5 Questions for Martin Špaček

Martin Špaček, Brand Strategy Lead at Marketup, brings extensive experience from both agency and client-side roles. Today, he ensures that our work isn't just creative, but above all effective—helping major brands bridge creativity with measurable business ROI. We are extremely proud that he will be leveraging his expertise this year on the jury panel for the prestigious Effie Awards. In this interview, he reveals how to build strong brand strategies and shares the current trends he is following.

1. We are incredibly proud to have you on the jury for this year's Effie Awards. What does a truly effective campaign mean to you, and what will be your main focus when evaluating the entries?

An effective campaign is one that the client's finance department notices. In a slightly less ideal scenario, it “merely” exceeds well-defined expectations. It delivers the right message, in the right way, through the right channels—ultimately capturing the audience's attention and influencing them. The Effie Awards represent the gold standard here, evaluating campaign effectiveness. But that's easier said than proven. That’s exactly what I’ll be focusing on: how the submitted campaigns demonstrate their incremental impact within a relevant context.

2. You have a long-standing focus on delivering high ROI. How do you build a brand strategy so that it doesn’t just live on paper, but actually drives the business forward?

Measurement is fundamental. We need to know exactly where we want to grow right from the start. We must target this in our communication, measure the growth, and ensure it translates into higher-level business goals, like revenue and other relevant metrics. I also consider MMM (Marketing Mix Modeling) increasingly important. It reveals exactly what impact was driven by communication, and what was simply the result of pricing, competitor behavior, or distribution. Communication is crucial, but it's not the only deciding factor. Context is everything.

3. Which current trends in branding and communication excite you the most right now, and which do you believe have real potential rather than just being short-term hype?

Creators and influencers. Everyone is pushing hard into this space, but very few know how to properly measure them and extract maximum value for the brand. Budgets are increasingly shifting in their direction, and social media audiences are highly aware of it. You can't just do it haphazardly anymore—paying a creator, flashing a logo at the 15-second mark, and wondering why there’s no impact. It needs to be an evidence-based approach, just like with any other channel. Fortunately, there is more and more data available to help us do exactly that.

4. What do you think is key for an agency to evolve from a mere supplier into a true strategic partner for a client?

Openness and transparency. From both sides. Sharing what our goals are, what resources we have at our disposal, and what our limitations are. Being honest about where we make money and where we lose it. Knowing where we have data, and where we don't—and either accepting that gap or finding a way to fill it. Once we have all that, we are fully equipped to design the most effective path to achieving our goals. Oh, and it should be fun, too; you have to be able to share a laugh.

5. How do you prefer to switch off and recharge your batteries after a demanding day?

The exact opposite of advertising and social media stimulation. Even though I’m strongly drawn to it—like almost everyone else—I need the complete opposite to recharge. That means consciously putting my phone away, avoiding sensory overload, spending quality time with my family, and not staying up too late. 🙂