February 24th 2024 - In the latest episode of N1 television's program "Novi dan," Stjepan Orešković, the majority owner of Mplus, and Iva Hraste Sočo, Director of the Croatian National Theater (HNK) in Zagreb, shared their thoughts on the successful collaboration between Mplus and HNK. Following a year of joint efforts towards digital transformation, HNK achieved impressive milestones: a membership of 5,500 subscribers, subscription growth of 57%, theater occupancy consistently exceeding 90%, and a remarkable surplus of two million euros.
Photo/screenshot: N1
During the live broadcast, Stjepan offered several insights, delving into the relationship between Croatia's central cultural institution and Mplus.
Host Sandra Križanac probed Stjepan on Mplus's strategic foray into cultural investments – with Mplus being HNK’s main sponsor for the second year running – and the nuanced challenges of modernizing an institution deeply entrenched in tradition.
"I firmly believe that alongside education and science, culture stands as one of the most vital resources in society. Given the significant national importance of HNK, we hold a deep respect for the cultural sector. It's important to provide support to all key independent professional institutions in Croatia to foster progress in society. In Zagreb, we recognize a vibrant community of people who yearn for cultural enrichment, and our aim is to unite them under a shared appreciation for the arts.
"The outcomes of our collaboration last year were truly remarkable: a packed theater, an uptick in subscription revenue, and an overall favorable financial outcome. These achievements underscore the potential of leveraging modern technologies to serve the greater good of the community. I see this as just the beginning of a transformative journey. Regrettably, culture, as an economic sector, remains vastly underrated in Croatia despite its status as one of the fastest-growing segments of the European economy. Croatia aspires to be more than merely a budget-friendly tourist destination; recognizing that 40% of European travel motivations stem from cultural pursuits elsewhere, we realize the immense untapped potential here," Stjepan said.
Championing digital transformation
Highlighting Mplus's role in enhancing HNK's engagement with its audience, Stjepan accentuated the company's track record in spearheading digital transformations across diverse industries, catalyzing operational efficiency and revenue augmentation.
Throughout the collaboration with HNK, Mplus's substantial financial support and pioneering efforts in digitalizing HNK's subscriber database emerged as important milestones, streamlining operations and facilitating personalized communication with subscribers. This strategic initiative yielded a remarkable 57.34% surge in HNK’s subscription revenue last year.
Photo/screenshot: N1
"We are dedicated to ensuring that our artistic program at the Croatian National Theater (HNK) consistently achieves the highest standards. Through the support of Mplus, we integrated modern technology and broadened our reach and engagement with a wider audience.
"By leveraging the digital solutions provided by Mplus, including webchat and ongoing user collaboration, along with enhancements to user experience (UX), we achieved remarkable milestones last year. This included a record-breaking number of subscribers, utilization of over 90% of our viewership capacity, and impressive financial results, with a positive result of over 2 million euros. It is evident that our partnership with Mplus is yielding positive outcomes," Iva Hraste Sočo said.
This success story serves as a testament to the shared values underpinning HNK and Mplus's partnership.
Mplus remains committed to leveraging its knowledge and resources to empower community organizations across Croatia and other markets in which we operate.
To access the full interview in Croatian published on the N1 site, consult the following link.
