YouTube VP Pedro Pina on creators, culture and "Open Call"

On YouTube's 20th birthday, Pedro Pina not only looks back, but above all forward. At this year's YouTube Breakfast at Cannes Lions, he presented the platform's strategic direction in clear terms - and in an exclusive interview with m&khow YouTube intends to further expand its role as a cultural force.

YouTube sees itself as a place where people not only consume, but also help to create. In Pina's words, an "epicenter of culture". With the rapid growth of YouTube on the TV in the living room, he increasingly sees the platform as the new mainstream entertainment - with a creator economy that is developing in the direction of the "new Hollywood". Many creators now run entire production companies and operate as entrepreneurs, with a team, script and format.

Pina paid particular attention to the "Open Call" program, which brings brands and creators together in a simpler and more targeted way. It allows brands to discover new talents who communicate with their community in an authentic way - far removed from the glossy promises of traditional advertising. "Creators enjoy trust because they are perceived as part of the community," explains Pina. "This trust cannot simply be bought - but it can be shared credibly in the right context."

This is what "Open Call" makes possible: a scalable but personal connection between brand, creator and community. For YouTube, this means nothing less than a new phase of platform development - one in which cultural proximity, diversity and creative collaboration become the main pillars.