Marketing to what they call “The Change Generation,” Carlos Watson and Samir Rao have built an increasingly successful media company backed by prominent investors and a team that prides itself on their diversity and fresh perspectives.
In 2013, Watson and Rao, former colleagues at Goldman Sachs, ran into each other in a Chipotle parking lot and had a conversation that sparked the beginning idea of OZY: reimagining news for a “globally minded, discerning and diverse group that they named the Change Generation.” They wanted to make a platform for the people who were tired of reading the same menu of news, rehashing yesterday’s big stories.
Backed by prominent investors like Laurene Powell Jobs, they launched OZY in 2013, and the platform quickly took off. While there are many alternative news platforms now, OZY took a completely different approach then their competitors. They marketed to the thinkers who challenge the status quo, who question the news they are handed, who push boundaries. They marketed to readers who were tired of echo-chamber news, and ready for a fresh perspective. They flipped today’s news on it’s head - and it worked.
Today, OZY reaches over 50 million people each month on their variety of media platforms. From podcasts, to YouTube and Television, to the thriving online magazine, OZY has built a reputable name by focusing on “the new and the next.”
Whether it be the newest rising sports star, or latest fad, OZY prides itself on getting there first. They have profiled over 1,000 breakout figures and trends before larger publications like New York Times and The Economist. (OZY featured Trevor Noah before he was named host of The Daily Show, and showcased Aaron Judge before he was a Yankee All-Star.)
Take for example, a story published on Tuesday about a Ivonne Roman - a female Newark Police Commander who is working to get more women in policing by launching the Women’s Leadership Campaign. OZY published this as the top feature of the day on Tuesday, spreading the awareness of what Roman is trying to do. They even go as far as to include a subheading titled “Why You Should Care,” with a quick sentence explaining the importance of what Roman is doing.
The feature is extremely readable and intriguing, yet full of outside information that backs up Roman’s interview. The article, chalk full of hyperlinks, photos, and data is driven by Roman’s quotes embedded in each paragraph in a way that makes the reader feel as if they’re conversing with Roman herself:
“At the same time, women are named less in lawsuits and force complaints and have fewer allegations of excessive force. “I use my wits … because I’m smaller in size,” she says. “There’ve been a ton of times where I’ve convinced someone to comply with me by not coming across as aggressive. I still get the same outcome and without having to escalate a situation.’”
In a single paragraph, OZY writer Cari Shane has set up the use of Roman’s quote with a brief sentence, a link to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service report that backs up what she says, and a quote that allows the reader to gain a glimpse of both Roman’s personality and reasoning.
This story may not have made the front page, or even been reported, on many other publications sites. OZY however, has published it with conviction.
They use multimedia tools to grab the reader’s attention and make the story readable. They use multiple sources and links to previous research on the subject to gain credibility. They use significant interviews to build a sense of rapport between the reader and Roman. And they tell you exactly why it matters.
Ozy has branded itself into its own category of news. They have made themselves available across many media platforms, and have not lost their credibility along the way. They report with accuracy and creativity. With diverging perspectives and boundary pushing concepts. With conviction and clarity. They report journalistically, yet keep up with the ever-changing world of technology.
OZY reports on the new and the next, for the Changing Generation.