As president of MSNBC, Rashida Jones has been driving the company’s development since she stepped into the role in February 2021. At the Cannes Lions Variety Studio, presented by Canva, she said adjusting efforts to “meet people where they are” in terms of content strategy has proven successful for MSNBC.
“I think a lot has been driven by how people are consuming content,” Jones said. She added that the “authoritative” nature of MSNBC has led consumers to continue to engage with the brand.
“We’re the only cable network growing year-to-year while all the other networks are declining,” Jones said. The key to this growth? Jones credited “consistency.”
“We have a slate of talent that people really relate to,” Jones said. “We’ve got a consistent message and direction, and we consistently expand where you can consume our content.”
With the surge of streaming came some adjustments for the company. “What we’ve had to adjust to is to meet people where they are, because they’re changing how they consume content,” Jones said. “Our best approach is to be everywhere eyeballs are, where ears are, where people are consuming.”
Maintaining a strong presence both virtually and across linear networks is another strategy Jones has implemented to “consistently expand where you can consume our content.”
Jones, too, addressed Rachel Maddow’s shift within MSNBC, assuring that “she didn’t step down, she expanded” across the brand’s growing portfolio. Shifting from a “five-day-a-week linear show to a one-day-a-week,” Maddow now co-hosts the “Ultra” podcast.
“What we’ve focused on with Rachel is instead of doing one thing across one part of the portfolio is doing many things across many parts of the portfolio,” Jones said. “We’re not even a year into that initiative, and we’re seeing success in every project she’s put out.”
