Avila-Salmon has worked in the marketing departments of RCA Records, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records, NBC Entertainment and Google Play—where she made the move to the digital side of the entertainment ecosystem. From there she joined YouTube TV, now working with TV networks included in the YouTube TV skinny bundle to leverage their content to drive subscriptions and live tune-in. “Being on the ground floor for the launch of YouTube TV this year and building our relationships with the now 50+ channels on the service from scratch has been one of my proudest career moments,” she says.
What professional accomplishments are you most proud of from the past 12 months?
Being on the ground floor for the launch of YouTube TV this year and building our relationships with the now 50+ channels on the service from scratch has been one of my proudest career moments. YTV is bringing consumers the TV content they love in a distinctly user-first way and working with our network partners to identify the biggest and most relevant content for existing and prospective users allows us to drive their business and our own. Additionally, working with our network partners and being mindful of seasonality, target audience, and YouTube audience fit, we were able to build a promotional plan for their content that provided opportunities for newer shows, as well as fan favorites, and allowed us to drive the key business objectives of the networks throughout the year while also driving YTV adoption.
As more content goes direct to consumers, to what degree does affiliate marketing overlap consumer marketing in your company?
For the YTV team, affiliate marketing is deeply linked with consumer marketing because we are working with the networks to create breakthrough promotions around shows, events, and sports that speak directly to our consumers and to leverage TV content to directly drive consumer adoption of this new way to watch TV. We think B2C, not B2B, from the start because driving program ratings on network priorities is contingent on first leveraging tent pole content to grow our subscriber base and word of mouth for the new service.
What do you do for fun outside of work?
I think I have the perfect job because honestly, watching TV is one of my greatest passions. YTV just allows me to watch it even more easily and conveniently. I have always been attracted to television because of the way these stories, by virtue of coming into our living rooms (and now our phones, tablets, etc.) each week, shape and influence the way we view ourselves and one another in the world. We learn to appreciate difference and diversity by seeing the many ways that we are all very much the same. I am also deeply passionate about educational equity and spend much of my time volunteering on the Young Professionals Board of the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, one of the largest and most successful charter school networks in the country serving predominantly low-income and minority students. As the co-chair for the College & Career Committee, I organize events and programs that connect young professionals with students for mentorship, guidance, and general encouragement.
