Sandy Padula, Senior Vice President of Research & Consumer Insight for TBS and TNT is a long-time veteran of the company, Padula is responsible for overseeing research strategy and data analysis for the networks’ programming, digital & cross platform, marketing and ad sales groups. Padula reports to Howard Shimmel, chief research officer, Turner Broadcasting, while also closely aligning with Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT and chief creative officer for Turner Entertainment Networks.
"Sandy possesses that rare combination of ability to provide the most relevant data set with the ability to interpret and intuit a strategic response," said Reilly. "She has proven to be an invaluable resource since I walked in the door, and I’m very pleased she will continue to play a crucial role in guiding our strategy as we evolve TBS and TNT going forward."
Within this leadership position, Padula is committed to driving innovation across the research division and leveraging new insights to inform programming, marketing and ad sales strategy. Most recently, she spearheaded the company’s efforts to explore the business value of fandom from understanding the basic landscape, to learning how fandom shapes identity and meets consumer needs. The results are helping shape how TBS and TNT evaluate pilots and market to a fan-driven community, as well as how sales builds custom brand campaigns that enable advertisers to engage with the fans of our networks in a meaningful way.
Previously vice president of audience insights, brand and cross-platform research for TBS & TNT, Padula provided support to the division’s year-round content strategy. During her time, Padula shaped strategic research insights through test and learn techniques that effectively improved the company’s best practices across ideation, marketing and promotion ROI. During her time in this division, she also brought new research systems and tools to the playing field, including Turner’s estimating system and several marketing, ad sales and on-air asset-planning tools.
Padula joined Turner 26 years ago where she started within the CNN Research team. She has since been closely involved in major rebranding’s and acquisitions, as well as long term forecasting for new business development. Padula resides in the Atlanta area with her husband, also a Turner employee, and three children.