Marija Vićić: You can’t communicate others well if you don’t communicate the company you work for clearly, efficiently and credibly

At the recently held PRO.PR conference, Marija Vićić, Communication Director for Creative Excellence Adriatic and Nordics within I&F McCann Grupa, was awarded the Infigo Award, intended for individuals who specifically contribute to the development of the communications industry. In an interview with MediaMarketing, she reveals what this award means to her.

Media Marketing: At the recently held PRO.PR Conference you were awarded the Infigo award. This award could even be considered a lifetime achievement award, but it’s way too early for you for such an award. That is why I see this award as a recognition for your contribution so far to the development of the communications profession in Serbia and Adriatic region. How do you see this award?

Marija Vićić: I have to admit I was extremely surprised. Every award is a great honor and recognition, especially when it’s the Infigo Award, which can be considered a lifetime achievement award. I look at the awards as an even greater motivation for the future. I would like to emphasize that this was an award for the whole team across the Adriatic region, with whom I work daily on improving communication.

Media Marketing: Rare are the agencies in which you can find a PR person who professionally deals with communicating the agency rather than just clients. In the I&F McCann Group you have a team that leads the PR work for the Group and its members, and you have separate teams for the communication of clients. Is there something you could advise other agencies based on the experiences of I&F McCann Group?

Marija Vićić: From years of experience, not just in agency but also a journalist, I have found that you cannot communicate others well if you don’t communicate the company you work for clearly, efficiently and credibly. Each agency has its own set-up, ours was to create a team that will support the agencies.

I would recommend all companies to invest in PR knowledge and empower people to communicate. In order to spread the good word, you need someone to create it.

Media Marketing: Could you highlight a campaign you believe has left a special mark in the public?

Marija Vićić: After 15 years of work, it is difficult to point out specific projects. I love projects that make a difference in the community, whether it is the agency community or a wider, social one. But if I had to single out a campaign, I think it would be the #Unwanted campaign we recently realized in Montenegro. I would like to highlight the creativity and effort of all the colleagues from Podgorica, as well as Belgrade, who selflessly worked on the realization of the campaign. Not only did the campaign take root in the society, it also made a concrete change. And that’s what’s especially motivating in this business.

Media Marketing: The PRO PR Conference sent a message that PRs are good at promoting their clients, but poorly communicate themselves. Why is that so?

Marija Vićić: I would not entirely agree with that statement. I think good client’s results are the best promotion of our service. The communications industry often mulls over self-promotion. My answer is: focus and discipline, as well as working with the profession and the constant building of good relations between the agencies.

Media Marketing: We at MM really have a problem with this lack of communication from the agencies. It is hard to get information, because the agencies don’t communicate, although by the nature of their business they represent a very strong pillar of the communications industry. What should be done for the agencies to become more open in communication with all their audiences?

Marija Vićić: The word communication, in its Latin root, means ‘to share’. Today, sharing information involves a large number of channels and I believe that agencies decide how they will communicate in accordance with their strategic approach. I&F McCann Group is openly communicating with all the publics, because we feel that what our teams are doing is helping to improve the industry, inspire and empower young talents.

Media Marketing: A good example of your own PR is the McCann Newsletter through which you communicate all the important news that happen in the agencies of the I&F McCann Grupe from south to the far north of Europe. You are the only one in the region who communicate regularly in this way. What do you wish to accomplish with this, and how are the results?

Marija Vićić: It is the global trend that newsletter, as a channel for communication, keeps growing steadily. After two years, I’m satisfied that the base of our users, and therefore the readership, is growing. This is a great merit of a team working on it. We create content creatively for the target group that reads it, and it is not easy or simple because the audiences are different, and the content must be informative, interesting, relevant, and educational. We regularly observe the pulse of the internal and external public and, accordingly, we are working on further enhancement of that communication channel. I am particularly pleased to have inspired other agencies to go the same way.

Media Marketing: Since recently you are in charge of communication not only for the McCann agencies in the Adriatic region, but also in the Nordics where I&F McCann Group operates. Is it hard to work in two such different regions?

Marija Vićić: I have been given the opportunity to further build my knowledge and to work in markets outside our region, and to contribute my experience to the agency’s further communication. In the agency system that links differences, I have had the opportunity to work on different yet similar markets already. This experience, and my curiosity, helped me better understand the specifics of the Nordic region and the needs of our agencies. In addition, I get great support from my great colleagues who always have the understanding and the will to make a difference together. As for your question is it difficult, I will say it is, but it’s also challenging and very interesting.

Media Marketing: Is there a difference in communication between these two regions?

Marija Vićić: There is certainly a difference in terms of cultural and sociological characteristics, business environment, development and consumption of media, but in essence every communication represents spreading the good image and genuine messages about what we are doing. We always govern ourselves by the slogan of the McCann network, which stands true for more than a century now – “Truth Well Told”.

The original publication can be found at: http://www.media-marketing.com/en/interview/marija-vicic-you-cant-communicate-others-well-if-you-dont-communicate-the-company-you-work-for-clearly-efficiently-and-credibly/

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