Interview with Javier Piedrahita, CEO, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, MarketingDirecto

In this episode DMEXCO talks to Javier Piedrahita, CEO, Founder and Editor-in-Chief at MarketingDirecto.

About MarktingDirecto

MarketingDirecto is a daily updated Spanish online portal around marketing, advertising, media and new technologies. The medium is also represented on YouTube with the two accounts MarketingDirecto.com TV and OtraTVesPosible. It is managed by editor-in-chief Javier Piedrahita and is headquartered in Madrid.

Interview

Please give us a short introduction: How did you become editor-in-chief? What have you done before?

My father was a popular tv reporter for the Spanish public television, so I always felt attract to journalism. I’ve always been very restless, so since I was young I did different works. Even as

flight attendant! That was because I was German speaker, as well as Spanish, and speaking different languages in that time wasn’t very common. Finally, I started working at Quelle, and

there I realized that Spain needed a web specialized on marketing where everybody can get informed on this subject for free.

What does the future hold for the trade media? And how do they meet these challenges at MarketingDirecto?

Future for media has always been uncertain because our environment is in constant change. Nowadays, I think that the main challenge is finding a new business model that allow us continue giving quality information. At MarketingDirecto we’ve been working on this. Since 2011 we organize different conferences, as well as work breakfasts for the Spanish industry. At the same time, we like trying new projects that could become another source of income.

Which headline at MarketingDirecto have you regretted? And why?

None. Yes, some of them have caused us troubles. But our job as journalists is causing trouble.

Suppose you could interview any person of your choice on the main stage at DMEXCO 2019: Who would be this person and about what would you like to talk with her or him?

Maybe Thomas Koch. I don’t care the topic, while it’s about marketing of course. I’m sure I would like talking to him about anything because he always goes with the truth ahead. He says what he thinks, even if that bothers the industry.

What are the three main topics in your market 2019?

I guess voice assistants, online video and AI.

What can digitalization do for the city you live in?

A lot! For example, streamlining some bureaucratic procedures. But also on mobility. Getting around the city by car is increasingly complicated.

Which gadget did you buy last and why?

Amazon Echo. First we got Google Home, we’ve tried it at the office and at home, but it didn’t convince us.

What are the three main events you are joining over the year? And why?

Cannes Lions, the most important festival for the advertising industry around the world. El Ojo de Iberoamérica, because is the most important festival for the Spanish speaker market. And DMEXCO, because of the topics discussed, the keynote speakers and the size of the exhibition.

Suppose you were Head of DMEXCO for a week, what would you change?

The distribution of the exhibition, because the halls are too separated and you must run most of the times if you don’t want to miss a conference or a meeting.

What will be an important headline of MarketingDirecto in 2025?

“85% of consumers said they accept and understand the importance of advertising” or “The marketing industry finally is doing it right and has once again conquered consumers” or “MarketingDirecto.com continues as the Spanish media leader and now has conquered Latinamerica”.

Here you can find the interviews with Claire Beale, Global Editor-in-Chief, Campaign Magazine and Brian Morrissey, President and Editor-in-Chief, Digiday.