Success should be measured beyond vanity metrics - a good campaign leaves a lasting mark on the brand, generating not only noise, but most important, change, believes Dunja Delić.
Dunja Delić is an experienced marketing strategist and the current Marketing Director at Konzum, Croatia’s leading retail chain. She has more than 15 years in the industry and she is mostly known for creating loyalty programs that became cultural phenomena – from Zdravoljupci to the recent Little Big Talents, which earned multiple Effie awards, including a Gold Effie Croatia and a Euro Effie.
"While technology will optimize how we deliver messages, it will never replace the emotional and cultural intelligence behind them. Creativity, human insight, and values will remain the foundation", says Dunja.
Invited to Impact Bucharest, Dunja will talk about the direction marketing is heading and what defines a successful campaign in 2025. In the following lines, she shares more about the defining moments of her career, the industry’s challenges, and the balance between creativity and efficiency.
Your formative years
From an early age, I was curious about how people think, decide, and connect. I’ve always been drawn to that space where creativity meets psychology and where ideas can actually move people. Marketing felt like the perfect intersection of that — a field where you can challenge conventions, ask “what if,” and then watch your ideas come to life in real-time. What pulled me in and still keeps me here is the balance between logic and emotion, between measurable outcomes and the magic of human connection.
Defining moments in your career
One of the most transformative moments was joining Konzum during a period of significant change — both for the company and the retail sector. Retail is fast-paced and unforgiving, and that level of intensity taught me how to think strategically while acting fast. I had to learn quickly how to connect commercial goals with brand integrity, and how to stay calm when every campaign is tested live, by millions of people every day.
Another defining moment was our campaign Zdravoljupci, translated roughly as Health enthusiasts, which encouraged children to develop healthier eating habits through a playful and engaging loyalty program. It showed me the power of marketing that’s not only effective, but meaningful — something that shifts behaviors, not just shopping lists. That same approach guided us in developing Little big talents, our community program supporting schools across Croatia, which changed my perspective on what it means to create real, long-term brand equity.
Serving on the Effie jury, first the Croatian one and then Effie Europe, was also pivotal. Reviewing campaigns from various industries forces you to challenge your assumptions and constantly ask yourself: what does true effectiveness look like today?
Challenges and responsibilities
Leading marketing at Konzum is both a challenge and a privilege. In retail, every decision is instantly visible and measurable. You operate in real time, at scale, and in a business where customers vote with their wallets every day. What makes it rewarding is the impact — you can literally see how a good idea transforms customer behavior and perception within days.
Of course, we face challenges, and of course it is not easy. But what gives our team energy is the knowledge that at the end of the process, someone will directly benefit from our work – whether that is vulnerable groups, children, or the environment, as well as the company. Another great motivation is the results we have already achieved with the many campaigns we implemented. Also, being on stage receiving an award for a job well done is a great satisfaction, and we always celebrate such occasions as a team. Modesty aside, I am very proud there have been many of those and I am very proud of the team I work with.
It also makes big decisions simpler and some of the most powerful decisions have been around building long-term brand platforms rather than chasing short-term noise. Investing in Little big talents was one such decision — it redefined how customers interact with Konzum by shifting the focus from personal gain to collective benefit. We’ve also invested heavily in positioning our private labels as trustworthy, high-quality choices, not just affordable alternatives. Another key decision was to elevate employer branding internally and externally. In today’s world, brands compete just as much for talent as they do for customers, and that required us to rethink how we tell our story from the inside out.
Creative campaigns with impact
At Konzum, we’re especially proud of campaigns that not only perform commercially but also resonate emotionally and culturally. I already mentioned Zdravoljupci, which was our first major success — using fun, collectible toys shaped like fruits and vegetables, we managed to make broccoli and eggplant something children actually wanted. That campaign became a blueprint for future similar initiatives, each tackling a different socially relevant theme, from healthy eating and exercise to environmental care.
Our One Less campaign focused on reducing plastic bag use by encouraging customers to bring their own reusable bags. It led to a significant reduction in plastic waste, but also opened the door for us to launch a new product line — our reusable Nature loves me bags. It was a perfect example of sustainability aligning with commercial opportunity.
And of course, Little big talents is one of our proudest achievements. By allowing customers to donate coupons from their purchases to support schools, we activated deep emotional engagement, boosted brand trust, and saw record-level participation across the country. Today, after two editions of this campaign, more than two-thirds of Croatian schools have been involved, and almost 27,000 pieces of equipment have been donated through the program. I am happy to say that we have just launched Little big talents 3 and are looking forward to see the positive impact.
Critical moments
The most critical moments are often those that test your values, not just your business acumen. For Konzum, the pandemic, earthquakes in Zagreb and Petrinja, and inflation have all been defining. During COVID, we introduced senior-only shopping hours to protect our most vulnerable customers and launched fast-response logistics to reach remote areas in need. In times of economic pressure, we responded with enhanced loyalty offers and affordability-focused messaging, without compromising on brand integrity.
These weren’t just crisis responses — they were expressions of who we are as a brand. The ability to respond quickly, empathetically, and consistently was what helped Konzum not only maintain trust, but deepen it.
How marketing has changed in the past decade
Marketing has undergone a complete paradigm shift. A decade ago, it was centered around mass communication and static campaigns. Today, it’s about dynamic ecosystems — personalization, omnichannel presence, real-time data, and seamless user experiences. Campaigns are no longer isolated bursts of activity; they’re continuous conversations.
Looking ahead, I believe marketing will become more predictive, more embedded, and increasingly invisible. You won’t “see” the marketing, but you’ll feel its presence in every touchpoint. But while technology will optimize how we deliver messages, it will never replace the emotional and cultural intelligence behind them. Creativity, human insight, and values will remain the foundation.
How do you use AI
At Konzum, AI is not just a trend — it’s a central pillar of our innovation strategy. We’ve invested heavily in digitalization and the implementation of advanced technologies such as machine learning and computer vision to optimize internal processes and elevate the customer experience. These tools help us better understand shopping behavior, personalize offers through our MultiPlusCard loyalty program, and ensure smoother daily operations across the board.
We were the first retail chain in Croatia to launch a webshop, and we’ve continued to lead with innovations like Konzum SMART, our fully cashierless store that uses AI and computer vision for automatic billing — a frictionless shopping experience. We’ve introduced AI-powered self-checkout registers, smart scales that recognize produce automatically, and payment options including cryptocurrencies and Keks Pay. Last year, we also made significant strides in applying AI internally to streamline operations, improve inventory management, and support our employees in their day-to-day work.
AI won’t replace marketers, but it will definitely replace certain habits. Marketers who embrace AI will be more efficient, more relevant, and more impactful. Those who don’t adapt risk being left behind.
The road to Gold Effie Award
Winning the Gold Effie was a moment of validation — not just for the marketing team at Konzum, but for the philosophy we’ve championed all along: that long-term brand building and short-term business performance can and should coexist. Mali veliki talenti wasn’t just a campaign — it was a cause. It aligned business outcomes with real social impact, creating value not just for our brand, but for entire communities.
The campaign achieved incredible reach and results, with millions of donation coupons collected and thousands of children benefiting directly. But what mattered just as much was what we saw happening on the ground — teachers, parents, and children feeling a sense of ownership and excitement. The real reward was that emotional connection.
Top marketing trends in Croatia
In Croatia, we’re seeing a strong rise in value-driven marketing, where brands are expected to balance price sensitivity with purpose. At the level of consumer trends, there is a strong pattern of awareness, with emphasis on supporting health, sustainability and giving back, and local products. Companies and consumers share a coexistence and a joint responsibility toward the communities in which they operate. In this sense, socially responsible behavior is expected from companies – a kind of “business empathy” – where a company actively participates in the life of the community and contributes to it. At Konzum, we closely follow these trends and strive to align with consumer needs and expectations, both in our product offering and through special initiatives designed to deliver added value.
Retail media is also expanding rapidly, as advertisers seek new ways to reach consumers within shopping ecosystems. And employer branding has become a strategic focus — with labor shortages and shifting expectations, brands must now market themselves as workplaces, not just businesses.
Globally, the biggest shifts are in AI-driven personalization, the rapid development of retail media networks, and a return to culture-first storytelling. Audiences are no longer satisfied with generic messages. What truly moves people today are brands that understand the context of their lives — culturally, emotionally, and ethically — and communicate with clarity, purpose, and authenticity.
What defines a truly effective campaign
An effective campaign starts with a strong insight — something real, relatable, and rooted in human behavior. That insight must then be translated into a clear strategy and executed through a bold but simple idea. Most importantly, success must be measured beyond vanity metrics. A good campaign delivers tangible business results and leaves a lasting mark on the brand. It doesn’t just generate noise — it generates change.
You’re co-founder of a hiking club with over 100 members
Yes, and I love that they do. Hiking is how I reset, reconnect, and recharge. It’s also where I’ve learned some of my best leadership lessons. Nature teaches you about patience, pacing, and perspective — and that no summit is reached alone. While it’s not a formal company activity, many colleagues join voluntarily, and it’s a beautiful way to build relationships outside the office. It reminds us that we are all people first — not just job titles.
Your expectations from Impact Bucharest
I’m looking forward to honest, challenging conversations — not just about what’s trending, but what’s truly transformative. Events like this are valuable because they gather people who aren’t just talking about the future of marketing, but actively building it. I hope to leave Bucharest with new perspectives, new connections, and a few ideas that will make me rethink my own work at Konzum. Most of all, I’m looking forward to sharing and learning — with openness and ambition.
