Sitting in a lecture for the MSc Management, Miloš Nešović remembers very clearly the moment that his business worldview changed.

“Even though it’s 12 years since I took the course, I still remember the Marketing Strategy module, led by Professor Caroline Wiertz. She gave us a whole new perspective on what marketing is. At least once a week I quote a line I learnt from her, which is ‘perception is reality’.”

“For me, that line really explains everything about marketing and the empathy that you need to have for customers. It’s what people think about a product or service which matters, not what it actually is. Everything else comes from that. I’m now working with engineers who are very much focused on how things are. I use Caroline’s line to help them understand that how people actually perceive things is what is more relevant in the real world.”

Today Miloš is Chief Marketing Officer for Videobolt. Founded in 2017 in Belgrade, Serbia, Videobolt is a web platform that enables anyone to produce high-quality motion graphics and animated videos – even those with little or no animation skills. It offers around 10,000 templates that can easily be customised inside a web browser to produce high-quality videos for social media, product campaigns and even TV broadcast.

We are just 17 people but we have incredible global reach. Videobolt has 2.5 million customers and they are located in almost every country of the world. Our users produce around 3,000 videos every day.

The search for the right postgraduate degree

A graduate in Film and TV Production, Miloš also spent a year studying Media and Communications at the American University, in Washington DC. He was working for the British Council in Serbia, before taking a career break to study in London.

“I was in charge of communications for the British Council’s work in Serbia and I was able to apply the knowledge I had from my previous studies. But I realised I was missing the quantitative and analytical skills I needed to break down a problem and calculate the answer, rather than just imagine a creative solution.”

“That time working after my undergraduate degree allowed me to realise what skills and knowledge I was missing and what my weaknesses were. After years in the workplace, I had a list of things I needed to work on, and Bayes helped me address those.”

“I chose the Bayes MSc Management course because it offered a combination of management and business with a specialisation in marketing, which was something I wanted to do.”

“It was 2012 when I enrolled in the programme and there was a lot of hype around digital marketing back then. Most of the marketing courses I saw focused on the tactical level, giving you the tools to set up a campaign, for example. What I really appreciated at Bayes was that it was more strategic, teaching you how to analyse and change the way you think. It gave you the ability to deploy the tools in any environment, scenario, or channel.”

The Bayes difference is teaching you how to think differently about solving problems.

Bayes’ location was also a big draw for Miloš.

Joining a global start-up

After graduating in 2013, Miloš returned to Belgrade and progressed at the British Council, to become Head of Marketing and Communications for the Western Balkans. He then worked for a non-profit organisation called Digital Serbia Initiative, serving as Marketing and Communications Director for three years, supporting the country’s digital transformation.

“In that role, I was working with a lot of digital start-ups, and I came to understand them better. I realised that I wanted to work on a global scale, but without leaving Belgrade. That led me to join Videobolt as Chief Marketing Officer.”

“It was a difficult decision because the start-up world is fragile. But with my knowledge from Bayes, I understand how to analyse the health of a business and the potential it has. I made a good decision.”

“As Chief Marketing Officer I lead a small but very talented team of marketing experts. My responsibilities include acquiring and retaining customers and extending their relationship with Videobolt.”

Videobolt’s vast user base is drawn from across multiple industries.

“We haven’t targeted one specific sector, because we know that video is everywhere now. We target our customers based on their needs. We recognised the need to have high quality video or animation without employing someone in-house or having the budget to pay for expensive professional services.”

That was something that was well understood at Bayes – you need to think beyond demographics or specific industries.

“Some industries have surfaced which surprised us – education for example. That is among the top three sectors where our users come from. It led us to establish the ‘Videobolt for Education’ programme, and Bayes will be the first to pilot it.”

Collaborating with his alma mater

As a result of the link-up between Bayes and Videobolt, Bayes students and staff will have full, free access to the Videobolt platform, giving them the ability to create high-quality video productions.

“Business school students are required to do a lot of presentations. PowerPoint is fine, but it is a little like living in the past. Video is something that more students are using to explain their ideas and Videobolt templates allow them to do this, without needing skills in editing and graphic design.”

“Academics can create course learning materials, and faculty staff will be able to promote Bayes to prospective students at education fairs and via social media. Our platform enables a high level of customisation, so you can adjust the template to fit your brand perfectly.”

Applying learning to real-world contexts

Miloš recalls how his time at Bayes has shaped the way he approaches business today.

“The module on Customer Relationship Management, taught by Dr Sionade Robinson, was a highlight. The biggest lesson I took away was that not all customers are the same, and they are not necessarily always right. You need to figure out who is the customer you need to pay more attention to. That module also taught me a lot about reputation and its importance for building a business.”

“Another module that I really remember fondly was Strategic Analysis, which was led by Professor Sam Kamuriwo. Sam’s course gave me a way to understand any business and how to analyse it – what I learnt on that course helped when I was deciding whether to join Videobolt, and also in making daily decisions, through understanding competition, for example.”

“All the modules were useful, even if I didn’t necessarily appreciate it at the time. For example, I now see how the Accounting module helps me make better decisions as a Chief Marketing Officer today. Even though I don’t work with balance sheets, it gave me the logic and ability to break a problem into smaller chunks and tackle each challenge one by one. I also built resilience, as it was a very intensive course and not easy to complete the year.”

Getting the London experience

London regularly tops global rankings of the best cities for students. Miloš’s time in London backs this up:

“The best thing about London is the diversity of things to do outside of the classroom. I’m not talking just about entertainment, but all the opportunities for professional development. On a weekly basis I would attend talks, guest lectures or conferences which enabled me to grow. I remember being at a small group talk given by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, and being able to ask him questions. Where else can you be in a room of 15 people getting insight from Jimmy Wales, for free?”

The diversity of Bayes students’ backgrounds was another major benefit for Miloš.

“When forming student teams for projects, I was always trying to get as diverse a group as possible. I don’t just mean by ethnicity or nationality, but in terms of their knowledge and education, and approach to problem solving.”

“Working on marketing projects it might be better to go with people who already have a background in the subject, as it would make doing the coursework easier. But working with people who have different backgrounds, say in biology or theology, gives you a very different perspective.”

“For example, an engineer can teach everyone how to break the problem down and tackle it step by step, which is very different to what someone with a social sciences background will do. On the other hand, the social sciences graduate can give you a broad understanding of what the implications of a certain decision might be, because they are thinking more holistically. You need a mix for success.”

If you find a way to build a diverse team, you will succeed in any work environment.

“It’s more reflective of what is happening in the world today, where cross-disciplinary collaboration becomes mandatory. Something I have been able to do at Videobolt, is to work with people who have different approaches to problem-solving and can apply their knowledge in new ways. In marketing we are not building spaceships – the technical skills you can learn in a short time.”

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in Miloš’s work.

“AI is something everyone is talking about, and at Videobolt we are no different. We’ve been using AI for a while now in terms of automation. We can not only improve our efficiency, but also improve the results in terms of content production.”

“A lot of our customers are seeking anything AI-related, and they are trying to play with it. They want to understand how it works and what it can offer.”

“I think that's great because the better people understand what AI is, the less scared of it they will be. Only two or three years ago, people would think of AI and associate it with Robocop, but now they can see it in terms of how it can help them be better at what they do.”

“Aside from the technological advances AI brings, I’m excited about the potential for cross-disciplinary collaboration as well. Blending marketing with fields like psychology to create business value for Videobolt. An interdisciplinary approach is becoming a necessity, and that’s something I started learning at Bayes. Before it was whether you wanted to do it. Now I think you have to do it if you want your business to grow.”