The Fierce Video editorial team is proud to present its third annual Emerging Leaders Awards, recognizing the brightest young professionals rising up the ranks of the streaming TV industry. Throughout the month of May we’ll be featuring these profiles with each of our finalists. We will announce the winners during our StreamTV Show with a live awards ceremony in Denver on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. MT. Not yet registered for the StreamTV Show, running June 6-8? Be sure to register now!
David Mead/Sling TV:
As the GM of subscriber acquisition, David leads a team of more than 20 marketers disrupting the pay TV industry. During his four year tenure at Sling, David's expertise in social media, programmatic display, paid search, linear TV, affiliate, partner, email and offline media marketing has driven significant growth and measurable business results. As a former professional poker player, David has proven time and again that he's willing to go all-in to meet goals and objectives. His collaborative spirit, creativity and innovative nature, coupled with expert statistical analysis skills have shaped Sling's brand story and elevated its position as a leading television streaming provider.
David started his Sling journey in 2017 as email marketing lead and transitioned to manager of lifecycle marketing in 2018. Before his tenure at Sling, David used his masterful storytelling skills as an email marketer and copywriter for Cabela's.
What his colleagues are saying:
"With an analytical mindset and creative spirit, David has been a key leader in shaping Sling's marketing strategy since 2017. David is never afraid to think outside of the box and develop innovative ideas to solve complex problems and reach new audiences. As Sling grows, David's marketing and data analysis expertise will continue to guide our future as we add new content and features for more users to enjoy." - Seth VanSickel, SVP of operations and product at Sling TV
“David’s expertise to deliver actionable insights to our product team has greatly influenced how Sling’s product has evolved over the past few years. By utilizing a data driven approach, David has been a key contributor to the testing and rollout of new products and features that strengthen subscriber growth." - Jonathan Lin, VP of product at Sling TV
Streaming Industry Q&A:
What streaming services do you subscribe to?
Sling TV, Netflix, PokerGO.
Describe your biggest career highlight so far.
In 2020, Sling experienced several headwinds that stalled growth. In 2021, with me operating as the head of growth marketing and interim head of marketing, we successfully turned that around, leading to a 140k net subscriber swing year over year and profitably returning Sling to annual subscriber growth.
What has been your biggest career learning experience?
Earlier in my career, I struggled with imposter syndrome and never thought I deserved to have a place at the table. Then, one day, I looked at the resume of someone I really respected and realized they also lacked experience and expertise. It struck me right then that no one knows exactly what they are doing, and that successful people are the ones who are comfortable betting on their own ideas despite no absolute knowledge of whether or not it will work.
What's next for you in terms of new challenges in streaming TV?
A lot! Sling TV is evolving rapidly as we try to predict the future of TV and build a product that provides the value that customers want. My biggest challenge will be exposing new products that the world has never experienced and getting people to understand their value. Easier said than done, but if done right, we could change the world.