Is Thnkr a legitimate challenge to the powerhouse that is TED?

As video, and YouTube in particular, moves closer and closer to the centre of everything that happens on the internet, so innovative thinkers are finding ever more extraordinary ways to leverage its power for good. YouTube is no longer just ground zero for time wasting and idle surfing, it’s become a serious platform for disseminating ideas and stating movements.

Into this burgeoning space comes Thnkr, a YouTube channel which is offering content to inspire and uplift and provoke a media-savvy generation. And the leader in this field, the mighty TED talks should sit up and take notice.

Thnkr is produced by @radicalmedia — “a global transmedia company that creates some of the world’s most innovative content across all forms of media.”

The company has proven itself over and over with innovative campaigns for Nike Fuel, Levis, ESPN and many other multi-national brands, as well as projects with the likes of Arcade Fire and Terry Guilliam (with an extraordinarily slick looking offering and such big reach, it’s strange that the company has only 3800 followers on Twitter. But that’s a subject for another story).

With its foray into the realm of a dedicated YouTube channel, the company is planning to offer ‘extraordinary access to the people, stories, places and thinking that will change your mind.”

Now, with this YouTube project, the company is taking a giant foray into the kind of motivational, feel-good content that has come to define brands like TED. Its motto is ‘Change Your Mind’ and it is presenting four separate playlists as part of its YouTube account.

The playlists are organised around themes:

Bookd: “A bi-weekly series, which explores game-changing books through the insights and opinions of engaging personalities.”

Epiphany: “A daily series that invites impassioned thought leaders across all disciplines to reveal the innovative, the improbable, and the unexpected of their worlds.”

Podium: “A bi-weekly series that embraces the art of oration, highlighting the technique and triumphs of public speaking including historical speeches, commencement addresses, wedding toasts, and beyond.”

Prodigies: “A bi-weekly series showcasing the youngest and brightest as they challenge themselves to reach new heights and the stories behind them.”

So far the contest has included an in-depth look at the barefoot running movement, a profile of a nine-year old child prodigy, discussions on whether to eat meat, defining beauty and much more. So far there are just over 60 videos on Thnkr, but it seems clear that this channel could really gain traction and become a force to be reckoned with.

Clearly there are commercial benefits behind the site, such as a strong advertising presence. But its slick, well presented, and extremely watchable content that should find a niche on the net and could grow into something really powerful.