About

CHANNEMALS(SM): Creating a conversation between people who love their animals and the brands that want to engage them.

Business Summary: A network of pet-centric media channels delivering entertainment, interaction and information to the public, and audience & data to the pet market. Flagship unit, thepuppychannel.com, combines YouTube-type video fun with a Facebook-like experience for pet-lovers. Content includes regularly updated original video features, plus "the best of" online puppy/dog videos. The social platform's database technology will involve marketers of pet products and services, to enable targeted marketing messages and addressable information about consumer preferences and needs.

Management: Have co-created an Internet business that attracts millions (M) of viewers per month, video programming that attracts 8M viewers for a single TV show, plus many other media favorites; and a documented incremental Billion (B) dollars of revenues through media, over time. One co-created business model generated a $3M revenue month within 2 years of a $3M investment.

Management Team:
Daniel A. FitzSimons, Managing Partner
Scott Carmichael, Interactive Partner
Maureen Smith, Creative Partner

Consumer Need Served: Voracious appetite for online videos, which reached more than 33B viewings in May 2010 by 183M Americans, up over a doubling from 2008-2009. Yet no highly popular, concentrated, safe, environment that is focused on pet videos and game-like applications exists today.

Product/Services: Best practices in online entertainment, engagement and information for the public, to be enabled by known, yet unexploited, technology. Next to be funded are 1) Premium Content, to ride/push the online trend toward professional-quality videos, 2) Interactive Engagement applications (apps) to increase public involvement and time on-site, and 3) Market Analytics to serve pet product marketing sponsors.

Target Market: B2C; pet entertainment fans among the majority of Americans who, in 2011, will purchase $50B products and/or services for pets, and the 180M+ who will watch online videos multiple times a day. B2B; the marketers of pet products and services that intend to engage consumers in media, regarding opportunities to serve them more effectively and competitively.

Customers: Consumers who purchase products and videos from the site. Cosponsors of proprietary content and apps. A wide variety of advertisers whose products appeal to pet-lovers (e.g., pet-friendly cars/trucks, furniture).

Sales/Marketing Strategy: Employ the research-proved charm of The Puppy Channel(R) concept to win publicity in traditional and "new" media, based on the creation of high-interest videos and apps such as casual games (e.g., image annotation). This has proved to work, demonstrated by publicity that resulted in significant and sustaining (though modest) growth. Employ social media to build the "buzz" that already exists due to the concept's appeal and current low-budget Internet presence. Form strategic  alliances with pet industry marketers. Advertise online and in market-focused traditional media. Establish out-of-home channels.

Business Model: 5 revenue streams

1. Advertising: cost/exposure, click, action; sponsorship; category exclusivity
2. E-commerce: virtual, pet, and personal goods; Amazon, E-Bay, etc., affiliations
3. Applications: such as casual games and e-cards; e.g., ElfYourself email
4. Content sales: to cross-platform media and individuals, membership, access
5. Data generation: for resale to brands, retailers and e-tailers

Competitors: There are many pet-related websites. Principal among them are Petfinder.com, which matches seekers with shelter animals; MarthaStewart.com, which has not introduced apps delivering high traffic; Petsmart, which is retailingspecific, and thus not as entertaining; Dogtime and Dogster, which also have not deployed the engagement attractions in our plan; and Petcentric, which is also specific to the Purina brand.

Barriers to Success: Competitive attention to the growing online opportunities in the pet and entertainment industries. Potential reaction to our initiatives and accomplishments from well-funded competitors.

Competitive Advantages: Mgmt. capabilities, reputations and demonstrated successes. Tight focus on consumer desires and subject categories. Industry knowledge. Being category-specific vs. product-related. High-quality orientation.

Financial Information:
Funding Stage: Prototype Ready
Family/Friends Capital: $31k, 2008-10
Monthly Burn Rate: $1,000
Pre-Money Valuation: $5,000,000
Capital Seeking: $750,000
Additional Information: Projections include additional investment tranches of $1 Million for each of 2012 and 2013. Angel exit strategy is seen to be a Series A stock issue, or outright sale.
Use of Funds: Premium and syndicated content, original applications, marketing, spinoffs, office and staff.