It may surprise you, but marketing has tradition in Slovenia. Though there had been little market economy and few companies were market oriented, we always had good marketing experts, in academia and in business. Since early 60's, there had always been at least one marketing agency and market research company, which survived all political climates, and they had served as centers of education. Search for excellence by several marketing oriented individuals had led to great research projects and advertising campaigns in 70's and 80's. Many of those projects could hardly be justified with only economic reasons, and we could call that period "enlightened marketing absolutism".

Parlamanetal democracy and more or less real market economy has been established in Slovenia five years ago. Great changes have brought high expectatitons for consumers, as well for businesses, and private sector started to flourish. Foreign competition has enterered the market through the front door, and major international brands are rapidly gaining their market share. Loss of former Yugoslav markets forced Slovenian managers to test their products and services against strong competition on Western markets, and on emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe. In a short period of time marketing knowledge became of vital importance for success in Slovenia.

Though past two decades of marketing practice have been very important and valuable for providing basic marketing education to broad segment of Slovenian managers, it proved to be inssuficcient in new conditions. Marketing seminars quickly became good business, and English marketing textbooks have been often been out of stock in Ljubljana bookstores. However, simple "import" of marketing knowledge has never been enough, and many limitations appeared when trying to implement different marketing concepts and methods on tiny Slovenian market. Just imagine, what is your target after segmenting less than two million consumers. There should be no surprise, why we came up with many marketing innovations.

Project MEDIANA is the typical example of such innovative activity by Slovenian marketers. Idea of media research has certainly been imported, but the way it has been carried out and financed, it certainly uniqe in Europe. And for the last three years, no serious Slovenian agency or advertiser would allow himself to make the media plan without the data, presented in this publication. If you are entering Slovenian market, you ought to do the same ! Welcome !

Damjan Janez (1995), “Marketing in Slovenia - Tradition and Innovation,” Foreword to Slovenian Media Guide, Ljubljana: Mediana Research Institute, IV-V.