Carlota Pico recently sat down with Madrid-based Gessica Lomonte to discuss her current role as Western Digital’s EMEA e-tail marketing manager. Gessica described how she juggles the management of multiple channels, campaigns and key partners; how Western Digital adapted overnight in the face of the COVID-19 crisis; and important advice she’s learned along the way for young professionals fresh in the field of marketing.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on YouTube, listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and read our recap below.

Key takeaways

  • The main challenge of channel marketing is being coordinated and aligned with the various e-tailers or retailers you’re working with. You must be organized and stay up to speed with the many requests, demands and specifications of each partner.
  • When you’re working with so many different brands and have so little time, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve and where you focus. You likely won’t have time for regular catch-ups with all your customers, so you need to prioritize wisely.
  • When your customer groups are so diverse—such as in the EMEA region—you need to be clear on who your customer is, what they’re looking for and how you should approach them. If the message isn’t relevant to them, they won’t be interested.
  • When working from home suddenly became the norm due to COVID-19, Western Digital quickly pivoted. In a matter of days they launched a work-from-home campaign across all sites and channel partners, demonstrating their adaptability and agility.
  • Marketing is quickly becoming more and more digital, as evidenced by the growth of video content such as webinars and popular apps like TikTok. COVID-19 has played a role in this, but it seems that the trend will continue to dominate.


Spend time getting to know your customers—it’s the make-or-break factor for a successful marketing strategy.

Rapid-fire recs

What’s an app or tool that you can’t work without?

Definitely TED Talks. I find them very useful and I love that they make me think. I also enjoy the variety of topics—including business, analytics, marketing, branding and lifestyle—and the fact that they aren’t too long.

A marketing influencer who you follow?

I’d say Seth Godin. I read his blog every single day! He’s a bestselling author and marketing guru who offers great insight into digital and online marketing, and also things that apply to life outside of work. My favorite book of his is “Linchpin.”

See also: 8 inspiring content and marketing influencers to follow

A valuable resource, event or group?

I’m part of an awesome group on LinkedIn called Global Marketing & Communications Professionals. It includes about 8,000 marketing professionals from all over the world who share lots of interesting content on a daily basis. You can interact with fellow members, comment on the content they publish and network with them. It’s definitely beneficial for your professional life.

See also: 7 online networking groups for content marketers on Facebook & LinkedIn

Connect with Gessica and Carlota on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Mary Kresge.


For more insights into adaptability in marketing:

Adaptability and resourcefulness are key – Daniel Tallon, master marketer and startup guru

Agility in the face of uncertainty – Linda Ghabain, global social media manager at Nilfisk

Changing consumer priorities – Debora Mondella, head of global marketing at Aztec Events

To see the full transcript, click on page number 2 below.