In the spotlight: Cyprus Advertisers’ Association’s Christiana Paschalides

I was born and raised in… Nicosia, Cyprus, an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

I studied to become a… lawyer, but that did not work out. I then studied HR, but I did not practice that either. What did happen is that I started working as a journalist covering marketing issues and I stayed in the industry long enough to move from publishing to industry association, to agency, to industry association(s) again. 

My work at the Cyprus Advertisers' Association is a part-time endeavour (I have a few of those). My main job is running the advertising self-regulation body in Cyprus. Needless to say, one of CAA's offerings to its members is free copy advice for their marketing communications queries.

When I started in the advertising/marketing industry… everything felt more specific, “linear”, simpler. Now it feels that everything has changed. In my opinion, most changes are for the better.

If I could change one thing about the marketing industry in 2021, it would be… its approach to data. As a consumer, it sometimes feels intrusive and unnecessarily extensive.

Covid-19 has taught us… many things. We are blessed to have a roof over our heads, even if we at times feel stuck under it. We appreciate outdoor activities more now that we have been denied them for a time. We appreciate the people we choose to have in our lives, now that we are required to maintain a distance from them. We respect people who take care of us, even when we are being unnecessarily stubborn and refuse to do the right thing. Finally, we have learned that our well-being depends not only on our actions, but also on the actions of others. On a general level, one thing Covid-19 made me feel quite strongly is the breakdown in trust between people, politicians, and science. 

One thing most people don't know about me is… I can get lost literally around the corner from my house. My mind seems to have no sense of direction. When I am walking alone or without Google Maps telling me where to go, it usually ends up badly.

One fun fact most people don't know about my country is… we consider our children as kids, even when they turn 50... that’s the downside. On the plus side, Cypriots value family, and I consider myself lucky for the family I have.

This is part of a series of monthly interviews with heads of national advertiser associations in WFA membership.