Maja
Derviskadic
Social Media Director
Whatever the future holds for social media, at present it’s an outlet that hospitality, lifestyle, and wellness companies can’t ignore. No one at Hawkins International knows that better than Maja Derviskadic. As Social Media Director, she oversees a well-versed team that not only acts as the voice of clients on social media but generates an array of dynamic services on their behalf including influencer marketing, video storytelling, brand ambassador campaigns, and advertising blitzes to “put heads in beds” or whatever generates revenues. “We think up a lot of fun packages and get word out to drive business,” she says, noting, for instance, a remarkably successful video campaign that encouraged consumers to “Escape the Snow” and resulted in 400 bookings for a Caribbean resort.
Hospitality is close to Maja’s heart, since her family works in the hotel business in New York. “I got to know the back of the house and what it’s like to dazzle guests on a budget,” she recalls. “It’s about being scrappy and creative to make a huge impact with minimal resources.” To that end, Maja is all about educating clients to make their own digital impact with consumers, identifying representatives who have a passion for social media, and then training them in photography and empowering them with talking points while “giving them a nudge” to jump in. When it comes to digital, Maja believes it’s the most authentic way to communicate. “It offers an opportunity for brands to form deeper relationships with their audiences by putting those who make a brand special front-and-center and letting them connect directly with people. In a crowded space, that makes all the difference.”