It’s high time for you to get to know Anja Lucić, the Head of Brand and Production at Pluma Studios. Anja is the office optimist, a true team player and our go-to person if we are ever in need of a keen eye. Keep reading to find out more about her interests, behind-the-scenes trade secrets and her journey here at Pluma Studios (and what a journey it’s been).

Anja, let’s start with the basics – you’ve been a part of Pluma Studios for 5 years and you’ve come a long way from your humble beginnings to now, when you’re an irreplaceable member of the team. Tell us a little about how your roles changed within the company.

It will be 6 years this September! But on one hand, it feels like 10. I spent most of my 20s here after all, learned and faced so much. On the other hand, “time flies when you’re having fun”. These were 6 beautiful, fulfilling and dynamic years that just flew by somehow.

I came to Pluma Studios in 2018, still a student, as a Marketing Assistant. I quickly took on greater responsibilities and the scope of my work has only expanded since then. I took over the role of Marketing Manager, and within two years I started participating in the development of new products. For some time I “sat in two chairs” and tried to harmonize the needs of both parties.

As time went on, I think we all discovered my creative and visual side together, which I’m not even sure if I knew I had – or at least I didn’t know how and where to express it. It turned out that it was too early to state the opposite because it is natural that you do not know all your abilities as a 20-something.
That fact pleasantly surprised me and opened up a new world of possibilities.

“As time went on, I discovered my creative and visual side and it opened up a new world of possibilities.”

After a year of being in both marketing and production, I left marketing at the beginning of 2022 and took over the sole management of the production department. Today at Pluma studios I manage a dozen in-house and B2B projects with external clients, I work on the development of new products, from personalized books, coloring books, magazines, calendars, board games, posters, etc.

We never know what project will find us tomorrow and take us out of our comfort zone. My scope of work continues to increase, there are more and more new opportunities and challenges, so I enjoy it and have no desire to change it.

If you had to pick your greater love, would it be marketing or production?

If we’re talking about love, it’s an easy decision. Production definitely gives me more pleasure. This was once the case with marketing, but even now I cannot and do not want to escape from it. Marketing also has sides that I like, that are also necessary for the position of Head of Brand and Production, which I currently hold.

Given the nature of our product and brand in general, I see how experience and knowledge gained from marketing helps me every day and gives me an additional perspective when developing new product concepts, but also in cooperation with clients and project development in general. I would say that I took the most useful things from marketing with me into production, which is extremely useful for the work I do today.

However, compared to marketing as I knew it, I prefer more concrete and extensive creation of production, as well as greater dedication to details and a much wider range of possibilities.

“If we’re talking about my greatest passion, it’s an easy decision. Production definitely gives me more pleasure. But production and marketing are often intertwined.”

What is your favorite project you have worked on and why?

I have to admit that my favorite project is always the one we realized last or the one we are currently working on, so I cannot choose just one. Considering that with each new project we have more knowledge and experience, I am always proudest of the last one, because we applied the best of us at that moment during the development. Not a single project is exactly the same as the previous one, so each one brought me new knowledge, challenges and, ultimately, new experience and opportunities for the future. Maybe one such project is the one I’m finishing right now, but unfortunately I can’t reveal too much about it.

If you could choose, which book would you like to redesign?

I believe that our personalized bestseller “How did I come to the world?”, a story that every fifth child in Croatia has, certainly deserves it. That book has 10 years of experience behind it, people have accepted it from day one and, for that particular product, they actually do most of the marketing for us. Their enthusiasm for the product and passing on that enthusiasm definitely speaks for itself.

The story continues to conquer generations, but we believe that with the redesign of the illustrations, we could raise the book to a higher level and get closer to the younger generations, who already have different standards and expectations. That’s something we’re definitely planning.

“I believe, after 10 years of experience behind it, our bestselling book definitely deserves a redesign. It’s on our to-do list.”

Can you give us a sneak peek of the next projects?

I am especially looking forward to the releases of our two personalized books, which are one of our in-house projects. One of them will see the light of day in the fall, and it is another Christmas title in our collection. On that picture book, we worked with the American illustrator Kyle Beckett again, who already did a brilliant job on our personalized book “Where’s Grandma Gone?”.

The second book is currently in the production process, and it tells the story of the wonder of a child and carries many beautiful and encouraging messages. I won’t reveal the titles of the books, but I can’t wait to see the reactions of the children and their parents!

What part of the job do you like the most, and which part do you like a bit less?

Honestly, right now every part of the job suits me and each gives me certain satisfaction. Of course, sometimes it depends on the day and how I feel, whether something is a greater effort than usual, or certain situations occur that require crisis communication and problem resolution.

It can certainly be challenging, and to be honest, tiring, but it gives me great pleasure when I successfully resolve such situations.

You and the author Andrijana work closely together, as is to be expected. Alas, there is no book without an author and the production team. Is that collaboration always as seamless as it seems? If not, how do you get on the same page (no pun intended)?

I would say just like as put it – it is seamless most of the time. Over the years, we have established a dynamic of our own. We know very well where which one can contribute the most, but we also respect each other’s opinions and ideas. Nevertheless, Andrijana is a key figure here, given that she is the author of the stories. Every project starts from her, she determines the concept of the story, which is also a guideline for me going forward.

When it comes to the initial concept, I am mostly here to provide support, ready to give opinions and suggestions if needed. The same applies when we switch roles and I take over the production of the picture book and the part with the illustrator (determining the style of the illustrations, the appearance of the characters, scenes, etc.)

“When there is mutual trust and understanding, then even differences of opinion are not a problem.”

What did you want to do when you were little?

I guess like most girls back then, I wanted to be a dancer, singer, actress, and briefly a hairdresser. I cut my own and my friends’ hair, even against their will.

I danced all my childhood, from the age of 3 to 19, but unfortunately I never became a singer. I definitely make up for it in my spare time (my poor neighbors, close ones and walls can attest to that).

What would you be if you weren’t Head of Brand and Production?