Peter Csathy, CEO of Manatt Digital Media Ventures, discusses how major consumer brands are pivoting from traditional advertising to lifestyle media publishing.
Prediction Didn’t hold up
Csathy: GoPro will transition from hardware to a media company
“GoPro has, is already a lifestyle, but it's a hardware company to date, although we're all creating great video on it, but GoPro hasn't been able to harness it itself. GoPro will become a media company.”
Prediction Held up
Csathy: Massive media and brand M&A in digital content will continue in 2015
“The proliferation of the multi-channel networks, and we saw accelerating massive M&A in 2014, and I absolutely believe that's going to continue in 2015, because the major media companies, and others, by the way, such as significant brands, are going to want to…”
Prediction Held up
Brand-Owned Content Studios From GoPro, Marriott, and Pepsi Will Accelerate
“And we've now seen that GoPro is going that same direction. You're seeing Marriott Hotels, of all things, has just significantly financed its own studios to do exactly the same thing, and Pepsi is making those noises, and so that is a trend that I absolutely s…”
Opinion
Csathy: Video startups absolutely must be based in Los Angeles
“If you're a passionate person, you have a great company idea, then, and it's in the video space whatsoever, I'll focus on that as an example, LA is absolutely where you have to be.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Csathy predicts more VCs will adopt integrated legal and consulting services
“Increasingly Clients will demand, and entrepreneurs will demand to not have to go to this place, and this place, and so you'll see more of an evolution of businesses doing what we do, and VCs doing what we do.”
Insight
Csathy: Founder storytelling requires logical persuasion over charisma
“Well, storytelling is important in terms of not necessarily being the charismatic person, because not everybody can be a Steve Jobs, but being able to logically and convincingly lay out why this is the right investment opportunity, why it's different than othe…”