Iliada Evangelia Kothra of Living Postcards tells us about how her company navigated through the pandemic.
First of all, how are you and your family doing?
Iliada Evangelia Kothra: Αfter the outbreak of the pandemic, we begin to find our rhythms slowly, without forgetting that we are not yet finished with this story. We remain vigilant but optimistic.
How does Living Postcards market its product/services online?
Iliada Evangelia Kothra: Social networks are our valuable ally. Technology allows us to do small or big miracles in terms of advertising our services.
But the most valuable ally is the already satisfied customers, as every business, big or small, relies mainly on its customers and its good reputation.
How the coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how did you get through it?
Iliada Evangelia Kothra: The pandemic affected us all. I have the opinion that we have not yet seen all the obvious results, especially in our psyche. On the other hand, it forced us to adapt violently to new data.
Pandemic forced us to find new ways of growth and profitability. It opened up new avenues for us, even though many still do not understand them.
What matters most is adaptation, the mood for evolution. During the pandemic, many had to invent new strategies based on health protocols and technology. The future will show how many have adapted perfectly and how many have not. We discover new routes every day in a world that is constantly changing.
What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to manage your online marketing.
Iliada Evangelia Kothra: Mostly email marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). Also, online events, webinars, and content marketing.
Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?
Iliada Evangelia Kothra: I would not say that they are competitors. I would call them co-fighters. The market has many shares for everyone. And everyone offers what they can offer.
I have the feeling that everyone with the weapons they have, in the long run, leaves their own mark. Besides, I firmly believe that we learn from each other.
Your final thoughts?
Iliada Evangelia Kothra: Consumer expectations were already on the rise before Covid-19. Gen Z grew up with technology seamlessly integrated into their lives. Direct-to-consumer companies were already conditioning us to expect a level of hyper-personalization since they were particularly adept with our personal data.
But when the coronavirus hit, digital transformation accelerated overnight.
The Covid-19 crisis has reinforced what we already know: brands must communicate in very local and precise terms, targeting specific consumers based on their circumstances and what is most relevant to them. That means truly understanding the situation on the ground, country by country, state by state, zip code by zip code. For some businesses, such as banks, restaurants, or retailers, it may even mean tailoring communications store by store.
Beyond geography, we have learned marketing messages need to be personally relevant and aligned to an individual’s situation and values instead of demographics, such as age and gender.
Creating a personal, human connection within any commercial message requires defining consumer segments that describe people according to multiple dimensions that influence their purchasing behavior — from their psychographics to attitudinal characteristics.
Covid-19 has also created a leadership culture of immediate collaboration focused on the urgent need for resilience. Marketing now has the opportunity to seize an ongoing central role in that dialogue, thereby driving the organization’s broader growth and innovation agenda.
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