Media, Communications & New Tech industry in the spotlight
Zanders advises and supports media businesses
Technology is the most crucial driver behind change. This is evident in the world of media and communication. Where we used to be served in the past by newspapers, radio and a few TV channels, the choice on off er today is enormous. Everything that was promised to us 10 years ago, in the way of a combination of IT and media, now really seems to be possible. This means that the dynamics in that sector are huge. Countless channels, sites, content products and artists jostle for the attention of the consumer via TV, radio, tablets, smartphones, laptops and desktops.
These far-reaching changes in the media landscape are forcing media businesses and content providers to review their business models, to follow diff erent paths and to do business in new and innovative ways. They have to invest and to make acquisitions in order to maintain or increase their market positions, as well as in order to maximize their shareholders’ value. The yield from surplus liquidity held on deposit is considerably less than money that is invested in the company. Unfortunately, investing and particularly making acquisitions is more expensive now than ever before.
Media, Communications & New Tech
Moreover, it means that media entrepreneurs are faced not only with exciting technical challenges, but also with financial ones. The Media, Communications & New Tech practice in Zanders is therefore aimed specifically at entrepreneurs and businesses in the new tech and media sector that need support with their takeovers, questions concerning fundraising and advice. Important aspects of this include the matching of parties and the professional and expert completion of transactions.
“We clearly meet a demand in the sector ”
The driving force behind the Zanders’ media practice is the duo of consultants Arnoud Hattink and Dennis Maas, who have cut their teeth in the area of media, communications and new tech. ”We like to present a transparent story, which clearly appeals to media parties. Within the area of corporate finance there is no other consultancy that specializes in a similar way in media, communications and new tech. We are now very competent at this and we are able to meet a clear need in the sector. From the moment that we specifically started to focus on this market, there has been strong interest in our services,” says Maas. This in turn has led to various special assignments, including the recent supervised sale of a leading media company.
Expertise
The service for media businesses fi ts in well with Zanders’ Corporate Finance advisory department but it also complements Zanders’ Structuring and Arranging services. For some time now, Zanders has been increasing its expertise in sustainable energy, the installation market and the telecom sector.
The addition of media and entertainment to Zanders’ expertise is a development fully supported by Maas, who notes: “Because we specialize in certain industries, we can keep fully up-to-date with what’s going on in the market. We can use all our knowledge and expertise for the benefi t of our clients.” “Zanders is a niche player,” continues Maas. “The Big Four offi ces also have departments that do the same work as we do. For them, however, this is simply one of the many branches of the sport, and we are more specialized. With around 150 employees the situation is diff erent at Zanders, which only aims at corporate finance, treasury and risk management. In this way, a great deal of knowledge and expertise can be built up, besides the ability to off er advantageous prices and a wide degree of fl exibility.”
Trends
It is not surprising that Maas is one of the leaders in Media, Communications & New Tech. “I’ve worked for companies such as MTV and Universal Studios. Although I enjoyed working for several diff erent companies over the years, these two media parties stuck out. I really like the ambience within this sector.” Recently Maas and his ZCF colleagues carefully charted the media sector and its wide-ranging needs. Maas says: “We took the term ‘media’ in its widest possible sense, as a group name for possibilities, in order to be able to get the message across. This could be via a website or a free local paper. We then investigated the trends. This brought to our attention the fact that many traditional parties are trying to win a place on the digital platform.”
Zanders can support these players in striking deals, fundraising, and in-house M&A. “I hope and expect that we will also be able to contribute a great deal to the buyer’s side”, says Maas. “For example, with strategic support, but we can also fulfi ll the role of sparring partner.”
In the end, a media party cannot simply rely on attracting as many visitors as possible to an Internet site. Maas observes: “The main point is how you make a site as profi table as possible, for instance by using e-commerce. For this reason, the business lies with finding the right platforms and in thereby securing a good position. Then you become interesting to the multinationals, which want to get their messages across. If you know how to combine these aspects, then you can be a winner. Zanders is pleased to be of assistance in this area.”
