Alberto “Banano” Pardo
Founder & CEO
Adsmovil, Nuestra.TV
linkedin.com/in/banano
What are three attributes that got you where you are now?
1. Discipline 2. Creativity 3. Teamwork
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to enter the market?
The Hispanic market is a very distinct market from any other in the world. It’s not Latin American and it’s not the US.; that’s where most companies make mistakes. It’s a mix that’s different from any other, and one that requires research and discernment across both countries of origin and levels of acculturation. It’s large and varied. The Mexican market is dominant, and that market is different than the Colombian, Peruvian, and Venezuelan markets, to name a few. The Cuban market is different from the Puerto Rican and Dominican markets, even though they are Caribbean. East Coast Hispanics are different from West Coast Hispanics. Lots of complexities. So first and foremost, understand the market first and then see if the product makes sense. Test and Learn, Test and Learn and be cautious when investing.
Pre-workday, what is your morning ritual?
I wake up between 5 and 5:30, read some news: WSJ, AdExchanger, Media Post, NY Times, maybe some local news, then I try to run every day (outside preferred, weather permitting), between 45 minutes and 90 minutes. I then go home, have breakfast with the family if I’m not traveling, prepare my kids for school, and start working between 8:30 and 9:00 AM.
What about your job keeps you up at night?
Nothing, to be honest. I sleep very well. I don’t sleep too many hours. I used to work at night, but I now spend the evenings with family and friends and go to sleep between 10 and 11 every night.
In an industry brimming with information, what isn’t talked about enough?
The industry is not talking enough about something that’s very top of mind: privacy policies. I’m a big supporter of user privacy concerns. On the other side of the coin, there is a lot of online content that is free for users. There needs to be some sort of value exchange for users to be able to consume content. Nothing is really free. There is a misunderstanding from the user perspective in terms of the value of online free content, and the industry needs to do something so users better understand that there is a value that needs to be compensated somehow. For example, more than 90% of all game content is free, yet the developers need to make money to maintain their business, and that monetary support is coming from advertisers. Advertising is paying for it. That said, advertisers need user data to better target users. So, it’s a constant loop that needs to be fed. The industry needs to discuss this in greater detail and more frequently.
