Storytelling has the power to create social change and transformation on a global level. Social Impact Entertainment (“SIE”) is a variety of mainstream entertainment content, predominantly but not exclusively, in film and television that intends to have social or environmental impact while providing great entertainment value.
The LOHAS Capital SIE team works exclusively with studios and individual project producers to help craft compelling stories that will inspire and engage impact investors and strategic partners while architecting creative structures and approaches to attract organizations and other parties to participate in the development and promotion of the production.
Impact-Entertainment Continuum graphic courtesy of the SIE Society
These are some of the types of questions LOHAS Capital helps its clients address:
How do you most effectively engage the impact investment community?
Which individuals and organizations are most closely aligned with your message?
Which partners could most expand the reach and impact of the feature?
Are there tax or other strategies to maximize financial returns?
How will the social or environmental impact be measured?
How should different investors participate to maximize financial and impact returns?
How will brands and intellectual property be managed and protected?
What are the uses and benefits of (and ways to attract) donated fund investment?
Is there a role for crowdfunding to increase investment and audience engagement?
What are the optimal marketing strategies and promotional pathways?
Why LOHAS?
The LOHAS team has broad industry knowledge gleaned from many years providing financial and strategic advisory and other services to a wide variety of media and entertainment companies and productions. In the rapidly evolving entertainment sector, we not only understand the ecosystems and opportunities from a conceptual basis but also the intricacies of running such companies and producing such features, with actual C-level and production operational experience in the entertainment sector.
Our Team is Our Strength
Beyond a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and the pathways to producing successful projects, LOHAS team members are social and environmental impact veterans, including serving as pioneers in the SIE arena. LOHAS Partner William Nix is a member of the Producer’s Council of the Producers Guild of America, a founder of its Social Impact Entertainment Task Force, and a member of its Diversity, Education, International, and Documentary Committees.
In addition to being an experienced media and entertainment attorney, producer, and financier, Will helped launch and serves as Co-Executive Director of the SIE Society, the leading alliance to educate, equip, and catalyze SIE organizations, institutions, and professionals around the world.
How can LOHAS Capital help?
The LOHAS Capital SIE team offers deal preparation and execution, including the development of a compelling investment thesis; careful selection of the most appropriate execution options; and help selecting investors, merger and joint-venture strategic partners, well-aligned donors/grantors, and the potential buyers who are most motivated to act. To accomplish such goals, we create thoughtful and effective offering memoranda and marketing materials; conduct focused and energetic marketing efforts; and execute strategic plans based on our decades of combined industry expertise and business experience. We apply the same operational insight and knowledge to auctions, buyer assignments, and strategic advice.
In the process of working on capitalization and other financing projects, we rely on extensive valuation experience in traditional and digital media, including film, television, videogame, publishing, music, transmedia Internet services and content, computer software, technology, and other industries, including in the field of sports. Our analysis is informed by a variety of inputs: competitive analysis, industry dynamics, financial performance, possible buyer synergies, and multiple approaches to company/production valuation.
As part of our business advisory services we have also worked with founders and operators to design and structure corporate visions to optimize value for their businesses. These can include, among other activities, brand development, the auditing and analyzing of intellectual property (copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets) and other assets to determine how best to maximize their potential.
Using Entertainment as a Vehicle for Social Change
For guidance and support with your SIE studio or production (whether planned or already underway), please contact us.