Marko Djukic on Brand Leadership, Emotional Impact, and the Real Role of AI

As Global Director of Brand Marketing for Accor’s premium brands, Marko Djukic lives and breathes brand activation—not as a campaign function, but as a way to create emotional experiences people remember.

In this conversation, Marko reflects on the role of branding, how he defines success, and why real leadership means focusing less on volume and more on meaning. From team priorities to AI, here’s his take on what matters most.

What excites you most about your role?

It’s how you connect the dots and literally have that impact on the guest. That’s what makes me curious about branding—it’s that brand equity. Today, with activation, that’s what I’m doing. And I have tangible projects that bring the brand to life.

You really have the opportunity to leave an impact on your audience. It’s a white page where you can start drawing exciting initiatives that always serve the bottom line—but in a more creative and emotional way. When you’re not purely linked to commercial activations, you can think out of the box. That’s what makes the role so exciting.

What does good brand leadership look like?

Think long term. It’s not about producing more or cutting costs—it’s about being relevant five, ten, fifteen years from now. Whether you’re in a big company or an agency, you need to serve the brand first. That’s the mindset.

You need to align everyone around what the brand stands for, and keep that as a target. Then evaluate everything you do: will it actually serve the brand? Because it’s so easy to get drawn by thousands of initiatives. There’s always pressure to innovate, to update, to react. But leadership means stepping back and making sure what you’re doing adds value.

What trends should brand leaders be paying attention to?

One would be authenticity and purpose in general. Whatever comes to life from the brand should be authentic and not forced. You’re not supposed to please. You’re supposed to have a point of view and be bold. That’s how you’re going to be more impactful and authentic.

The second trend is everything related to sustainability. You shouldn’t just act once a year or have a fully isolated campaign. You need to bleed your sustainability efforts into everything you do. Even if it’s just five percent of what’s possible, start there—but fully own it, be transparent, and keep building on it.

What makes a campaign truly successful?

Let’s say it’s an event and you get UGC—not just passive UGC like “what a beautiful hotel” or “nice event”—but something with depth. That’s already a great success. It shows the campaign created emotional impact. That first reaction can snowball and build brand love.

How should brands approach AI and content creation?

AI is already integrated at different levels—it helps us create faster and produce more content. But if every brand can create more, what really plays a key role is authenticity. It’s not about creating more—it’s about creating better.

Sometimes it’s worth slowing down, understanding your audience, and starting small. If you go too fast in the wrong direction, the impact on your brand equity can be really big.