HRNataša Pavlović Bujas takes over presidency of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in Belgrade
This Friday, Nataša Pavlović Bujas, the owner of the PR agency Blumen Group and a distinguished regional PR expert, took over the role of president of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in Belgrade, marking the official start of her one-year term at one of the world’s largest public relations associations.
The PR expert from Belgrade, who has over 25 years of experience in strategic communications, brand development, and market positioning, was elected by the IPRA Board of Directors as the new president in December 2023. She is a recipient of national and international awards, including the GWA Grand PRix. For the past ten years, Nataša has been working as a business coach conducting guest courses and lectures in Europe and the USA.
“It is a great honor for me to serve as the President of IPRA in 2024, and I hope that my year will inspire all our members to become active contributors to our global team. My key goal is to strengthen the ability of our profession to practice reliable and ethical public relations in the age of artificial intelligence,” Pavlović Bujas emphasized.
The inauguration was also attended by Krešimir Macan, director of Manjgura, who highlighted that the appointment of Nataša Pavlović Bujas is a significant recognition for the profession in the region, as it is the first time we have a president of IPRA from this region. It is a clear indicator of how public relations as a profession is advancing in the region and being recognized internationally through numerous awards, including those from IPRA.
“I wish Nataša a constructive and effective mandate, and I believe she will exceed all expectations and bring innovations that will elevate the global public relations profession to an even higher level with her ideas and knowledge. I am sure that colleagues from the region will also be involved in her upcoming IPRA projects and events,” Macan said.
General Manager of Manjgura Krešimir Macan, president of IPRA Nataša Pavlović Bujas, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia Marko Čadež, former president of IPRA Svetlana Stavreva, treasurer of IPRA Nigel Chism, member of the president board of IPRA Faisal Zahrani
Founded in 1955, IPRA is the leading global network of PR professionals. IPRA’s goal is to advance reliable communication and ethical public relations practices through networking, a code of conduct, and intellectual leadership in the profession.
You can view the photos from the inauguration on this link.
IPRA is the organizator behind the annual global competition for public relations, the Golden World Awards for Excellence (GWA).
Manjgura’s projects were finalists in the 2021 IPRA Golden World Awards; the project “Rakoborci – Croatia Against Cancer” aimed at urgently adopting a national cancer strategy, and the project “Total Croatia Travel INFO,” which provided Viber users with information on current measures and ways to enter Croatia.
Here’s a review of how prestigious GWA awards were won by Croatian public relations agencies in previous years.
2023
- Abeceda komunikacije
- The project “Kaufland school of fruits and vegetables” raised awareness about the dietary habits of elementary school children. The project “Euro – Our Money” won with an informative campaign about the transition from the kuna to the euro currency.
- A1 Hrvatska
- The project “Internet Safety” and “GigaBEEtno,” which opened a bee hotel as part of a campaign highlighting the importance of bee communities for the ecosystem.
2022
- Abeceda komunikacije
- The project “Let’s create the image of Croatia together” designed a campaign for the first digital census of population, households, and apartments in the Croatia.
- CTA komunikacije d.o.o.
- The campaign “Golden ribbon – 7 marathons in 7 days” involved running a 295-kilometer route over seven days where interested donors could ‘purchase kilometers’ on the route. Funds were donated to the pediatric oncology department of KBC Split. The project “1100 kilometers for 1100 therapies” won an award for raising funds for therapies for children with developmental delays through hiking along the Via Adriatica route.
- Hrvatski telekom
2021
- Abeceda komunikacije
- The campaign “When you drive safely, you arrive safely” – the success of this campaign can also be measured by concrete and significant results – traffic accidents with overall casualties decreased by 31%, of which fatal accidents decreased by 50% and those with injuries by 30.2% (Source: huoj.hr).
- A1 Hrvatska
- Vajt d.o.o.
- “Introducing a visa for digital nomads,” a campaign that changed legal regulations and enabled extended and regulated stays for digital nomads in Croatia.
2020
- Apriori World
- “Soaps with dots” project conducted in cooperation with the The Zagreb Association for the Blind, aligned with the UN’s sustainable development goals to reduce inequality.
- Media Val d.o.o.
- “#SPASIME fund,” which addressed the issue of domestic violence, with the campaign securing funds to help the victims of violence.
- CTA Komunikacije
- The project “Something really important” enabled free ferry transport for children with developmental delays from all Croatian islands to necessary therapies on the mainland. “Fighting for one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, we changed the law and corrected a great injustice they had endured for years. We also demonstrated how public relations can be directed towards achieving noble goals and improving the lives of people in need in our community” – Gordan Turković, Executive Director of CTA Communications.
2019
- Vajt d.o.o.
- The campaign “Would you trade places?” aimed to raise awareness among drivers about the importance of respecting designated parking spaces for people with disabilities by installing personalized traffic signs.
2015
- Ana Gojanović Rakić, as the Head of the Mayor’s Office of the City of Šibenik
- “Walking course” enabled easier identification and resolution of communal problems in collaboration with citizens through direct communication.
