ALMA MEANS “SOUL”

1. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED

I have worked in Alma Quattro for almost thirteen years, more exactly since the moment Alma merged with International Metropolis Media. Such situations are usually tense and stressful, but this wasn’t like that.

In a short period we all fit in and became one collective, one “Alma“.

In Alma I had worked in the sales department before I was appointed as the communications manager (PR manager) one and a half years ago. The sale is inherently dynamic and challenging, and good communication is the key to success.

Everything is connected: good communication creates good interpersonal relationships, which contribute to better work and good performance.

Before I came to “Alma Quattro“ I had worked in companies such as “Metal coop“, “Farman“, “Furnifloor“, “Nitea“. Working as a secretary and in sales departments was an opportunity to meet people from various business fields.

Our starting position is not important; it is important what we have learnt from our experience.

I have continued cooperating with some of them later through my work in “Metropolis“ and later in “Alma“.

It is such a wonderful feeling to know people and continue working with them for years, regardless of our branches of business. Over the years I have established excellent business cooperation with many associates, and I must say that some of them have become my best friends. And we are all mutually connected. We know one another, we collaborate, socialise, help one another - all that owing to good communication.

Well, it’s a small world and life is unpredictable – Gordana Jovanović (our chief administrative officer) and I were classmates in secondary school!

AQ New Year’s Eve party, December 2018. Gordana Jovanović and Nataša Vuković.

2. COMMUNICATION IN "AQ"

Alma Quattro is the biggest OOH provider in the territory of Serbia and it is part of APG SGA Group from Switzerland. Our business environment is dynamic and, therefore, we constantly upgrade our business operations.

Despite the big growth of the digital sector in the past few years, outdoor advertising is still exceptionally popular.

The reason for that is that the society we live in becomes more and more mobile, and our media cannot be unnoticed, whether you drive a car, wait for a bus, or simply stroll around the city.

And it’s been like that for 25 years...

Photograph by Alex Dmitrović (the campaign for Alma Quattro’s 25th anniversary)

In “Alma” I have learnt about importance of flexibility and good understanding of our environment. NLP education was especially helpful to me, and we all underwent NLP training as the business collective. It was an excellent way to get to know my colleagues better and realise how different and unique we are, but still, when needed, we function as one entity.

And when there is a problem due to unforeseen circumstances (cut electrical cables or relocation of media due to street reconstruction just before the innovate installation), it is solved as quickly as possible and the best solutions are found so that our clients could have their campaigns as they have planned and wanted.

As the communications manager I deal with internal and external communications, contents publishing on the company’s website, social networks, portals, and magazines.

Since AQ is a socially responsible company, I am also in charge of non-profit campaigns. Depending on available capacity on the network, we support various non-profit groups and institutions as well as charity and humanitarian concerts, festivals, education conferences, exhibitions, student projects, and athletic associations and games.

Charity has always been part of our tradition and this way we also support and promote social values.

3. THE MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES HAVE WORKED IN AQ FOR YEARS

Working together and socializing have led to making wonderful friends, choosing the best man and the maid of honour among colleagues, and one marriage.

The colleagues for whom we threw military farewell parties came back to Alma after their military service was over. We celebrated marriages of our colleagues, rejoiced at the birth of babies (we are expecting some new babies), and threw retirement parties for three colleagues.

We celebrate birthdays and go out together, we support one another in accomplishing ideas and projects. Our New Year’s Eve parties have become traditional gatherings of our employees and clients. We especially remember our 2010 New Year’s Eve costume party (masquerade) as well as the team building in Ivanjica.

AQ New Year’s Eve costume party, December 2010

4. A LIFELONG LEARNER IN THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE

As a little girl I wanted to be an archaeologist, so that I could travel and explore unknown cities and lands.

However, I finished economics, i.e. I transferred from the Faculty of Economics to the Belgrade Business School. Subsequently I finished one year at the former FABUS (Management for Financial Services) within EDUCONS University.

I can say for myself that I am a lifelong learner. I like learning new stuff and acquiring knowledge about things I am interested in. For instance, the Italian language is one of them. It’s interesting that I cooperated with some Italian firms for years without knowing the Italian language. I started learning it only when I entered the world of marketing.

For some time I went to dance classes, I adore dancing, and I am planning to continue with it soon.

5. TRAVEL FEEDS MY SOUL

Travelling is nourishment for my soul, in the true sense of the word. It drives, motivates, and inspires me.

Travels change, teach, uplift and refine. Something new and unknown opens up for us. You start looking at the world around you with different eyes and become more tolerant to other people.

While travelling you meet people of different age, education, interests. I returned from every trip with new friends, with whom I have kept in touch for years.

It is a fantastic feeling to connect with people in an unknown city or in wilderness and later to organise a trip with them and take off to new adventures together. These experiences and time together are really unforgettable.

The Temple of the Tooth, a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka, March 2019.

And, it’s a small world or perhaps Alma is big: on a tour in Portugal I accidentally met my colleague Neša, for whom we had thrown a retirement party just before the trip.

6. DESIRE KNOWS NO SUCH WORD AS IMPOSSIBLE

As a result of my great desire to travel and search, I started keeping a diary in order to write my impressions and adventures.

I realised that it was not enough and decided to start my own travel blog.

My idea about having a travel blog was also inspired by writing occasionally for two Italian online portals about some destinations and events in Belgrade. And that’s the example how learning Italian found its practical application.

I was thinking about it for a long time - how to do it, who will find it interesting, and then a year ago I set my mind to starting my own blog “Natania travel“.

The blog requires serious work and commitment, although it doesn’t seem like that at first sight. Bloggers know it well – it’s not easy to be a good copywriter or a writer.

And, of course, you need certain knowledge and skills from the field of digital marketing, so you constantly have to learn more, and the help of your friends is also precious.

But, when you do what you love, it’s not difficult to spend days and nights searching for historical and geographical information about the destinations you have visited, editing your photos, and writing about your experiences and adventures. I work on the blog at a slow pace, because I want it to be interesting and appealing and I want to offer enough different information about the places and events.

Zanzibar, June 2018

And, of course, I would like to travel the whole world.

I have the list of my favourite destinations, the list is long, because our planet is a phenomenal place!

7. WE ARE "ALMA"

I can say that all the employees in “Alma Quattro“ do their best. The work is done regardless of circumstances and unforeseen situations.

We have grown into a company in which mutual respect and understanding prevail. That’s where our strength and power are.

In some foreign languages “Alma“ means “soul“. As employees we are the “soul“ of AQ, which tries to make our environment better and more beautiful.

Photography by Alex Dmitrović (Alma Quattro’s 25th anniversary)