My Top 10 EXCLUSIVE CEO Interviews of 2014 - Digital Media Companies/Execs You Need to Know

Long-time readers of my blog know that I have a long-running EXCLUSIVE Q&A series with CEOs of some of the most innovative digital media companies that I believe you should know.    I "hand pick" them -- and believe their stories are both interesting and instructive.  My series is called "5 Questions with ...." -- and each exec answers the same questions in their own words (and with real insights you won't find anyplace else).  2014's list is impressive -- with most execs and companies achieving significant strategic milestones during the year (including major M&A and financings).  Coincidence?  I would like to think not!

In any event, for your reading pleasure, here are my Top 10 "5 Questions with ... “ exclusive interviews of 2014 -- as measured by you, my readers:

(1) Stephanie Horbaczewski, CEO/Founder of StyleHaul -- sold her leading fashion-focused MCN to Euro-based RTL Group in Q4 for a deal that values the company up to $200 million.  That buys you a lot of style.  And Stephanie has it.  And now, a lot more of it.

(2) Colin Digiaro, President of Woven Digital -- just recently closed a major $18 million Series A round of financing.  Significant cash to accelerate its reach to its target core young male Vice-like audience.

(3) John West, CEO/Founder of Whistle Sports -- this leading sports-focused MCN also just recently closed a major round of financing -- $7 million -- with British mega-media company BSKYB.  Expect much more to come in 2015.

(4) Jack Conte, CEO/Founder of Patreon -- another featured company that successfully raised significant capital -- $15 million to be exact.  Based in the Bay Area.  Focused on the arts -- and financing through crowd-funding.  A different kind of crowd-funding.  Subscription-based.

(5) Oscar Hoglund, CEO/Founder of Epidemic Sound -- one of my favorite CEOs on this list.  Based in Sweden.  Serial entrepreneur who has been serially successful.  And, tackling (successfully!) the white hot issue of global music rights for our borderless digital video world.  Coming soon to the States.

(6) Jocelyn Johnson, Founder of VideoInk -- my favorite new "must read" publication -- exclusively digital video-focused.  Very LA (because that's where most of that digital video "action" is ...).  Am proud to be a regular contributor.

(7) Dmitri Williams, CEO/Founder of Ninja Metrics -- LA-based analytics company born, bred, and run by PhDs.  A different "take" on ad-tech.  Gaming-focused.  Highly respected.  Closely watched.  We at Manatt Digital are investors.

(8) Nicolas Gonda, CEO/Founder of Tugg -- another "share economy" company that is focused on solving the financial realities of indie visionaries, but this time on the movie/video side (as opposed to Patreon which is largely, though not exclusively, music-focused).

(9) Sean Wycliffe, CEO/Founder of Dealflicks -- love the problem this company is trying to solve -- filling empty movie theater seats via efficient "real-time" pricing.  Makes sense.  Let's see if 2015 brings in real dollars.  The opportunity is now.

(10) Phil Shalala, CEO/Founder of Krush -- a social media marketplace focused on action sports and street-wear -- empowering emerging artists and brands to market their passion projects.

2014 -- a banner crop of innovative CEOs and digital media companies.  Honored to have this kind of access to real innovators.

Stay tuned for an equally impressive list for 2015, as the VC world increasingly focuses on the disruption, opportunity and power that is "digital."

5 Questions with WeBRAND’s CEO Kevin Tighe -- My Exclusive Q&A

What better way to start off the New Year then to feature a digital media/share economy startup based right in the heart of Silicon Beach and digital media here in LA?  My latest exclusive Q&A in my continuing “5 Questions With” series is with CEO Kevin Tighe of WeBRAND, a Santa Monica-based company built by marketing specialists and brand-builders, for marketing influencers and brand-builders -- all empowered by the collective resources they bring to bear via the Internet/digital media (crowd-sourcing, crowd-funding, crowd-shopping).

Here we go. 

(1) What is the reason your company exists (and what problem(s) are you looking to solve)?

A new generation of influencers has emerged which have built their brands and accumulated their audiences through digital means. The types of influencers we’re talking about include blogs/bloggers, YouTube stars, musicians, entertainment and gaming platforms, but also extend to more traditional brands and influencers which have accumulated a large online reach. They succeed in monetizing in many areas, but when it comes to merchandising and eCommerce most are dropping the ball. This is not surprising as eCommerce comes with a unique set of challenges such as product sourcing, design, order fulfillment, marketing, distribution and customer service.

Digital influencers putting the necessary effort into eCommerce are greatly increasing their revenues while building their brands. We’ve seen cases where a site, whose primary revenue driver is supposed to be advertising, is generating tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue through it’s online store.

We saw the need for a specialized platform that allows digital influencers to capitalize on their merchandising and eCommerce opportunities while minimizing their risk.

(2) How are you different from your competitors?

Unlike our competitors, we cater specifically to the needs of influencers. Because of this specialization, we do not need tens of thousands of WeBRAND shops to profit, therefore we are focused on quality and not quantity.

Our main differentiating factor lies within our process. We use crowdsourcing to allow the fans to design the merchandise for the influencer’s online store, and then we use a crowdfunding model which we dub as “crowdshopping” to measure demand and drive sales before sending the product into production.

We have made WeBRAND inherently social by integrating crowdsourcing and crowdshopping. In the traditional eCommerce model, someone designs the merchandise, a fan makes a purchase, and the order is fulfilled. With WeBRAND, everyone (the designers, the influencer and the fans) is working together to design, market and drive sales. The social interaction creates a built-in distribution model which is not seen on traditional eCommerce platforms.

Another way we differ from competitors is through our product offering. Crowdshopping removes many of the traditional product limitations and allows us to offer products that are higher quality, better fit, and catered toward a specific audience of an influencer. In our earlier stages, we are focusing on traditional apparel and accessories, but in later stages, will be able to offer some pretty unique products.

(3) Why will you succeed (and what is your single most important ingredient for

success)?

We’ll succeed because we have a great team that is willing to do it what it takes to make WeBRAND the success that it has the potential to be. We have built a great support structure through our advisors, and have taken the time to know and understand our business inside and out. The most important factor to our success will be executing the very thorough and strategic approach that we have developed. This is the type of business where execution is everything. We have to walk before we can run, and are taking the necessary steps to progress in all the right ways.

(4) What makes you unique (and what do you enjoy most outside of building

your business)?

I’m extremely tenacious and never give-up. I take a very strategic approach to tackling problems, and always find a way to overcome challenges. This quality is a necessity to be successful in the startup world. Outside of building the business, I love to spend time with my girlfriend and our three dogs. I enjoy being active and spending time outdoors. When I find the time, I like to sneak away for a long weekend, and am always up for a glass of wine or cold beer.

(5) What digital media trend is most interesting to you (and what is the least)?

I am a bit biased because I am in this space, but I think influencer marketing is fascinating. I love watching the different approaches companies are taking to utilize various forms of influence to build brands, increase traffic and drive sales. Because of digital media, there are now countless types of influencers which, when used correctly, can be very powerful, but it is a touch code to crack.