Jennifer Cotter
EVP, Television & Content, HSN
Cotter tirelessly leverages HSN content and programming across multiple platforms. With her team, she’s transforming an established business into an efficient, modern operation with cross-platform content creation whether it’s live-streaming a New Year’s Eve Jimmy Buffet concert on HSN.com or coordinating the launch of HSN mainstay Joy Mangano’s Miracle Mop with the world premiere of the feature film based on Mangano’s life. Cotter says the biggest story in cable now is the shift in viewership behavior. “In HSN’s landscape we are both in the unique position of being at the intersection of both retail and media, but the opportunity is so great for us to leverage our content to redefine how she watches content and shops.”
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
I would tell myself to focus on your positive attributes and stop worrying so much on the negative. To embrace your areas of opportunity and commit to developing them while celebrating what makes you unique.
Which current programming best reflects the kind of women’s roles you like to see and why?
I love when scripted roles are truly amazing characters that are truly great characters written without gender in mind. For example, the lead character in “Homeland,” played by Claire Danes. That role would be amazing no matter who played it. Of course roles for women in the news or investigative reporting or in TV electronic retailing where extensive research or expertise is needed for success.
What’s been the biggest story in cable this year?
Viewership behavior Change. The viewer’s behavior continues to shift so dramatically towards multi-channel viewership that just as we all come along with a current philosophy on how we can win in this multichannel personalized world, the business changes again. We’re not the only business being impacted by this, retail is also impacted as customer behavior changes in how they shop and purchase. In HSN’s landscape we are both in the unique position of being at the intersection of both retail and media but the opportunity is so great for us to leverage our content to redefine how she watches content and shops.
