Reykjavík, June 11th, 2020

Back in 2009, Davíð Lúther saw an opportunity in video making and digital marketing and decided to officially start SAHARA, a digital marketing agency based in Iceland that offers a comprehensive digital marketing solution.

SAHARA works as an advertisement agency and a manufacturing company, specializing in social media management, digital campaigns, website design and performance measurement.  More than 30 experienced professionals are part of the agency.

In an interview with TIA, Lúther described the working environment in Iceland and the changes brought by the coronavirus epidemic. He also analyzed the evolution of the agency and the challenges so far experienced.

What makes Reykjavík special?

Iceland is a very tight-knit society so networking can bring amazing opportunities. If you’re interested in working with a certain company you always know someone who knows someone who can put you in touch with the right people.

Can you share any of your upcoming projects that you’re excited about?

These days we are busy restructuring to adjust to the changes in the wake of the epidemic. We will have to live with this new reality for a while. Our top priority is to look after our staff and to maintain our 100% service and dedication to success for our clients.

We also just closed a deal with Social Media Week about us hosting the conference in Iceland. This year won’t work for obvious reasons but we are happy to announce that the first SMW Reykjavík will be taking place in 2021.

You offer Video Production as a service. How can you tell when a story will be better described with moving images than another interface?

We usually encourage clients to use moving images and explore the possibilities of the social media platforms. Videos also provide the opportunity to read into people’s interest in the product based on how long they watch into them which is a deciding factor in what kind of material we show next and who we show it to.

Considering the spread of COVID-19, how did you organize teams and pending projects?

As soon as COVID-19 started spreading in Iceland we offered our staff to work from home, which almost everyone did except for the video production crew but we set very strict rules to minimize the risk of infection on site while shooting. It has worked out really well and everyone of us is healthy and happy. Knock on wood 🙂

Which challenges were you facing before the spread of COVID-19 and how are you dealing with them right now?

In the last few years we have been growing so rapidly that we’ve not always managed to stay as organized as possible. But through learning by doing and systematic improvements we have managed to optimize the whole process from idea to product so that our clients can continue to get the quick service that we are proud of offering.

How are you making sure your people work with the technology and tools needed to keep up from home?

We manage all of our projects in Asana which is also the platform for all work-related communication. For things that are urgent we use email and Google Chats and for online meetings we use Google Hangouts.

How do you feel the working style in Iceland differentiates from other countries?

Icelanders have in a way always worked with a flat structure. It´s in our DNA so any attempted hierarchy within companies just comes across as weird. At SAHARA it’s very clear who is in charge of what but at the same time we have a very open dialog, so the best ideas sometimes come from someone who is specialized in something totally different.

How did you get to where you are now with your company SAHARA?

In my experience, working with the right people can get you very far. If you have already surrounded yourself with these people and they believe in your vision you can achieve anything.

Do you see any big changes coming in the near future when it comes to online marketing?

The basics of marketing won’t change, but there will be a lot of changes in where it’s best to advertise. The social media platforms have a life of their own and they are constantly changing which gives people in digital marketing more opportunities to reach the right audience through targeting and specialised content.

Thanks Davíð!

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Davíð Lúther SigurðarsonfounderVideo Production