
MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Media and Entertainment is undergoing a revolution. The rate of change continues to accelerate and it will take bold action to survive. For a customized keynote that is energizing, impactful, and actionable – book Kaihan for your next media and entertainment event or conference.
















TOP MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Constant change and disruption has become the “new normal” in media and entertainment. Never has there been a better time to hold an event to ensure your employees have the tools and skills needed to think strategically, drive innovation, and shift to the mindset of this new era.
Kaihan Krippendorff has worked in many capacities with some of the biggest names in the industry and has first-hand experience of the shifts and trends hitting the media and entertainment. Customization based on consumer needs, the rise of entertainment powerhouses, new technology like 5G and Iot, the rise of eSports video gaming, social video and audio media platforms, as well as regulatory and social debates of media consumption are all top of mind. When change happens there is opportunity to re-imagine business models, re-think how you engage employees or customers, re-evaluate what impact your organization has on the world, and ultimately develop creative solutions to complex problems.
Throughout his career as a consultant, keynote speaker, and founder of the Outthinker Strategy Network (an exclusive network of Chief Strategy Officers and Executives from Fortune 500 and private companies with $1B+ revenue), Kaihan Krippendorff has worked with some of the biggest brands in media and entertainment including: Verizon Media, Viacom, ESPN, QVC, Fortune, Sony Entertainment, TEDx, USA Brand, and Yahoo.
He is a regular contributor to Fast Company- where his articles on strategy and innovation in the workplace garner some of the most clicks and engaged audiences.
Selecting the right keynote speaker for your media or entertainment industry events is one of the most important decisions you will make this year. Content, energy, ability to connect to an audience, and actionability are all important factors to consider. Former McKinsey Consultant, NYU Professor, bestselling author, and globally recognized authority on strategy, growth, and transformation, Kaihan Krippendorff will make your event an undeniable success with a customized media and entertainment keynote that leverages his unique perspective and deep experience in the industry.
The time to act is now. Don’t just be a Thinker. Be an Outthinker.
An active leader in media and entertainment, Kaihan brings deep industry experience, proprietary research, and exclusive insights to every keynote he delivers.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE CHANGE, YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE BEING IRRELEVANT EVEN LESS.

KAIHAN'S MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVE
Context
- In 2020, the entire global theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market totaled $80.8B, the lowest figure since 2016 and a decline of 18 percent from 2019.
- Global lockdowns accelerated pre-existing digital entertainment trends. In 2020, revenue increased 31 percent to $61.8B. Digital media accounted for over three-quarters of total theatrical, home/mobile entertainment revenue.
- As of this writing, there are 1.1 billion online video subscribers worldwide. Revenue from online video subscriptions totals $24.7B (Source).
Trends in Media and Entertainment

Customization Based on Customer Needs

Entertainment Powerhouses

Reimagining Entertainment

Continued Rise of Video Gaming, Social Video, and Audio

Customization Based on Customer Needs
- Entertainment companies now have a direct relationship with their customers. Delivering a unique, personalized experience is critical. Content owners must collect and analyze data to understand customers’ preferences and behaviors, and use this data to inform investments and business offerings. Advertising also benefits from these additional customer insights (Source).
- As the world recovers from the global pandemic, media and entertainment companies must understand the economic needs of consumers. Customers who lost income during the pandemic were more than twice as likely to cancel a streaming service because of cost, compared with those whose income remained the same (Source).
- Customers want tailored options for pricing. Broad content libraries and tiered pricing, including free, ad-supported offerings, are essential to retaining existing customers. Many customers are comfortable watching ads to eliminate or reduce subscription costs (Source).
- Home/mobile entertainment users are shifting to advanced wireless networks. 5G wireless technology is gaining traction with consumers. Home/mobile entertainment companies should consider users’ connectivity (Source).

Entertainment Powerhouses
- The entertainment providers that survive will be those who invest in delighting the customer with unique experiences and drive consumption around bingeing.
- Entertainment providers struggle to keep up with Netflix and Disney—companies that can afford to spend billions of dollars on intellectual property.
- Consumers find it increasingly difficult to manage multiple subscriptions, find the content they want, and balance costs with their tolerance for advertising (Source).
- Original content remains the driving factor behind consumer adoption and cancellation of streaming services. Streaming companies should attract customers with original content and retain them by customizing offers to their likes and dislikes (Source). Encouraging communities around content is another factor in retention.
- Threats from the outside include social media, video gaming, and music services (Source).

Reimagining Entertainment
- Next-generation technologies, such as 5G and IoT, offer opportunities to engage customers in new ways. Media and entertainment executives must realize that distribution is critical to maintaining relationships with customers. Forty-seven percent of executives have invested in such technologies (Source).
- Media and entertainment companies need to reimagine what shows, movies, games, and concerts will look like in the future. The lines between delivery channels have blurred and will continue to do so (Source).
- The future offers an entertainment “metaverse” where all entertainment options converge. Virtual reality technology will allow players to enter the digital space by creating 3D physical scans.
- NFTS (non-fungible tokens) used to claim unique digital ownership will be employed to allow users to own a piece of the virtual world (Source).
- Due to global lockdowns, 2020 brought live entertainment into the home and made it more accessible to larger and more diverse audiences (Source).
- On-screen representation continues to improve, but still has much room to grow. At major and mid-major studios, 91 percent of C-level positions are held by white employees. Black actors reached proportional representation in 2017-2018, but Latinx and Asian Americans remain underrepresented (Source).

Continued Rise of Video Gaming, Social Video, and Audio
- Gen Z prefers to play games, stream music, and use social media rather than watch TV or movies. A Deloitte survey found that 87 percent of Gen Z, 83 percent of millennials, and 79 percent of Gen X said they play video games at least weekly (Source).
- TikTok has over 700 million monthly users worldwide (Source). Global lockdowns contributed to doubling TikTok’s number of users in the US, which is expected to surpass 50 million in 2021 (Source). Facebook has launched its own social video platform, along with IGTV and Reels on Instagram.
- 5G adoption has contributed to faster video streaming and download speeds.
- There are now 1.5 million active podcasts. By 2023, the number of people who listen at least monthly is expected to grow to 164 million (Source). Spotify has invested in acquiring podcasting capabilities and in the exclusive rights to certain popular podcasts (Source). Advertising will be key to monetizing podcasts and other audio platforms.
- Clubhouse launched as an audio-only social media platform. Less than a year after its launch, the service now has 2 million active users worldwide and is reported to be worth $1B (Source).
The Outthinker 8P framework – opportunities for disruption and innovation in media and entertainment



















Outthinkers
- Transitioned in 2020 to release its movies on a streaming distribution platform. Universal movies will be released 17 days after they appear in theatres.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, NBCUniversal quickly pivoted to move major releases onto premium video-on-demand platforms and developed new ways to compensate actors.
- The company also launched Peacock, an ad-supported streaming service that had 26 million sign-ups just five months after its launch (Fast Company).
- In 2021, NBCUniversal’s project Innovation is expected to award nearly $3.5M to non-profit organizations that are tackling everyday problems through innovative solutions (Source).

- This new marketing and entertainment company, launched by basketball star, LeBron James, and businessman, Maverick Carter, aims to link entertainment to social justice through Hollywood content.
- The content gives a voice to a diverse audience of creators and consumers that have been underserved by traditional entertainment options.
- The company raised $100M in 2020 and has deals to develop and distribute content with Amazon, Disney, Universal, CNN, Sirius, and others. SpringHill has also advised incumbent entertainment companies on how to address diversity and inclusion (Source).

- Substack is a newsletter and podcasting platform that applies the strategic concept Coordinate the Uncoordinated to allow journalists to develop their own business and empowers them to maintain creative control.
- Writers and creatives build their own audiences, and readers pay directly to receive content (Source).
- Substack has 250,000 paid subscribers and its top 10 publishers collectively bring in $7M in annual revenue (Source).
- The company also offers grants to help writers build their audience, and mentorship programs between writers and subscribers.