Pedestrian TV went from two friends shooting videos for DVDs to a $100 million company in fourteen years.
At State of Social ’19 PedestrianTV co-founder Chris Wirasinha discussed the evolution of brand; “we really wanted Pedestrian to be the Australian home of pop-culture… when we started writing about local stories, that really resonated… when Facebook arrived, that was the turning point for the brand,†he said.
In 2007 Pedestrian TV launched its website and became the first youth publisher to have weekend editors and move into the 24 hour news cycle. In 2018, Channel Nine bought out the remaining 40% stake in the company and now it has over 100 employees.
Mr Wirasinha highlighted the importance of learning divergent thinking and how to write a good headline; “it’s an important and effective tool for people working in social media or marketers working with brands who are looking to define what it is that they are doing, to their audienceâ€.
He said the biggest challenge for marketers was understanding social media algorithms and how to create really compelling digital products;
“that’s using memes in storytelling, data and video. Looking at all of the different outcomes you can to create a great story digitally,†he said.
Whereas, he says the future focus for social media platforms is regaining love and trust from its audience; “we’re really seeing the dark side of social media,†he said.
“From Cambridge Analytica, to fake news, to streaming really awful things, it has really taken a backward step… they need to find ways keep doing good in the world while minimising the damage they can causeâ€.
Chris Wirasinha says he hopes to see more social media platforms take responsibility for their content and work with government authorities and regulators to reach a happy medium.
