Ross Video's CEO, David Ross, jumped right in with his excitement about the company today and in the future. "The current brand was created around 2014. It really hasn't changed that much since then. We wanted to step it up a notch for who the company is right now but also be able to emphasize our connection to our customers. And that's going to be really, really important for our customers to know that not only do we have our code of ethics where we say we always want to act in the customer's best interest, but that we're going to continue to care because we're planning to IPO in two years."
Wait, Did You Say IPO?
Currently, Ross Video is owned by its employees and the Ross family through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). But will an IPO unravel the sense of pride of ownership in the Ross Video brand?
"One of the interesting things about that [IPO] statement is our industry, in general, hasn't had a consistently good experience with public companies. There have been some very noticeable challenges. A lot of the time, it's because the companies have lost their focus on having a superior customer experience and possibly turned more into a financial instrument," Ross said. He adamantly contends that Ross is not going to be like that. "And you can say, 'Oh, sure, the Street is going to tell you what to do.' No, no, seriously, because Ross is a 100 percent employee and family-owned business."
The current plan is to release 10 or 20 percent of the company to the public, leaving up to 80 percent for employees and Ross family. "On top of that, all the existing shareholders have super-voting shares," Ross added. "So, if my shares drop even to 10 percent of the company, and I have no idea why that would happen, I will still have 100 percent control of the company." The bottom line is that David Ross can't be fired. "And I really love making products that delight customers, having services that just blow people away, developing new products, and creating this ecosystem that Ross is. Even though we go public, I don't want to stop doing that." So how does Ross message that to its customers? "It has always been about the customer, but let's talk about that even more in the rebranding."
Rebrand
Ross Video is proud to announce the launch of its new brand platform, "Let's Make it Real." The visually dynamic platform represents a significant milestone in the company's evolution, showcasing its commitment to customer imagination and enabling the transformation of ideas into reality. This is an especially important step towards a planned IPO in the next few years to communicate that customers remain the central focus for the company.
The brand platform serves as an invitation to customers, partners, and industry professionals to challenge conventional thinking, imagine the extraordinary, and collaborate with Ross to bring their creative visions to life. This launch signifies an exciting chapter for Ross Video and sets the stage for a future of innovation, partnership, and ground-breaking achievements in the world of live video experiences.
"Offering customers a superior experience has been at the core of Ross since the founding of the company. Turning customer ideas into reality is literally what we do and always have done," said Ross. "That's why we're so excited about this new brand platform and what it holds for our future; it's authentic to who we are and the partnership dynamic we hold so dear. With the planned IPO, we feel it's important to reemphasize our commitment to customer success."
As an industry leader with a longstanding presence in the broadcast technology market, Ross has maintained a unique perspective by holding to an approach that encompasses both breadth and depth. This allows customers to blue-sky based on their unique circumstances and trust that Ross' vast production universe will allow their abstract ideas to take form.
"I think of it as more than a brand platform," said David Ross. "It's an invitation and a rallying cry to customers, partners, future employees, and everyone in the industry to challenge ourselves. Let's imagine what could be. Let's figure it out. Let's make it real."
"Our technology is in more settings and hands than ever, and our customers are using it to design stunning productions on a daily basis," said Jeff Moore, EVP, and CMO of Ross Video. "This new brand platform welcomes our customers' visionary thinking and puts them in the driver's seat so that they can dream up creative solutions alongside us. The vibrance and energy of the new visual system is a significant evolution for Ross and a massive step in conveying who we are to this broader audience. It's also fitting that this great work was a team effort. External partners bringing fresh eyes complimented by Ross staff who know and own the brand."
Future Picture
Ross is bullish about the future of the company. "Whenever I was talking to the financial types, one of the things I found interesting is a lot of people tell me, 'When you're public, you're not going to be able to do this. You're going to have to stop doing this. You're going to have to become more focused on the quarter. You're going to have to give dividends or something like that, which you've never done before.'" Ross confidently responds to each objection by saying, "You know what, we've grown nonstop. We haven't had it down year in 31 years. We've been growing on average 17 percent a year, which is very exciting for the financial community. And we've done it all internally funded, so we haven't had to have any cash injection at all through that period.
So how does Ross Video keep its focus and remain true to its core values? "We will stay exactly who we are. I can see if we didn't have such a commanding control of Ross Video going forward, then somebody will want to say, you know, maybe you can make the shareholder first and the customer second. And that's never been something that we've been interested in," Ross added.
Ross has been getting a lot of positive feedback from the financial community, liking exactly what they are doing, so they will continue with that path. "That interweaves very well with the new marketing look," Ross said. "What we're trying to say is, 'You know, we're a significant part of the industry now, and we don't want to change our focus, and we want to look like that in all of our communications out to our customers," concluded Ross.
