Fluent Q+A with Becky Gauthier

Q: What drew you to digital advertising?

I originally started in traditional advertising helping with tv/radio and print media buys. Digital was a growing space at the time so when an opportunity came in a previous agency to shift in that direction, I was excited for the chance to grow into an expanding field, one that is constantly changing and offering new opportunities.

Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your work/digital advertising as a whole?

For the most part, clients without a physical location seemed to be less impacted as a whole. One of the biggest changes we noted for our clients during this time was having to tailor creative to focus more on remote/virtual messaging.

For some clients, this was when they were the most active, serving as an informational resource for customers on how to navigate legal, financial, health and technology decisions during the pandemic.

Q: What challenges have your clients faced during the last several months?

Clients with brick and mortar locations have found COVID-19 particularly challenging because they have had to make more adjustments to accommodate not being able to have as many people visiting their location(s). For example, holding open houses virtually rather than on campus. Or re-thinking approaches to fundraising by holding virtual events.

Q: What is your advice for anyone looking to capitalize on digital advertising this holiday season?

Digital advertising during the holiday season tends to be less expensive than traditional mediums, but is still higher than other times of the year. If you feel that advertising during the holidays is the right fit for your business, my advice would be to start advertising early to get some presence in before all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday advertisers start taking up more space. Also, make sure that your ads stay relevant – don’t try to force creative that is holiday-themed if it doesn’t fit with your business.

Q: What do you enjoy most about what you do?

One of the things I enjoy the most about what I do is the flexibility it provides, I can help clients from anywhere and at varying times of day. So it’s not just a typical 9 to 5 in the office. This was particularly important during the COVID-19 lockdown when I needed to make adjustments between work/family needs.