Recently there was an interview with you in the columns of Kreatív, however some questions still remain unanswered.
What is it that you are most proud of in your career?
Perhaps that I managed to turn an online division almost destined for closure into a company with a 25 million EUR turnover. (It was the CVO Group CV-online division, the existence of which was questionable both in Hungary and in the Central-European region in 2005. Gábor as the regional marketing and later as the executive manager of the division made CV-online a success.)
I am also very proud that we succeeded in developing the strategy of selling Whizz Air tickets in TESCO in a very short time; including marketing and the introduction, the launch of the service in TESCO stores took only a month.
You also played a role in the foundation of OMD Digital and have now returned as the director of the digital division of the company group. What do you see as the biggest change?
Ten years ago the internet was considered as a complementary medium. Today it is an essential must have part of media plans, for several of our clients it is even amongst the three most significant mediums.
What do you expect to be the most exciting challenge in your new position?
In the short-term, successful digital integration within the group. I think that now online and offline planning are inseparable as regards to strategic thinking. This also means that more of the resources are allocated to digital by the agency, as it is not only digital colleagues who design the digital campaigns.
DIGITAL media is very diverse, what is your favourite field?
In short, the internet beyond the computer. What I mean by this is that through the appearance of the iPhone, iPad and other similar devices the internet now can break free from the captivity of computers. It is now practically accessible anywhere and anytime, which will also have an impact on its use. I consider mobile and internet based television to be very exciting areas.
Staying in the grounds of reality, the really exciting and growing area is search. SEM plays an increasingly defined role, however on the client side there is more room for improvement in this field. I consider the agency’s role to be of great significance here.
How much have you been sucked in to the world of digital gadgets? I would think that given your profession, you are minimum an iPhone user, read on an iPad and only use online sources for your daily news update.
That one is obvious, I do use an iPhone. I do not own an iPad yet, but I like gadgets that make my life more comfortable. As regards gadgets, my life looks something like this: an on-demand based TV with a PS3, PSP, WII and a media server underneath, providing both music and images to watch. (I think all households should have their own media server, where films, music and images can be stored)
Which digital invention do you think will have the greatest impact in 2011 in Hungary?
At present it seems that the iPhone will bring the greatest break through. I feel that as far as opportunities go, the iPhone has great potential. It is enough to watch the video by WIRED. (http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1813626064?bctid=66775419001)
Personally I would like 2011 in Hungary to be the year for digital television.
