The Return Of “Explain It To A Teenager”

It’s back!

Our crowd favorite “Explain It To A Teenager” series is back for 2024 as a host of executives from across the industry attempt to explain what exactly they do to actual teenagers Rio Damata and Jensen Muller .

The first two are live on TVREV now, with victims/interview subjects Alan Wolk and tom flanagan . Be on the lookout for a whole host more over the course of the summer along with all our other video from Cannes Lions, like our Proximity series with Madhive, “Why Advertising Is Shifting To Local” and much, much more.

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Watch Alan Wolk Explain TVREV To A Teen

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Everyone knows Alan Wolk as the man who coined the term FAST, or the guy who gives funny anecdotes in every column and interviews people and helps them say things simply. But now, this time, I got to interview him on what it’s like being the the co-founder and lead analyst of TVREV. We got to discuss the company's role in the television industry and how TVREV navigates the intersection of streaming and advertising, providing insights and strategies through articles, reports, speeches, and panels. Alan also shares valuable advice for newcomers in the field, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and expertise in emerging technologies like AI, which I used to get this transcript cleaned up.

Rio Damata: What's your name and what do you do for a living?

Alan Wolk: My name is Alan Wolk, and I am the co-founder and lead analyst at TVREV.

Rio Damata: And what is TVREV?

Alan Wolk: TVREV is an analyst firm for the television industry. We cover the intersection of streaming and advertising.

Rio Damata: By covering the intersection of streaming and advertising, what does that mean?

Alan Wolk: It means we write articles, create reports, give speeches, and run panels about the major developments in streaming TV and how they relate to the advertising industry. We help companies in the streaming business understand how to monetize through advertising.

Rio Damata: How can people access TVREV?

Alan Wolk: We have a website that's free to access. We also have a newsletter that goes out five times a week, each day covering a different topic, and that's also free. You can subscribe to the newsletter at TVREV.com or visit the website. We also have a significant presence on LinkedIn.

Rio Damata: How does TVREV put people on the map?

Alan Wolk: We do Q&A articles and have a program called the Thought Leaders Circle. It's a content marketing program where members can publish their content on TVREV, whether it's articles or videos. We distribute this content through our newsletter, which reaches almost 60,000 people, and on LinkedIn, where we have almost 300,000 followers. Our audience is about 50/50 between advertising professionals and those involved in content creation or distribution. It's a high-level audience, with 24% having C-level titles and 13% being CEOs or founders.

Rio Damata: By C-level, you mean?

Alan Wolk: Titles like Chief Technology Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Operating Officer, etc. The number of these titles keeps expanding.

Rio Damata: What advice do you have for people who are up-and-coming in this field?

Alan Wolk: Don't get discouraged and always keep evolving. It's important not to get stuck in a role you're comfortable with without looking at what's next. Everything is changing quickly, so you always need to be aware of future trends. For instance, if I were starting out, I'd focus on becoming an expert in AI, as it's going to be the next big thing.

Rio Damata: How does AI impact TVREV?

Alan Wolk: At TVREV, we use AI for creating visuals with tools like DALL-E. I also use AI to proofread content and sometimes to help decide between two headlines for an article. It can offer valid opinions, which I sometimes agree with and sometimes don't, but it's like having another person to consult with.

Rio Damata: That's interesting. Thank you very much for your time.

Alan Wolk: Thank you.

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Tom Flanagan, Man Of Many Talents, Explains Versatility To A Teenager

?I got the chance to sit down with a man of many talents, Tom Flanagan. He’s worked making TV shows, commercials, concerts, launched TV networks, gaming companies, magazines and he even writes music. He worked with some of the Jackass guys on MTV, skaters from Berricks and helped rock stars climb mountains for cancer. He started a beer brand, and won awards for making fun of Crocs shoes, and they paid him to do that.

He was at Cannes Creativity Festival launching a cool gaming career company called The Kickback which is “an educational, entertainment, and media platform with a series of live stream events focused on gaming culture. It’s mission is to cultivate innovation, creativity, and ensure career opportunities for the next generation of diverse students, including those attending HBCUs”.

After his endeavors working for different companies, he decided to open up his own holding company Irish Boy Ventures and also he has some secret stuff happening with car brands that I wish I could tell you.

I had a lot of fun during this interview, and learned a lot about versatility.

Rio Damata: So, what's your name and what do you do for a living?

Tom Flanagan: My name's Tom Flanagan, and I build media and entertainment properties.

Rio Damata: Do you work for a company or do you own a company?

Tom Flanagan: For many years, I worked for a lot of big companies in the advertising space. Since we're at Cannes, I'll mention Leo Burnett, where I started as a consultant 24 years ago. I later became an executive, ran Leo Burnett New York, and helped open offices in Los Angeles. I also oversaw global entertainment marketing, which included music, fashion, action sports, and similar areas at Leo Burnett.

Rio Damata: What is Leo Burnett?

Tom Flanagan: Leo Burnett is one of the leading advertising agencies in the world. I believe there are about 96 offices around the world at this point.

Rio Damata: What do they do as an advertising agency?

Tom Flanagan: As an advertising agency, we worked on big global clients like McDonald's and Samsung, among others. Over the years, they've made acquisitions and become part of the Publicis Holding Group, which is based here in France and is one of the largest holding groups. I left to pursue various other things, and now I have my own company.

Rio Damata: What's your company called?

Tom Flanagan: It's called Irish Boy Ventures. We're essentially a holding company, and we partner with and invest in various media and entertainment companies. We aim to build our own media and entertainment properties, focusing on niches such as gaming, luxury automotive, and sports. Our strategy is called "stacking niches," where we focus on fans of specific lifestyles and build experiences around those lifestyles to help them celebrate and elevate their experiences.

Rio Damata: That's interesting. Can you elaborate on what you mean by "niches"?

Tom Flanagan: Sure. For example, in gaming, we realized there was a need for HBCU (Historically Black College and University) schools. There's a great company in Atlanta called Community, spelled with an "X" instead of an "O" (CXmmunity). They launched the first esports league for HBCU schools, enabling black students to recognize what's possible in gaming and esports. Despite a high percentage of young black kids playing video games, less than 5% of black people have careers in the video game industry.

To address this, we started something called "The Kickback." It's a live event that we film, where we invite students from HBCUs and high schools—initially focusing on Atlanta—to learn about career opportunities in gaming. Executives from gaming companies speak to the kids about potential careers, and we end the event with a celebratory hip-hop concert, sneaker culture, and other elements the kids are passionate about. Essentially, it's a career fair disguised as a lot of fun.

Rio Damata: That sounds really interesting. What's your advice to anyone who wants to be in the marketing field or your field?

Tom Flanagan: My advice is to become a Swiss Army knife. Be curious about every role there is to play. In advertising, I've been fortunate to have every job you can possibly have. I started as an account manager, dealing with clients, creating reports, and ensuring they got what they needed from the agency. I moved on to sales, digital, creative, and eventually became the boss, running the agency. This versatility allows me to mentor people in various aspects of their careers, whether in advertising or producing television shows, films, and commercials.

Rio Damata: So, your basic advice is to be versatile?

Tom Flanagan: Yes, be very versatile. By doing that, you'll find what you love the most and can focus on that. For instance, I didn't enjoy account management, but I'm glad I did it because I learned a lot. As I progressed, I discovered my interests lay elsewhere in the industry. Some young people make the mistake of fixating on a single role, like being a creative director, without understanding the other roles within the company. This can hinder their career advancement because they don't fully grasp how the entire company works.

Rio Damata: That's interesting. Well, thank you very much for joining us. I appreciate it.

Tom Flanagan: You're welcome. Thank you for having me.

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