Bojana Stankovic, Head of Communications of Smart Vision – Belgrade becoming center of global PR scene

This year, Belgrade will host the prestigious IPRA GWA awards, which is an exceptional moment for the regional PR community. One of the organizers is Bojana Stankovic, Head of Communications of the agency Smart Vision, the only agency from Serbia which has won this prestigious award. Bojana emphasizes that this event enables local professionals to connect with world experts, exchange experiences and upgrade their strategies in the time of an accelerated digitization and development of artificial intelligence.

In an interview for eKapija, she also emphasizes the importance of ethical communication and adaptation to global trends in the increasingly challenging world of communications.

For the first time here and in this region, on October 18, in Belgrade, the PR Oscars awards, IPRA GWA 2024, will be held. What does this mean for the regional PR community?

– Knowing that the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) was founded back in 1955 and that, in time, it has acquired the reputation of the leading global network for PR professionals, it is clear how important it is that this year’s Golden World Awards (GWA) ceremony is held in Belgrade. And as you said very well, the arrival of IPRA representatives to Belgrade and Serbia is also important for the regional PR community, because it puts us even more firmly on the world map and provides the possibility of PR experts from the whole world getting to know our ideas and way of work better. For all of us who work in the PR sphere, the topics that are always current and important are ethical practice, the manner and the tone we use in communication, and those are precisely the principles that IPRA rests on and which it advocates worldwide. That is why gatherings such as this are an excellent way to see how colleagues from remote parts of the world, with whom we are not in contact frequently and whom we don’t know that well, think and work, to see where we are compared to their standards and what we need to do or improve so that we can build the future of communication in this challenging time together with them. On the other hand, this is a great opportunity for them to get to know us and our competences a little better, as well as our business environment, potential opportunities for the realization of joint projects…

What are your expectations from this year’s IPRA GWA? Are there campaigns or projects that you want to especially highlight?

– This year, the colleagues from Croatia have won a considerable number of IPRA acknowledgments and we are all impatiently awaiting the PR Summit and the IPRA Gala, so that, in Belgrade, in the Hotel Metropol, on October 18, we would all together celebrate the successes of the creative and successful campaigns on which we worked hard. I have overheard from my colleagues that extremely creative projects are arriving from Japan, so I am looking forward to the opportunity to hear something more about them in Belgrade. Of course, I am also excited that, with my team, I will celebrate the golden award, the so-called PR Oscar, which we are very proud of, because we worked hard on that project, with lots of dedication.

The agency Smart Vision, which you are heading, has won the gold IPRA award for excellence in the field of public relations in the category of non-governmental organizations for the designed and implemented PR strategy as part of the arrival of Dr. Gabor Mate to the Balkans, organized by the Novak Djokovic Foundation. How important is this acknowledgment to you and what have you learned from the whole process of organizing that PR strategy?

– IPRA, with jury members being experienced and recognized PR experts from the whole world (Germany, Great Britain, Croatia, Turkey, Philippines, Egypt, Bulgaria…), has recognized the importance of the topic such as trauma for the entire Balkans region, as well as the effort and the knowledge displayed by our PR team. Winning this award shows the quality of the Smart Vision team in PR and our unwavering dedication to creating a positive impact through strategic communication. The results of this campaign, which had no budget behind it, is a great victory for PR and a great victory of the right topics and news of importance. This prestigious acknowledgment is an additional push for us to be even better, more creative and braver with our ideas. We have woven in not just plenty of knowledge and time in this project, but our hearts as well, investing in the Foundation’s projects ourselves, and through them, in a better environment and better conditions for children growing up in our region.

On the same day, Belgrade will also host the PR Summit “Trust Is PRiority”. What are the key topics and challenges to be discussed?

– The PR Summit “Trust Is PRiority” is designed as a meeting of communication professionals from the region and the world and is meant for colleagues from all spheres of our profession: from integrated communications to digital communications; from strategic communications to the launching of products and/or services; from representatives of companies, institutions, civil society organizations, entrepreneurs, to each individual aware that communications are crucial today on both the personal and the professional level. The topics and dilemmas that are common to us all, regardless of which corner of the world we live and work in, are the main topics of the Summit and pertain primarily to the accelerated development of new technologies and artificial intelligence. Communications experts, through their panels and lectures, will surely help us prepare for all the challenges that the future brings. All the “novelties” always entail greater responsibility and the necessity of adapting to the new generations, which have their own characteristic way of communication. There will also be talk about what the power of the media is in the AI era, whether we will keep up with the times more easily and improve our profession if we act together and how we will regulate the very important question of ethics in this “new environment.” Everybody who wants to join us can find the entire program and all the information on the website www.prsummit.rs.

How are global communication trends reflecting on the local market? What are the specific opportunities and challenges for PR experts in our region?

– Global trends in communications bring numerous opportunities for PR experts in our region, but also require adjustment to a quickly shifting environment. In order to be successful, PR experts have to be innovative, flexible and ready to constantly learn. New tools and platforms are constantly appearing, which requires continuous learning and adapting, but it can bring a lot. On the other hand, it is not simple to reach the desired audience due to the large number of channels and platforms. It is necessary to develop strategies for fighting disinformation and protecting the reputation. In addition to all that, data and privacy protection is becoming a bigger and bigger challenge.

In what way do new trends in communications, such as the digital transformation and artificial intelligence, reflect on the work of PR professionals?

– PR professionals are no longer limited to traditional media. Digital channels like social networks and blogs have become primary tools for communicating with the public, which, you’ll agree, is not really new. Digital communication enables direct interaction with the audience, which requires PR professionals to be ready to respond more quickly and manage the reputation in real time. On the other hand, artificial intelligence can automate numerous routine tasks, such as following the media and generating certain reports. It can also analyze large quantities of data in order to identify trends, influential individuals and the audience’s sentiment. There are plenty of advantages, but that mustn’t blur our vision when it comes to the issue of threats which can result from an incorrect use of these tools and a lack of ethics. Constant learning, following the trends and good practical examples should be a good formula if you don’t have a real response to the current trends.

How do you see the future of communications in the light of the increasing responsibility and the accelerated technological development? What are the biggest challenges that PR experts are facing?

– I see the future of communications as extremely dynamic and complex. The increasing responsibility toward various interest groups, such as consumers, employees and the wider public, requires PR experts to be even more pro-active and transparent. The accelerated technological development brings numerous opportunities, but also new challenges such as how fast the information is spreading, and then also the increasing number of channels and platforms which even make directing messages to the target audience slightly harder, and on top of all that, ethics in communication needs to be maintained too.

What would your advice be for young PR professionals and those who are only just entering the industry, in the context of modern trends and challenges?

– Today’s PR industry is dynamic and it changes constantly, especially under the influence of digitization and new technologies. I would advise young professionals to be constantly open to learning and adapting. Young PR professionals should strive for authenticity, because today’s audience is looking for transparent and experienced brands. And, most importantly, be brave and ready for innovations – they often come from those who are only just entering the industry.

Natasa Pavlovic Bujas, the first IPRA president from the Balkans area, was also interviewed by eKapija, Pavlovic Bujas emphasized the importance of setting ethical and professional standards in an increasingly dynamic PR industry, as well as the importance of the gathering of experts at the PR Summit in Belgrade.

She also mentioned the global IPRA GWA awards, whose campaigns have inspired local strategies, emphasizing the role of PR as the tool for creating changes in society and organizations.

What does this position mean to you personally, but also for the PR scene of the region?

– That’s right, I am the first IPRA president from these areas and – as the colleagues from Serbia and the region say – it is the most important recognition of my work and the results of my work, but also the entire profession from these areas. It didn’t come about suddenly, of course – in addition to winning the biggest world acknowledgments with my team – IPRA Grand Prix among them – I have also been active for 12 years in IPRA’s operations and as a jury member and a member of the board in many global activities, but also in setting standards in this profession: ethical and professional. I believe that it will mean a lot to our profession, which is increasingly dynamic from day to day, and especially young people. The responsibility of PR professionals is bigger and bigger, as are the expectations from them – therefore, we should work together on the values and the standard of the profession. The gathering at the PR Summit, on October 18, in the Hotel Metropol Palace (on the same day as the Gala ceremony of the world “PR Oscars”) should unite us and show us the way to the future. And that we already have awareness of that need is shown by the responsibility taken on by the colleagues from Smart Vision and Avala Media Group for the organization of these big events.

What are the most important lessons that we can learn from the global recipients of the IPRA GWA awards? How can those campaign inspire our local PR strategies?

– Thank you for this question – it is very important. From year to year, in the world, and here as well, we are looking at campaigns that are achieving considerable influence and creating real changes in their environments. That’s what PR is – much more than communications, and certainly not exclusively maintaining relations with the media or just telling good stories on social networks. It is precisely the complexity of our profession in the time of an accelerated development of technology that brings us back to the main question – the question of purpose. And with that our influence on the changes we want to see in our societies, companies, organizations.

The loud applause – and very often cheering as well – that colleagues give to colleagues at the IPRA Gala ceremony – shows that, as people, we have the same strivings and goals, regardless of the cultural differences and the environments we come from. Values are easily recognized – in all languages!

Smart vision d.o.o. Beograd

AVALA MEDIA GROUP

International Public Relations Agency

IPRA

Bojana Stanković

Nataša Pavlovic Bujas

IPRA GWA

public relations

PR Oscars PR Summit Trust Is PRiority

IPRA Grand Prix