At a time when everyone is talking about how AI will put marketing out of business, and secret formulas for success are shared on every corner, NIVO arrives with a different message: advertising still begins and ends with understanding the business, the customers and quality execution.

Behind this new Split-based agency — specialised in paid advertising, analytics and strategic consulting – stands Šime Živković, who spent nine years of his career at one of the largest digital agencies in the region before deciding to go his own way.

We are glad he found his place in the Split Tech City community.

In short — what do you do and how did it all start?

NIVO is an agency specialised in paid advertising, analytics and strategic consulting. We focus on building digital systems and campaigns that connect real business goals with measurable marketing results.

My journey in digital marketing began nine years ago, working at one of the largest digital agencies in the region. There I went through it all — from my first campaigns to leading major projects and teams. Entrepreneurship always appealed to me, so once I felt I had enough experience and enough projects behind me, I decided to give it a go on my own.

How would you describe the entrepreneurial climate in Split and the surrounding area?

My impression is that the entrepreneurial climate in Split has become much more serious in recent years. There are more and more people starting their own stories, especially in tech, tourism, SaaS and specialised services. You can feel a certain momentum.

People no longer see Zagreb as the only place where serious projects can be built.

Which projects and collaborations are you most proud of so far?

Since NIVO has only just started, most of the experience comes from previous years of working on large domestic and regional projects within the agency world. Throughout my career I led and supervised a large number of projects across different industries — from large eCommerce systems and lead generation projects to tourism brands, SaaS companies and businesses managing serious performance budgets.

Some of those projects were awarded and recognised by the marketing community itself, which is always a nice confirmation of the quality of your work. I am especially happy with projects where marketing was not just a “campaign” but part of a broader business strategy — from setting up measurement and attribution to scaling sales and optimising profitability.

Which technologies and tools do you use in your work?

When it comes to advertising, we cover a full-funnel approach across platforms such as Google Ads, Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Ads, TikTok Ads, Reddit Ads and Microsoft Advertising. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach — every client has a different business model, market and set of challenges, which is why for each of them we try to find the optimal combination of channels, messaging and budget that delivers the best results.

We place great importance on analytics and measuring results. This is especially important today due to increasingly strict privacy regulations — tracking is not something you “set once and forget”, but a continuous process of adjustment so that the data stays as high-quality and reliable as possible. Properly set up analytics is, to a degree, a precondition for collaboration, so with every client we start precisely by setting up correct measurement.

Do you work from an office or remotely?

At the moment I work from a coworking space in Split’s Technology Park, until I find the office that suits me best. Coworking works perfectly for me for now — I’m surrounded by people from the tech and digital scene, which is great both for focus and for making new connections.

How big is the team and do you plan to expand?

NIVO is currently set up as a solo-senior agency, backed by a network of trusted partners for design, development and copywriting, depending on the needs of the project. I’m not chasing scale or a large number of clients. The goal isn’t to grow the team quickly at any cost, but to grow organically — with quality clients and projects where we can deliver real value.

AI plays a big role in this today, helping to speed up the operational side of the work, increase the quality of output and leave more room for what matters most: strategy. Instead of increasing headcount at any cost, the long-term goal is to use technology smarter in order to maintain a high level of quality and agility.

Why did you decide to join the Split Tech City community?

I’ve been following Split Tech City practically from my own beginnings. They were here as a community before me and have a big impact on the Split IT scene because they genuinely connect people from entrepreneurship, technology and digital. As a new player on the market, I want to be part of the community, meet people, raise my visibility, share experiences and learn from others.

But beyond networking, my wish is to give something concrete back to the whole story over time — whether through talks, workshops or educational sessions, however I can. 🙂

Is there anything else you’d like to highlight?

At a time when everyone is talking about AI leaving marketing out of work and about secret formulas for success, it might be worth remembering that marketing and advertising still begin and end with understanding the business, the customers and quality execution.

Understanding business logic, the market and customer psychology is still what makes the real difference between a campaign that spends a budget and one that creates value.