The FierceVideo editorial team is proud to present its inaugural Emerging Leaders Awards, recognizing the brightest young professionals rising up the ranks of the streaming video and pay TV industry. Throughout the months of June and July we’ll be featuring these profiles with each of our finalists. We will announce the winners during our upcoming OTT Blitz Week of virtual panels happening during the last week in July.
Rachel Lodi/Discovery:
As a director, Rachel Lodi leads audience growth, retention and public relations for Discovery’s lifestyle digital brands and products. Discovery’s recent launch of the Food Network Kitchen app has been Lodi’s biggest project in her 7-year marketing career. Since its launch, Lodi has been executing all marketing and messaging strategies for acquisition, conversion, retention and engagement across all digital platforms. She currently directs a team that manages paid and owned media, audience development, and community management for Food Network Kitchen.
What her colleagues are saying:
“Rachel defines leadership in her own way by embodying an always-on mentality, fierce collaboration, and empathy for her colleagues.” - Courtney Carini, SVP of Consumer Marketing and Operations at Discovery
Streaming Industry Q&A:
What streaming services do you subscribe to?
Netflix, Hulu (no ads), Disney+, and Amazon Prime. Husband does some seasonal sports passes.
What are your favorite shows you’re watching in 2020?
Now that "The Mandalorian" is over…hate to say it, but "The Circle" on Netflix.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Being a part of the launch of Food Network Kitchen was a whirlwind, but seeing how the whole Discovery organization rallied around the product was a great display of what big companies can do when they prioritize, align, and work together. The launch of that app and seeing ads for it in Times Square was a big highlight.
What’s next for you in terms of new challenges in streaming TV?
Selling people on the long term value of your product, whether it’s streaming or a DTC utility service. We want to entertain AND assist, and we also want to build habits and dependency with a set of features that helps customers when it comes to food. Communicating that we can solve that problem and building that behavior long-term is a fun process that we’re in now.