of cards dealing blows to itself. Due to the desire and need for speed and exclusivity, we have reached the stage where everything is too accessible, and often unverified, so, naturally, there’s a lot of fake news. Television, I’m talking to you more than anyone else here…
New media, such as social networks, have basically turned everything into media – both topics and modes of communication – which made it possible for anyone to do anything without prior knowledge and credibility. Nowadays, anyone can record a feature, pretend like they’re informing people about something, be a presenter, do whatever they please… And that is the exact opposite of what we need.
What we need is verified information from multiple sources, expert summaries without too much interpretation and giving, not to say imposing, one’s opinion. Let people figure things out for themselves!
You run a media outlet that has both an online and a printed edition. What is the current situation of the print media?
Speaking from experience as someone who deals with content creation, but also contributes to the economic viability of products – and, as we all know, print media in general is in decline, with its influence and relevance reduced – I can say that there’s one major “but” that changes the game.
I’m referring to the so-called “niche” media, that is, those that are narrowly specialised in terms of their subject matter, covering specific topics and content addressed to specific audiences. These can not only survive, but also thrive. Diplomacy & Commerce magazine is like that, as well as your Symbol.
When you have good topics, quality content, that specific niche you’re focused on, and all that neatly packed, you get a magazine that’s relevant and has something to offer.
Diplomacy & Commerce has been published for seven years and is still the only media outlet in Croatia that brings business and diplomacy issues together. It’s business diplomacy gone viral.
You got a degree in political science, international relations, but you’ve actually spent your entire professional life in media and communication; among other things, you’ve worked as a PR specialist for several global PR agencies. What do you consider the most important skills and traits that PR specialists need to hone?
It’s a job that people usually see through the rose-coloured glass of the TV screen; the average Joe pictures working in PR as the job of Samantha Jones from Sex and the City or something out of the Emily in Paris series. But it’s far from that. This job requires unwavering dedication and extensive knowledge. The qualities that a PR specialist should have, among others, are the ability to listen to the needs of clients, a grasp on the current state of affairs and the needs of their surroundings, and pronounced communication skills.
Needless to say, relationship building, a well-planned campaign, and a quality product are also important. All this rounds off the profile of a PR professional.
You have worked in different segments of the communication industry – from the one that creates content to the one that markets and promotes it. Is it possible to single out the most important segment in that process?
I’d say all three segments you mentioned are equally important, but also equally complex. Creating content in general may not be particularly demanding, but creating good content, one that stands out in terms of quality and that captures attention – now, that’s much more difficult. Especially in this era of information overload, where we are constantly bombarded with visual content, and other hooks and grabbers.
Marketing content has become a rather snippety process, especially on social media, so as to keep up with the short and picky attention span of the younger audiences, who are the main players in the digital realm. We’re talking about posts that are practically coming in by the minute, non-stop, like a multilane conveyor belt, producing a virtual assortment of all sorts at once.
Some 15-20 years ago, back when we were working on television, that would’ve been everything we ever wanted, but the crucial question now is how accurate and authentic this information we get today is. Marketing content via traditional means of communication, however, implies greater credibility and is far more trustworthy.
Promotion has its own set of rules; the most important question, of course, is whom we are trying to reach and in what way; who’s our target audience. So, we’ve basically come full circle – everything actually depends on the type of media.
What are the key strategies that the media might use in this economically tumultuous time to build positive public opinion about a company?
Now we’ve touched on the subject of media sustainability per se. Strategies imply taking time, planning and setting clear goals and results. Positive public opinion, as well as its counterpart, is the result of a long-term process that has to go through certain stages, provided that it’s targeted and planned. However, the media that engages in such work must have a closed financial structure and be profitable – because just as those who run campaigns have their own objectives and economic considerations, so do the media that market them.
The point is that everyone is equally important and that everyone has their own interests and needs.
How do you perceive the role of diplomacy in the modern business environment?
It seems that modern diplomacy, aside from its foundation in politics, as a means of representing a country, has come down to business. Let’s take a look at the big, successful countries: they leverage politics and political influence to expand their business empires and grow their businesses. This is no news flash, but it seems to me that today it’s more straightforward and prominent than ever.
We live in a time of realignment of global power and influence, and this includes not only politics but also the economy, which underpins the entire concept of international relations and culture, with grey eminences colouring our views and extending their reach in various ways, from visible to discreet.
Examples of this are, say, the excellent political ties between countries that are allies across all segments; so, you see the big shot countries calling shots and selling their products to the underdogs, from strategic to less strategic. And examples of these grey eminences are best seen in the influence of music, movies, and the media…
Nowadays, diplomacy is a matter of prestige, but above all a giant corporate machine working in the interest of the economy of the country it represents.
Here in Croatia, in addition to publishing magazines, you also organise conferences and events. What kind of events are we talking about?
Along with the Diplomacy & Commerce magazine, in whose charge I am here in Croatia, and which has been adapted to local markets under the same name but with a different organisational structure and publishers in respective countries (it’s also published in Serbia, Austria, Slovenia, Montenegro, and it’s soon coming to the Czech Republic as well), I’m pleased to report that, as the director of The Economist’s World Ahead project, I’ve also brought the acclaimed World Ahead magazine to Croatia.
Of course, I didn’t do it all by myself, but as a member of the company that was granted an exclusive territorial licence for the whole region. We approached the promotion of that magazine, which is published in over 90 countries, in a unique manner, relying on local partners and always backed by prime ministers, ministers, ambassadors, business people, and managers of the most successful domestic and foreign companies in Croatia.
Last December, we hosted a gala to mark this occasion. However, as the year has 12 months, we were aware we had to extend our efforts beyond that one evening – you see, you have to take care of your clients and associates on a regular basis. Therefore, every June we also organise a business breakfast revolving around, you’ve guessed it, all things business. We invite eminent lecturers from abroad (London, Vienna…) and also lend an ear to experts from all walks of working life in order to get wind of their business forecasting.
Last year at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Diplomacy & Commerce Croatia magazine, we put together a DC Awards ceremony for the first time, covering more than 17 categories and giving awards to individuals, institutions, and companies alike. The award winners were chosen by an eminent jury and members of our editorial staff.
Don’t you think there’s been a superfluity of various conferences and events in recent years?
It may seem so at first glance, but I think that as long as you have a good and interesting topic or content, and people who want to hear about it – you know, a target audience – it makes sense.
I’d lie if I said I didn’t notice there’s a trend, almost a fashionable craze, to organise conferences and similar events about every newest wrinkle in the fabric of society, but the fact is that there are many topics and subtopics that need to be discussed and thoroughly elaborated.
So, all these events that clarify and bring them closer to citizens are always welcome. Of course, the main condition is that they are done in a proper, professional manner.
Just like any other business, yours is also not exempt from competition, be it friendly and fair or everything but. How often have you encountered (un)worthy adversaries, and how difficult was it for you to build an entire business and write your success story as someone who comes from Serbia, who moved from Belgrade to Zagreb, and took a seat at a diplomacy table where “the cards are already dealt” and the competition is fierce?
Competition is healthy if it’s real and fair. There is, of course, the other side of the coin. I have to admit that I haven’t encountered too many knives on the road, be it in form of backstabbing or cloak-and-dagger operations, probably because I mind my own business and I’m focused on what I do, with the only desire to make it work.
There were, truth be told, some whispers and fables, fabrications, and embellished reckonings, but all that comes and goes. I guess I have my business environment and relationships with the people I work with to thank for the fact that no rumour has ever caused a serious problem for me. True, there are always those who, in their business inaptitude and ignorance, muddy the waters for others, but they don’t bother me too much – what matters is a positive attitude, knowledge, and energy we ourselves radiate.
Positive thoughts attract positive things and people. But first of all, you gotta have a positively good product.