The communications industry is currently facing many challenges and undergoing a transformation in which the rules of the game are changing, technology and artificial intelligence are taking centre stage, and the old order is no longer working. According to Petra Jankovičová, who heads Triad Prague, serves as President of the Association of Communication Agencies (AKA), and has recently become a member of the Advisory Board of #Holky z marketingu, the main trend influencing marketing today is a return to the essence of things. “How do we use technology and AI without losing our humanity? How do we make campaigns more effective without moving into grey uniformity that interests no one? Marketing today is full of data and automation, but it is still about emotions, ideas, and courage. It is also about the ability to choose and to become enthusiastic about something. In my view, that will be one of the key skills of the future,” she believes.
In Petra Jankovičová’s view, the keys to future success will be authenticity, courage and empathy. “Those are the three things that will determine who succeeds in marketing. Authenticity, because people can tell when a brand is speaking sincerely. Courage, because in an age when everyone is following the data, the greatest advantage is to step aside. And empathy, because communication without it is just noise,” she says.
You can read more in our interview about the limits of advertising, new developments at Triad Prague, the AKA’s plans, and the essential education of account managers.
Triad has announced staffing changes in key positions over the past two years. Last year, Rado Jankovič returned, a new Executive Creative Director joined, and this year, you brought in a strategist. You returned the year before last. Why did you decide on such major changes? What drove you to do them? Have you completed the personnel renewal now?
Every agency reaches a moment when it needs to take a fresh breath. I can feel it in the market too. When I came back after a year and a half away, I had more distance — and with that came clarity that our original vision had not been lost, we had just diluted it somewhat along the way. So, for me, it was not a revolution, but rather a return to the energy with which Triad was founded.
I wanted to bring back joy, teamwork and the courage to do things boldly and effectively, but at the same time, without templates and without being constrained. Rado Jankovič, who, incidentally, is my brother, returned as Chief Creative Officer and gave creativity a clear direction. For him, as well as for Triad, our ventures outside the agency turned out to be extremely useful.
Aleš Brichta joined the leadership as Executive Creative Director, Matúš Ficko took charge of strategy, Dan Weiss now heads account management, and Adéla Marešová came in as COO. And it was Adéla in particular who helped bring all the new elements together. She introduced processes that keep the agency cohesive, established a hybrid working model, put systems into HR, and placed an emphasis on the quality of collaboration.
Today, we have a strong, balanced team where young, driven creatives meet experienced professionals. And to me, that is real diversity — different views of the world and different ways of working.
I believe the personnel transformation is complete, and the results confirm it. Our pitch success rate is around 65 per cent, and clients come to us because they want change and a partner who thinks strategically but still acts humanely. As for our people, we are currently working on their career plans, and recruiting new talent: experienced account managers, someone to lead digital media buying, and reinforcement for the back office.
This year, you began working for T-Mobile, handling both social media and employer branding. What other clients have you won?
T-Mobile is a wonderful example of a collaboration with a broader reach. It is not just about recruitment campaigns but about brand culture and the way the company speaks to its own people. We have embarked on the concept of employer-branded entertainment — content that is authentic, entertaining and at the same time strengthens the employer brand. In spring, after winning the pitch, we also added social media, and with the client, we are trying to bring social-first campaigns into their magenta communication — in other words, campaigns that are not simply resized ATL executions.
Among our other new clients is Unilever: we work on Axe, Domestos, and also provide full service for Hellmann’s, the number one brand in mayonnaise and sauces. Other new brands we are working with include Curiosa by Kofola, Zlatá Studňa, and the Association of Czech Booksellers and Publishers. Building on our successful collaboration with Intersnack on Bohemia, we also won the pitch for Pombär in the CEE region. And we are especially pleased to have retained Seznam.cz.
These collaborations confirm to us that clients do not come to us because of the size of the agency, but because of our approach. They want a partner who thinks with them, not a factory and a supplier of a million resized visuals. Today, we use AI for that. What cannot be replaced is energy, creativity and strategic thinking.
“We want our people to be able to do the kind of work that makes sense to them — to think, create, and innovate, rather than spending their time on ‘monkey work’.”
Petra Jankovičová
What do you place the greatest emphasis on in the agency? What matters most to you?
On joy. But not the short-term, instant kind — rather the deeper joy that arises when you do things that make sense. I want people at Triad to feel good and to be able to be themselves. I want them to have room to be creative, but also responsible. We are not a factory for deliverables. We do not want to churn out visuals. We work in small mixed teams, where strategists, account people and creatives all solve things together from the very beginning.
And above all, we believe in combining creativity, emotion and an evidence-based approach — because emotion is what makes the difference. Campaigns that truly touch people are more effective. We have the data to prove it. As Rado says, it is hard to present a non-standard solution if you function as a standard agency. That is a motto that sums us up well. Sometimes it is the harder path, but it makes sense to us.
What challenges is the agency currently facing?
We are now in a phase where we are moving towards growth after major changes and transformation. But not growth at any price. We want to grow in a healthy, sensible way. We want to strengthen the team with account managers who are not merely excellent coordinators, but genuine partners to clients. Every agency head will confirm this — it is a real challenge. We are also looking for people in media buying, performance marketing, and support roles.
At the same time, we are fascinated by technology. We are digital natives, so we work a great deal with AI and automation. We want our people to be able to do the things that make sense to them — to think, create and innovate — rather than spending their time on monkey work. We are very intensively focusing on the future of our profession and the transformation of individual roles within the agency, so that not only the company itself but also each smart individual can be future-proof.
Another major challenge — or rather opportunity — is growth beyond the Czech Republic. We have 14 years of experience as the global creative and digital agency for the Kozel brand, and we have other clients who work with us regionally. That is a very attractive direction for us. I am therefore pleased that just last week we became the only Czech agency within the independent agency network CommUnity. As someone with a degree in international relations, I intend to use this opportunity not only for business but also for the growth of our people.
“AI frees us up to bring more heart into the work.”
Petra Jankovičová
How exactly are you integrating artificial intelligence into the running of the agency? And in this regard, are you seeing changes in what clients expect from advertising today?
AI is now a natural part of the way we operate. In this respect, we also inspire one another a great deal with our colleagues at Triad Slovakia, who are really going all in on AI. We use it in processes, research, strategy, concept creation and reporting. We have our own tools that save us time, and we use them not to take work away from people but instead make it easier for them. The possibilities AI offers for creating visuals, video and graphic content also help us enormously when it comes to selling bold ideas to clients — ideas they would not have been able to imagine in the “old” world. AI frees us up to add more heart.
And we can see the same tendency among clients: they want to be smarter and faster, while still preserving their humanity. To me, that is the greatest value AI brings to marketing — space for genuine creativity.
You are also President of the AKA, where another personnel change has recently taken place. Kateřina Hrubešová is stepping down as Executive Director. Do you already know who will replace her?
Yes, that is a major topic for us right now. Over the past three years, the Association of Communication Agencies has made a huge leap forward, especially in terms of openness and in the sense that it is sending a very clear signal to the market that there are issues we need to address together as an industry.
If we dealt with them individually, we would never reach either a result or a consensus. I am pleased that around ten new members have joined us, and also that some members have returned to the AKA after a break and are now very active again.
Katka spent three years in the role, and they were three extremely intense years. I want to take this opportunity to thank her sincerely for the energy she put into the AKA. The amount of change that took place during that time corresponds to perhaps six years at a normal pace. So much has changed in the market, in technology, and in the association’s functioning.
We are now in the phase of looking for a new Executive Director. It is an elected role, so a kind of “campaign” is currently underway. We have several very high-quality candidates, which makes me happy, because it shows that the AKA is now perceived by the public as a relevant and living organism, not as an institution from the last century.
The election will take place at the end of November, and nothing has been decided yet. The candidates are sharing their visions and plans for where they would like to take the association. The outcome will be decided by the general meeting, that is, by all members. And I must say, the debate has been very inspiring. The opinions differ — just like the era in which we live. Whoever takes over the role will face major challenges.
We are also changing part of the setup, which is a natural step after a period of transformation. The people who have so far led key projects have done an enormous amount of work, and thanks to them, the AKA is ready for its next phase — more modern, more agile, and even more connected to the market reality.
“Our vision for the AKA by 2026 is for the association to help its members survive and grow in a borderless age, while also setting new standards of professionalism and quality on the Czech market.”
Petra Jankovičová
What goals are you currently setting within the AKA?
I think that at the moment, our industry is standing on a kind of threshold. The communications industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation: the rules of the game are changing, old business models are ceasing to work, technologies and processes are becoming simpler, and the barriers to entry into the field are disappearing.
Today, practically anyone can create a campaign — the only difference lies in quality, in thinking, and in the effect it delivers. And that is a major issue for the Association, because there is also an erosion of the perceived value of professional communication work. Good marketing and creativity do work; we have plenty of evidence-based research to prove it. But because the threshold for entering the industry is low, a lot of grey mediocrity is emerging. All the more valuable are the agencies that can distinguish themselves through quality, experience and added value.
What do you want to focus on in the coming year?
Our vision for the AKA by 2026 is for the association to help its members survive and grow in a borderless age, while also setting new standards of professionalism and quality on the Czech market. That implies the three main directions we have defined.
The first concerns the value of the industry — in other words, how to stop or transform the erosion I mentioned. The second is the agency of the future: helping members adapt to new work models, tools, technologies and processes. And the third area concerns relations with the state administration and the setting of legal frameworks. There is a great deal of room for progress there, because it is important that the state understands how our sector works and what economic and cultural value it has. I see it as positive that there is interest from people who work for the state. For example, just last week, the Ministry for Regional Development, in cooperation with the AKA, organised a conference at which these topics were discussed, and interest was record-breaking. More than 80 representatives of the state administration took part. I think that is a very good sign.
There is a lot of work ahead of us, but it is work that makes sense. The AKA is now a strong organisation representing a huge part of the Czech communications industry, and if we can maintain this course of openness, cooperation and fairness, I believe the whole sector will continue to grow stronger.
“Both I and other AKA members see future potential in making Effie a broader platform for an evidence-based approach in marketing and communication.”
Petra Jankovičová
Are you planning any new developments in the Effie competition? If so, what kind?
Effie is a kind of shop window for the AKA and indeed for our whole industry. It is a competition with enormous prestige, but also very high standards. I say this every year: even just submitting an entry that the researchers do not send back to you in the preliminary round is an achievement. Over the past ten years, we have built a system that is very strict, but fair. Thanks to that, Czech Effie also enjoys international respect. We have received feedback from the European Effie headquarters that our way of incorporating research and the transparency of the jury rank among the best in Europe. Great credit for that goes to the entire team working on Effie.
This year, we added several new categories. Until now, some areas had not had their own dedicated representation, and it was high time to remedy that. In addition to the main competition, we also award special prizes outside the core structure — for example, the Creativity Award, which we organise together with the ADC and which will again be presented this year at the Forum Media conference. We also have an award for the Best Use of Data, in cooperation with SIMAR, and a Google Award for the use of YouTube in a campaign.
But we are not planning any revolution — the competition works very well. Every year, more than forty jurors take part, many of whom return repeatedly, which helps maintain both continuity and the quality of the judging.
So rather than change, what we feel is needed now is to take care of what already works and continue building trust in the fact that Effie is a competition that genuinely measures effectiveness and brings value to the whole industry. Both I and other AKA members see future potential in making Effie a broader platform for an evidence-based approach in marketing and communication, one that makes full use of the countless pieces of information, data, learning and principles it already has available. Working with such strong content feels to me like the natural next step.
“The average annual cost of pitches for European agencies today is around 16 million Czech crowns. That is crazy. It is basically like buying a flat.”
Petra Jankovičová
Did you receive any reactions after the report revealed that millions of crowns are being wasted unnecessarily on pitches?
Yes, we received a great many reactions — and I have to say that from both sides, from agencies as well as clients. We based the report on data provided to us by the EACA, which came from a European study in which Czech agencies also participated. And although we suspected the numbers would not be small, many people were still surprised.
There had not been similarly comprehensive data for the whole of Europe for quite some time. In the Czech Republic, we last had this kind of research before COVID, so the figures were entirely different then. Since that time, the cost of taking part in pitches has increased significantly. Partly because clients’ requirements have increased, but also because pitches have often turned into small-scale productions in their own right. Sometimes agencies are asked to do so much work that it is simply no longer sustainable. Briefs for pitches often contain work that should only come later, once the collaboration has begun — not work that belongs in a tender process. To illustrate: the average annual cost of pitches for European agencies today is around 16 million Czech crowns. That is crazy. It is basically like buying a flat.
That is why we gave the report the slightly exaggerated title “Why Buy a Flat When You Can Do Pitches Instead”. But the humour had a reason — we wanted to open people’s eyes. And I am glad it worked. I have the feeling that many clients have realised that things cannot continue like this. Not only because of the money, but because of the human energy involved. On the agency side, people often work on these briefs for weeks, sometimes months, and only a fraction of that work is ever actually used.
The good news, however, is that the culture of pitching is changing. Clients are more open to discussion, they want to know how to do it better, and what pleases me most is that the number of pitches where a pitch fee is paid is increasing. That still does not cover all the costs, but it has enormous symbolic value. It is an expression of respect, of acknowledgement that agencies put not only time into these processes, but also the creative energy of their people.
“An account manager is the bridge between the client and the agency. If they do not understand either side, no good campaign has any chance of being created.”
Petra Jankovičová
You have also become a member of the new Advisory Board of #Holky z marketingu. What led you to that?
Holky z marketingu is something very close to my heart. I have been connected with that community for several years, and last year I was already a member of its Advisory Board. Now the whole platform is professionalising and moving forward, and I am quite proud to be the only one from the original line-up who has moved into the new board as well. The new Advisory Board is also more closely connected with the agency world.
Together with the #HzM team, we discuss what the market needs, what agencies are missing, and what clients are missing — and this is exactly where a theme that is also a priority for the AKA comes in beautifully: the Agency of the Future. I think one of the pillars of making our industry future-proof is to change the way we educate people. And not only how we educate them, but also whom we recruit and what conditions we create for them. In my opinion, the old model of rigid rules, superiors who are not to be questioned, and office work from nine to five — or often twice as much — can no longer function.
That is why, together with Holky z marketingu and under the auspices of the AKA, we launched the Account Management Academy. It is a programme designed to help train a new generation of account people. Because finding a good account manager who is not just a “forwarder of e-mails” is really difficult today. An account manager is the bridge between the client and the agency. If they do not understand either side, no good campaign has any chance of being created. That is precisely why this Academy came into being, and we launched the first run just last week. The lecturers are people from the industry — for example, Iva Welker, the outstanding CEO of one of the biggest agencies in the Czech Republic; Honza Suda, a legend in digital and media; Martin Mikyška, Irena Zatloukalová, Eva Tringela, and many others. And I believe this is only the beginning. This certainly will not be the last run.
At the same time, Holky z marketingu brings a different perspective as well. At our June AKA off-site, they gave a presentation on where to look for new talent outside the traditional routes. And for many of us, it was eye-opening. Because we do not have to hunt for talent only in the usual structures. Talented people are all around us — we just have to see them. And personally, there is one more thing that drives me. I can see for myself that, despite all the changes, women in our industry still need encouragement. They need a safe place in which they can grow. A place where having a family is not a disadvantage, but the opposite. And after what happened following the elections in relation to young female MPs, I think the issue of respect, confidence and support for women remains immensely important. It is also a personal mission of mine to support women who want to do things but do not yet fully believe in themselves.
In your view, what trends are currently having the greatest impact on marketing? What should marketers focus on?
I think the main trend is, paradoxically, a return to the essence of things. How do we use technology and AI without losing our humanity? How do we make campaigns more efficient without shifting into a grey uniformity that interests no one? Marketing today is full of data and automation, but it is still about emotions, ideas and courage. It is also about the ability to choose — and to become enthusiastic about something. In my view, that will be one of the key skills of the future.
And for me personally, and for Triad as well, the rule is that AI should help, not replace. It should free us up to leave more room for creativity and thought. So, I would say: authenticity, courage and empathy. Those are the three things that will determine who succeeds in marketing. Authenticity, because people can tell when a brand is speaking sincerely. Courage, because in an age when everyone follows the data, the greatest advantage is to step aside. And empathy, because communication without it is merely noise.
Petra Jankovičová, CEO, Triad Prague; President, Association of Communication Agencies; Member of the Advisory Board of #Holky z marketingu
She is the co-founder and co-owner of the Prague agency Triad, which she has led since its foundation. In 2022, she left the agency to join the management of Madmonq’s marketing team but returned the following year. She has served as President of the Association of Communication Agencies for the past three years, having previously sat on its praesidium. This year, she became a member of the Advisory Board of #Holky z marketingu.
Source: mediaguru.cz