Algorithms increasingly decide what we see. AI is entering the advertising space. Audience trust is becoming more fragile by the day. Through its first local panels, DK2026 opens a conversation about how influence is built today, who controls visibility, and where the boundaries lie between communication, perception and reality.
Attention is harder to capture, trust easier to lose and technology continues to reshape the rules. In this environment, the communications industry is facing questions without simple answers: who controls visibility today, what does the audience actually reward and where is the line between influence, truth and manipulation? These are exactly the issues explored in the first announced local program segments at the DK Festival, taking place from 7 to 10 May in Rovinj.
SPONSORED INTELLIGENCE: THE NEXT AD CHANNEL?
Following the announcement that ChatGPT will introduce advertising, the idea of ads within AI platforms is no longer hypothetical — it’s becoming a real scenario that could redefine how visibility is built. When the user experience becomes part of a conversation, the logic of advertising changes, along with rules that once felt stable.
What will targeting, attribution and control look like in such a system? Who gets visibility when answers are no longer the result of traditional search, and platforms themselves mediate information? These are the questions explored in Sponsored Intelligence: The Next Ad Channel?, featuring Fran Mubrin (Creative Director, 404, Partner, MYTY, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia), Ivana Kulenović (Head of Growth, Pro media group, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia) and Zorin Radovančević (Head of Analytics, Escape, Member of IAB Croatia), moderated by Božidar Abramović (CEO, Omnicom Media Group, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia).
THE PR & COMMS DILEMMA: TRUTH OR LIE?
The line between fact and manipulation has never been thinner. The communications industry increasingly operates in a space where truth is no longer the only measure of success. Disinformation, “alternative facts” and AI-generated content further blur the relationship between what is real and what is perceived as real — while audiences struggle to tell the difference.
In that context, questions of responsibility — and adaptation — become unavoidable. If audiences reward those who shape perception most effectively, what happens to authenticity? Is there still a clear boundary of professional ethics? These uncomfortable but necessary questions are at the center of The PR & Comms Dilemma: Truth or Lie?, moderated by Majda Žujo (Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, Director, Podravka), with Damir Ciglar (Board & Creative Advisor, Imago Ogilvy, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia), Velibor Panić (Executive Director, Narativ komunikacije, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia) and Violeta Colić (CEO, Komunikacijski ured Colić, Laco i partneri, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia).
DID VIDEO REALLY KILL THE RADIO STAR? BY RADIO GRUPA & RADIO ISTRA
Radio rarely demands attention — but it remains present in everyday routines, habits and spaces where other media struggle to exist. That quiet presence is exactly what makes it one of the few channels that still holds high levels of trust and consistent attention.
In a digital environment dominated by short-form visuals, the question becomes: how does radio remain relevant? This panel, moderated by Damir Jurjević (Radio Istra), with Boris Jokić (Institute for Social Research in Zagreb) and Korado Korlević (Educator, Astronomer, Višnjan Observatory), explores radio’s adaptation to new audience habits, its role in local communities and the reasons why audio continues to carry strong cultural and communicative influence.
BIRTHDAY OR STRESS TEST? WHAT BRAND ANNIVERSARIES REVEAL ABOUT BRANDS POWERED BY STUDENAC
On the local market, brand anniversaries are rarely just symbolic moments — they’re tests of relevance. Longevity alone is no longer enough; what matters is how it is interpreted, communicated and used in a constantly shifting market.
These moments raise a key tension: how do brands stay recognisable without appearing outdated? This panel, moderated by Ida Prester (Moderator & TV Journalist), with Tatjana Spajić (Corporate Communications Director, Studenac), Marcela Rukavina (Director of Media Solutions, Native Advertising and miss7 Group), Tamara Karagity (Corporate Communications & Marketing Director, INA, Member of IAB Croatia) and Marko Janković (Director, Jedinica), explores how brands use anniversaries to strengthen positioning, drive communication and prove both resilience and readiness to evolve.
WHAT CROATIA’S BIGGEST PODCASTERS KNOW THAT YOU DON’T
The Croatian podcast scene has moved far beyond experimentation, becoming a format capable of building loyal audiences without relying on algorithms. Still, the gap between projects that last and those that fade after a few episodes remains significant.
What makes the difference? What Croatia’s Biggest Podcasters Know That You Don’t is moderated by Krešimir Macan (Newsfluencer & Podcaster, Špica s Macanom, Manjgura, Member of HURA & IAB Croatia), with Vinko Mihaljević (Founder of LOOD MEDIA, Podcast Production, Member of IAB Croatia), Roko Kalafatić (Head of Video Content, Lider, Member of IAB Croatia), Ratko Martinović (Podcaster, Podcast Inkubator) and Mia Biberović (Editor in Chief, Netokracija/ShiftMag), opens up the decisions audiences don’t see — from editorial direction and production to distribution and monetisation. It also addresses partner expectations, growth strategies and the choices that determine whether a podcast remains a hobby or becomes a relevant media platform.
Through these panels, DK2026 opens space for conversations around the forces shaping the industry. The focus is not on isolated trends, but on broader shifts that redefine how we communicate, build relationships with audiences and make decisions.
The DK Festival takes place from 7 to 10 May in Rovinj, bringing together international speakers, a diverse program and local perspectives that reflect the realities of the market.
