Free Newsletter
Content is the new universal truth for marketing any type of good or service. Commerce brands are investing in content, and content brands are investing in commerce. The winning consumer brands of tomorrow will be the ones that utilize content and personalities across platforms to cultivate passionate fandoms that are monetized through direct-to-consumer commerce.
"To plan FAO's digital transformation, we needed an expert team who understood how parents and kids are spending their time and money online, which is powering new direct-to-consumer business models for toy retailers. RockWater was a great bolt-on partner to us and facilitated ou…
"Christopher and team were extraordinarily helpful as we were finding our way early on with social commerce. Our situation was unique, which meant that our options would be as well...Rockwater's expertise and enthusiasm for the space provided lights on the path. I knew immediat…
“Chris and his team at RockWater are highly skilled at taking market trends and analyzing them in a digestible and useful way. The level of attention to detail that they bring to all of their work is outstanding and I really enjoy how in depth he goes with his guests on the pod…
“RockWater is at the forefront of where new media and sports are headed. Publishers, investors, brands, and tech co's know that to stay ahead of the game, they need a partner like RockWater to make sense of the ecosystem shifts, platform evolutions, and the underlying strategie…
“RockWater is my oracle for the media and commerce world. Chris Erwin and his team help me think many, many moves ahead of most players because they deeply understand all the pieces from a variety of perspectives.” …
“Chris is one of the smartest people in media I know. He has the unique ability to be super strategic while also caring deeply about operational execution. Chris and the RockWater team truly get where modern media is today and where it’s headed, with a special expertise aroun…
“I turn to the Rockwater team whenever I need to separate the signal from the noise in tracking the rapid evolution of the creator economy and its disruption to traditional media models. Rockwater’s content – newsletter, forecasts and podcast – are some of the most reliab…
“RockWater delivers something few others can: unique perspective. Chris and his team analyze the complicated playing field and cut through the BS to deliver actionable insights that add immediate value. RockWater acts as an extension of my own team, adding a tool to our toolbox…
"When we began looking for intelligence partners, we knew we wanted a group who would work with us as part of a team, not a vendor. We found exactly what we were looking for in RockWater. Starting from a very open place, they were comfortable with and capable of helping us ...
“Every time I’ve worked and spent time with Chris and his RockWater team it’s been a true joy. He deeply understands where the market is headed and provides actionable insights and guidance to help companies launch profitable new businesses. He also has a deep and wide-rang…
"After spending over a decade on Wall Street, I'm no stranger to consuming deep research from the street. Take that level of depth, apply it to the major changes happening at light speed in the creator economy today, and there is no other shop I would recommend more than RockWate…
"Chris and his team are not just collaborators, they're visionaries. They see opportunities for clients that they don't see themselves. We have ideated with RockWater, and think of them as a group of creatives, as well as strategists." …
"Chris and the RockWater team provide a differentiated perspective on the sports ecosystem. Specifically, their ability to leverage their deep expertise in media and apply it to frontier markets such as sports betting and esports helped us to flesh out white space ...
"As a venture capitalist looking for the next disruptive force in media and entertainment, RockWater has become an essential source of detailed thinking around the trends and companies that will be driving major change in this industry for years to come."
Collabspace is a mobile-first platform for Creators and Creative Freelancers to connect and transact for paid creative gigs and collab ...
Learn more
FAO Schwarz is the world's most renowned specialty kids toy manufacturer and retailer. Since being founded over 160 years ago, the company has ...
Learn more
XL Media (LSE: XLMedia PLC) is a global performance publisher. It combines the power of people, data-driven behavioral insight, and captivating ...
Learn more
Team Coco is a digitally-native comedy brand, and a joint venture between Conan O’Brien and WarnerMedia. Entering 2020 Team Coco sought to ...
Learn more
VERB Technology Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERB) is rapidly emerging as the market leader in business-focused interactive video sales and marketing ...
Learn more
RockWater is an active collaborator with Mattson, a global food and CPG innovator behind brands like Popchips, Blue Bottle Cold Brew, White ...
Learn more
Red Seat Ventures partners with talent, brands, and influencers to fund, build, and operate unique businesses. Founder and executive leadership ...
Learn moreCollabspace is a mobile-first platform for Creators and Creative Freelancers to connect and transact for paid creative gigs and collab opportunities. Their unique platform solution makes these creator economy collabs as seamless as possible — facilitating quick discovery, assessment, communication, management, and payment for creator partners.
Collabspace was built by a team of founders and engineers with extensive creator economy, product, and engineering experience, and is the result of over 25,000 engineering hours. The company’s leadership engaged RockWater to help them develop fundraising strategies and M&A opportunities.
FAO Schwarz is the world’s most renowned specialty kids toy manufacturer and retailer. Since being founded over 160 years ago, the company has transformed into an omnichannel brand across brick & mortar, wholesale, and web and social commerce. The company is owned by ThreeSixty Group, which owns and operates 5+ global consumer brands including Vornado and Sharper Image.
To plan FAO’s digital transformation, we needed an expert team who understood how parents and kids are spending their time and money online, which is powering new direct-to-consumer business models for toy retailers. RockWater was a great bolt-on partner to us and facilitated outlining an exciting new growth strategy for FAO Schwarz.
Jan-Eric Kloth, President, International Sales, Retail, & Corporate Strategy at ThreeSixty Group
XL Media (LSE: XLMedia PLC) is a global performance publisher. It combines the power of people, data-driven behavioral insight, and captivating editorial content to build valuable connections between brands and consumers.
When we began looking for intelligence partners, we knew we wanted a group who would work with us as part of a team, not a vendor. We found exactly what we were looking for in RockWater. Starting from a very open place, they were comfortable with and capable of helping us identify and focus on the most advantageous areas of business for the group. The research they deliver is consistently contextual, actionable and valuable in driving strategic decisions and growth.
Elizabeth Carter, VP of Marketing and Taylor Quist, Head of Global Brand Strategy
Team Coco is a digitally-native comedy brand, and a joint venture between Conan O’Brien and WarnerMedia. Entering 2020 Team Coco sought to capitalize on incredible revenue and M&A market momentum. Their executive leadership required advisory to define their growth strategy and execution plan, board communications, and buy-side M&A diligence and valuation.
In my role as COO of Team Coco, when we decided we needed help strategizing and plotting new growth initiatives, RockWater was the first call I made.
Adam Sachs, COO
VERB Technology Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERB) is rapidly emerging as the market leader in business-focused interactive video sales and marketing tools, including livestream ecommerce, CRM, and content management applications. With offices in California and Utah, VERB services clients in 60 countries and in 48 languages.
Founder and C-suite leadership sought market research, consumer and executive surveys, and go-to-market planning for a new livestream commerce product launch.
RockWater is an active collaborator with Mattson, a global food and CPG innovator behind brands like Popchips, Blue Bottle Cold Brew, White Castle, and Yogurtland. Together, RockWater and Mattson are bringing unique food & beverage commerce solutions to traditional and digital media partners ranging from publishers and celebrities to sports / esports leagues and franchises.
Chris and his team are not just collaborators, they’re visionaries. They see opportunities for clients that they don’t see themselves. We have ideated with RockWater, and think of them as a group of creatives, as well as strategists.
Barb Stuckey, President & Chief Innovation Officer
Red Seat Ventures partners with talent, brands, and influencers to fund, build, and operate unique businesses. Founder and executive leadership sought investment targets for a Content x Commerce investor roll-up strategy, optimization of their user acquisition “funnel” across 6+ digital channels, and an audience and marketing forecast model.
RockWater delivers something few others can: unique perspective. Chris and his team analyze the complicated playing field and cut through the BS to deliver actionable insights that add immediate value. RockWater acts as an extension of my own team, adding a tool to our toolbox at the exact moment we need it.
Chris Balfe, Founder & Partner
