Like all of us, marketing veteran Laura Desmond is navigating the new rules of the video call. In this installment of AdExchanger’s “Social Distancing With Friends” podcast series, she shares her thoughts on the emerging rules of remote collaboration.
“The level of intimacy is actually pretty high, but I also find that my energy is used differently during video calls vs. in-person meetings vs. conference calls,” Laura says.
During video calls, for example, it’s harder to take short mental breaks, check email or glance down at your iPad. But she’s getting used to the new “information flow.”
Laura is an agency veteran who started her career at Leo Burnett and rose through the ranks to eventually become CEO of Starcom. After leaving agency life in 2017, she dedicated herself to private equity and advisory work. She is currently interim CEO at DoubleVerify.
In this episode she revisits some lessons from the last recession in 2008-2009 and shared how they can apply to the 2020 crash, including “invest in your roadmap” and “consumers adapt faster than companies.” She also shares one big reason for optimism: As much as everyone is struggling right now, the cause is righteous.
“I like the fact that in so many ways we’re doing what we’re doing for each other, for our fellow man, for our families, for human kind,” she says. “We’re trying to flatten this curve and be safe and keep our distance so that we don’t overrun the health system. That type of unselfish behavior and altruism – I hope we learn something from that as well. We’ll all be better for it.”
