Case Study: Zadruga to help agricultural producers in Serbia

The Brief

ZaDruga is the brand of the social enterprise Agro Iris – a firm designed to help small and medium-sized agricultural producers from rural areas across Serbia. Smart Vision, GlobalCom’s PR Agency based in Serbia, was tasked with fostering the perception that Agro Iris’ products are healthy snacks because, unlike most other products, they did not contain added sugar, fructose or perfluorochemicals.

The Creative Approach

Smart Vision initially created a brand concept that built upon the historical origins of ZaDrugas. In Serbia’s past, agricultural households were joined together in associations called Zadrugas. The word Zadruga means “for a friend.” The new brand concept thus fostered a communal spirit. Armed with this brand conceptualisation, and despite having no advertising budget, Smart Vision persuaded online and local papers to grant them advertising free of charge. Media outlets were interested in the topic and the brand itself, largely because of ZaDruga’s emphasis on community.

The Results

• ZaDruga products entered 2 main retail chains in Serbia and over 50 smaller healthy food stores.

About the concept of ZaDruga

A zadruga refers to a type of rural community historically common among South Slavs. The term has been used by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia to designate their attempt at collective farming after World War II. Originally, generally formed of one extended family or a clan of related families, the zadruga held its property, herds and money in common, with usually the oldest (patriarch) member ruling and making decisions for the family, though at times he would delegate this right at an old age to one of his sons.