The Limelight series focuses on employee culture across the iSpot organization. Follow along as we take a closer look at the real people behind one of the most comprehensive TV ad catalogs and more.

This month we interview Jenna Bellissimo, Director of Media Partnerships — exploring her career at iSpot and how she has seen the industry evolve over the years.

What is your current role at iSpot.tv? 

As iSpot.tv’s Director of Media Partnerships, I’m dedicated to actively partnering and strategizing with the largest media organizations. In an evolving marketplace, our team stays at the cusp of innovation by delivering valued service & insights and with the goal of securing iSpot.tv as an industry currency!

How did your background lead you here? 

My background is unique with experience in many media outlets and strategic partnerships as the common denominator.

I began my career in print & digital sales at the NYPost where I managed TV network, movie studio, and retail partners. From there, I shifted gears to one of the world’s leading music apps, Shazam, where I oversaw Shazam’s Media Partnerships, which ran the gamut — TV, cinema, retail, radio, print, out of home, and in-venue. At Shazam, I met my friend & colleague, Emily Wood, who happened to be a seasoned TV vet. We habitually leveraged iSpot’s robust ad catalog to respond to RFPs and fell in love with the real-time nature of the platform.

Fast forward to present day, we have been employed at iSpot for years and I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the power of TV.

What are the typical challenges you face with new clients? 

The amount of competitive solutions in the marketplace and the need to break down barriers can be challenging.  However, with education, direction, & data validation, I continue to earn our partners’ trust through what makes us special — accurate & timely insights with white glove service. The Media Partnerships team is continuously landing & expanding our relationships at each network group thanks to our air-tight methodologies and turnkey, always on reporting abilities. The proof is in the pudding.

What is the most exciting part about interacting with new clients?

Their energy. We are all in agreement that TV measurement is going through quite the transition. It’s uplifting to have daily conversations where I can surprise & delight both our new and existing users with our ever-evolving capabilities. It’s truly rewarding to partner up with such amazing professionals and brainstorm fresh ways to validate TV’s delivery, performance, and value.

How has the TV network landscape changed throughout the course of your career?

I personally went through a TV crash course when I began at iSpot. Within the past 4 years, the evolution has been significant. With both media & brand partners alike, there was initial hesitance to change their traditional TV measurement approach. In time, clients took a leap of faith into these new & cutting-edge datasets. Now, it’s what they crave. Everyone wishes to validate and iterate on their TV strategies and we continue to push the measurement limits together.

How have you seen iSpot adapt to those changes?

Many of my clients have heard me say this — iSpot is a completely different company from when I first started. I’m constantly enthralled & proud of the way our teams embrace both internal & external feedback to fine tune & develop our capabilities. We evolve with market demands while also staying ahead of the forecasted change. We work with some of the largest media and brand clients as well as have a very bright future ahead.

What is the most rewarding part about working at iSpot?

Seeing ideas through to execution. I love being at a company where voices are heard, and idea sharing is encouraged. It’s exciting to be part of those initial “wouldn’t it be cool if…” conversations and then evolving that idea into reality alongside my colleagues. The day that same idea is released into the wild is especially rewarding.