English
日本語Founded in 2005, YouTube is one of the biggest and most often visited websites on the Internet. The video-sharing service changed the game when it comes to video consumption, allowing millions of users to view, upload, and share videos – but perhaps more importantly, comment on the content, engage with other users, and subscribe to the content creators.
One downfall of this service is, however, the sheer volume of videos it holds, overwhelming the users and making it virtually impossible to filter out the most relevant content. This downside makes other qualities YouTube a hard sell in some of the industries – for example the financial industry where compliance of content and expertise of the content creator is of the utmost importance.
But we believe that a service like YouTube is exactly what the industry needs – it just has to be YouTube tailored for finance.
With the rise of companies such as Robinhood which allow investors direct access to trading, the number of people who make their own investment decisions has been growing. But if access to investment opportunities is opened, it has to go hand in hand with the democratization of access to investment information.
But the way in which the information is provided for investors needs to update as well. Our vision is the digitalization of distributed content – to put it simply, we want to propel the financial industry, traditionally overly reliant on physical meetings and endless written reports (only two percent of which are actually being read!), into the digital, media-savvy, and above all else, the video age.
To compare the vision once again with YouTube, we want to become the dominant holder of compliant financial content – but also cutting through the noise of irrelevant content and distributing the “crème de la crème” through platforms directly to investors on a global scale before launching our very own Coherra platform.
Why is a service such as this needed? There is a gap in the market that we are ready to fill. There is a need for a tool that gives access to already aggregated and sorted compliant financial content which will not only make financial information more accessible to investors but will bring entire networks of investors closer to the asset manager.
Our pioneer program – innovative asset managers ahead of the curve who see the need for transformation to video – shows us that financial experts are ready to communicate through video.
But while content is king, we need to make sure that the throne becomes it and helps it shine. Asset managers create videos to communicate their value proposition, introduce their niche, or present their unique research that establishes them as thought leaders. The output is valuable – so why hide it away on their own websites, LinkedIn feeds, or YouTube channels? Proactive communication strategy brings more engagement – we want asset managers to go ahead and reach out to investors with their videos, not passively wait to be discovered.
If fund managers entrust their content to Coherra, they will no longer only share the content with their own network – people, in theory, already familiar with what they have to say. They will be able to reach entirely new audiences whose preferences and interests their videos fit perfectly.
Benefits aside, is there currently a demand for this service? The megatrends answer with a loud “yes”.
The demand for the video format itself is visible in the exponential growth of users of TikTok, the video-based social app which still attracted users despite trade controversies. This has also translated into the demand for financial video content as RealVision, our partner and content producer of financial research videos, can boast a significant increase in their subscriber base.
While the affinity for video is not associated only with younger generations, it is perhaps understandable that this change in demand comes on the back of the upcoming generational change. Millennials are anticipated to make up 75% of the workforce in only four short years. With the associated wealth transfer of a staggering $15 tln, it is no wonder that the next generation of investors is the one to have your eyes on.
But who do the millennials have their eyes on? Peers and influencers. And while it is financial experts who are sharing their advice, with communication strategy, they should look into the direction of media darlings and influencers. If they do, the results can be astounding.
Just ask Eric Strand, a Swedish asset manager and one of our pioneers – an extremely proactive media and communication strategy of appearing on TV, podcasts, or participating in webinars allowed him to raise $100 ml in less than a year from over 15 thousand retail investors. Without a single meeting.
Or take a look at TIN Fonder – a young Swedish company with a team determined to be the most digital asset managers. Founded by Carl Armfelt and Erik Sprinchorn in 2019, it has already raised $1,5 bln from 125 thousand investors in Sweden alone. How? Through the power of content distribution and an incredibly innovative communication strategy. The company invests, among other things, in new technology and esports – so the asset managers streamed themselves while playing video games and discussing news in the industry.
As with every trend, it is much more beneficial to be the trendsetter rather than the follower.
The importance of catching on to the market development early shows especially at the end of a year like this. The whole world – and even the usually conservative financial industry – had to bend to the will of Covid-19 and go digital. Asset managers needed to diversify their communication strategy overnight and adapt to conference calls, webinars, and connecting over social media rather than over a cup of coffee and a handshake in a conference room.
For many, this shift was challenging and took time.
We, on the other hand, were not caught by surprise. By already adhering to the trends of tomorrow, we were ready from day one – ready to lead in the digital game.
And we are confident others will follow us on the video and digital path – both asset managers and investors in a circle of demand – as the industry continues to transform.
The more asset managers create video content and distribute it via Coherra, the more investors will be interested in browsing through the catalog. The bigger and more diverse the pool of investors that can be reached with the content becomes, the more fund managers will be likely to produce and distribute content through Coherra. The more fund managers… And so it goes.
Network effects will help us grow.
Our vision of transforming the communication of asset managers and digitalizing distribution of content then automatically has an inherent social layer.
In a series “Social Strikes Back” by Andreessen Horowitz, an article from D’Arcy Coolican establishes the concept of a “social+” product that built an integrated social experience within itself. The author says the financial industry is a plane of opportunity yet untouched by successful pioneers.
But…
The network and community we want to create between investors and fund managers will be proprietary – not directly replicated on any other platform.
Engaging with other users on the platform will be crucial for us. If investors are unable to start a dialogue with the fund managers that catch their eye, what point is then there to reach out to investors?
In the ultimate realization of our vision, we do not simply want a passive – well-informed, but passive – audience. We want to make people connect.
We aim to be social+.
