How Is LGBTQ+ Being Represented in Media? Paul Kontonis of Revry Explains It to a Teenager

We talked to Paul Kontonis of Revry, and he explained what his company does, and how it supports and represents the LGBTQ+ community!

What does Paul Kontonis do?

Paul Kontonis is the Chief Marketing Officer at Revry, which is a global LGBTQ+ streaming network. He leads strategic marketing efforts, oversees brand management, works on audience engagement, helps with advertising campaigns, and helps cultivate purpose-driven campaigns that represent how Revry is LGBTQ-first.

What is interesting about what Paul does?

What I find most interesting about what Paul does is that although he works for a streaming TV network, like many people here, he focuses on advertising to and from a certain group of people, with the intention of creating a more inclusive world and content space. He works to get LGBTQ+ voices heard and also supports the community both socially and economically. I like how Revry’s intention isn't to just make another TV network but to make one centered on the LGBTQ+ community. This helps bring revenue to LGBTQ+ shows and content.

What did I like about Pauls's message?

I liked that Paul’s message essentially said that you shouldn’t ignore your campaign and think you're better than anyone else when you also work for the company. You should do the “dirty work” by going down and helping out with the physical campaign however you can. Not just step back and look at it, expecting to be done. You have to “get your hands dirty” and actually put in work so you can make sure it does get done.

TRANSCRIPT:

RIO: What's your name? What do you do?

PAUL: My name is Paul Kontonis. I'm the Chief Marketing Officer at Revry.

RIO: What is your company?

PAUL: Revry.

RIO: And what do you do?

PAUL: We're an LGBTQ-first TV network. We're streaming on free ad-supported TV, providing LGBTQ-first content, supporting the community, representing the community, and being there for the community.

RIO: Oh, wow. So what does your business do that separates itself from other businesses?

PAUL: Well, by being LGBTQ-focused, we are really showing the community that representation in media matters. And by programming for the community, we're creating an authentic environment for content that everyone can enjoy.

RIO: So, how would I experience what you do as a business and as a company?

PAUL: As an individual, as anybody, as a consumer, you could turn on your Vizio TV and go to the Watch Free app to find our channel right there. Or maybe Samsung TV Plus, where you can find our channel, or Rakuten. We're here in Europe, right? So let's turn on Rakuten, or a Roku channel. And you could just start watching—our movies, reality competitions, anything you want, anytime.

RIO: And just to lay out a question, what do you like about your job?

PAUL: Oh, that's actually a really good question. I love my job. I love my job because I can actually have a purpose and a mission in what we do in marketing and my role as a marketer. It's not just always "tune in, watch now, stream tonight." It can also be purpose-driven. I understand that every day, I'm inspiring the exploration of authentic voices from the LGBTQ community for the social and economic growth of the community. So, we're producing content with LGBTQ creators both in front of and behind the camera, financing other productions, and creating wealth within the media ecosystem of a diverse and media-owned entity.

RIO: Interesting. And what does your company do to make money? 

PAUL: So, we have all this great LGBTQ+ programming, and we offer spaces for advertisers to place their messages. It's a traditional ad-selling business. Many advertisers want to engage more deeply with us—they want to integrate into programming, sponsor programming, and be more involved in the community. 

RIO: And as a final question, do you have a message for marketers out there?

PAUL: Yeah, I think as a marketer, you've got to actually do the work. You've got to have a good ground game. As a marketer, you can't get disconnected from your ultimate goal, which is to grow your business and drive revenue. You have to get your hands dirty, get into the mix. You can't just look at everything from above and think of it as a beautiful campaign. You need to have your hands in the mix and be as we call it, grounded

RIO: You just have to be more hands-on. All right. Thank you very much for your time!