Susan Smith

As vice president of trade marketing for WE TV, Susan Smith oversees all aspects of trade marketing for the only network dedicated to helping women connect to one another and the world around them, including national ad sales marketing, trade advertising, affiliate marketing and multi-platform sponsorship development, and is one of the key architects of network messaging.

In this role, Ms. Smith spearheads strategic development and execution of all programming and promotion based sponsorship opportunities offered to national advertisers during the upfront and scatter market periods, which are designed to drive incremental spending and bring new advertisers to WE.  Her trade marketing team builds fully integrated partnerships, designed exclusively for advertisers, including brand integration, on-air and online promotion, as well as on-demand and broadband content.  Ms. Smith is also responsible for the strategy and production of ad sales and affiliate sales communication materials including print, online, outdoor, and guerilla marketing components.  Recent campaigns have included the 2006/2007 upfront and the bundled services campaign for WE’s original series “Bridezillas.”

Ms. Smith joined WE, owned and managed by Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, in 2001 as director of trade marketing to lead this new department for then WE: Women’s Entertainment.  In that role, her efforts to identify and develop added value on-air sponsorship opportunities and off-air extensions for advertisers helped ad sales generate 102% of goal for the network’s first commercially sold upfront 2002/2003 season.

Prior to WE, Ms. Smith was marketing manager for Lifetime Television, where she contributed to the launch of Lifetime Movie Network and Lifetime Real Women, managing the network’s sneak peek promotions and sales strategy.  During her tenure, she played a role in launching Lifetime’s public affairs initiative Our Lifetime Commitment, as well as their tent-pole event Women Rock, a breast cancer awareness campaign.  Earlier in her career, she worked for Initiative Media (formerly Western International Media) as manager client services and Pyramid Services as a marketing assistant.

Ms. Smith earned her Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from West Chester University.  She is a member of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT).