Tonia O’Connor & Jessica Rodriguez
Tonia O’Connor
Title: Chief Commercial Officer & President of Content Distribution, Univision Communications
Years in Cable: 20+
Education: S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
One Word that Best Describes Me: Happy
Jessica Rodriguez
Title: EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Univision Communications
Years in Cable: 15+
Education: MBA, Stanford University School of Business
One Word that Best Describes Me: Authentic
Working in tandem, O’Connor and Rodriguez have successfully integrated Univision’s disparate marketing functions to further strengthen and broaden its brand. Today the company’s promotional, creative and media inventory is valued at more than $500 million across broadcast, cable, radio and digital properties—and these execs are leveraging the content with both program-specific activations and broad initiatives like the brand campaign “Todo es posible” (Everything is possible). O’Connor’s year included a public battle with AT&T over carriage and retransmission that was heated at times, but eventually ended with Univision channels returning to the U-verse lineup as the two finalized a deal.
Tonia O’Connor
What does the future look like for skinny bundles and flexible packaging? More, more and more.
My dream would be for my blowdryer to be connected to the Internet of Things so it could give me a professional blow out everyday!
Favorite charity event you work with: FACES —Finding a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures.
What should cable do to improve its image? Create more opportunities for multicultural talent in front of and behind the camera.
My favorite hashtag is: #HatersBackOff—It represents opportunity: not only is it one the first scripted series by a YouTube creator but also represents the belief you can do anything!
Hoverboard, driverless car or drone: Driverless car… I live in NJ. Enough said!
Jessica Rodriguez
The biggest innovation in cable over the last year: So many to choose from. Obviously the proliferation of streaming services just allows for more discovery of content. I also think about automated TV buys—programmatic buys and how technology has made it possible to reach the specific consumer you want, and it really helps extend the reach and frequency. This is changing the media buying world in so many ways. Instead of using proxy’s there is all this data that you can now use and place an ad at a specific time to a specific person.
I watch the majority of programming on this device: On my iPad… I’ve got all the apps, including Slingbox so I can even see what’s on our air at our station in Puerto Rico
Favorite vacation spot: Tenerife, Canary Islands… My dad was born there and he passed away, so I love going back to feel connected to him. It’s a heavenly place.
Best way to spend a Saturday night: Intimate dinner parties at home. I take great pleasure in cooking . It’s a stress releaser for me.
The technology that will most benefit cable over the next year is: I am excited about virtual reality and how that technology will create unique ways for people to engage with content that can build brands, create buzz and stickiness. I also love how social keeps evolving Facebook live and Snapchat among others. It’s all of these examples that are allowing for content to continue to live in multiple platforms and thru different experiences.
