• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 16, 2014

GoPro says its high-definition video camera products are “life cameras.”

One analyst says GoPro really wants the company’s name to be one with the product’s utility -- to be the “Kleenex” of TV cameras. Maybe the “Band-aid” or the “Scotch tape.” Whatever happens, it surely doesn’t want to be disposable.

GoPro has a unique marketing strategy of being connected to (or on) many performers: sports, music and otherwise. In talking about “wearable” technology, analysts say GoPro is perhaps one of the quiet category leaders.

Now GoPro will start up an initial public stock offering.

What’s to prevent other personal video camera makers from joining the hunt? Nothing, really. But, says one CNBC analyst, if investors also buy into Panasonic or Sony, they’ll be loaded up with other electronics beyond just personal cameras. A better deal, because it’s pure play, is GoPro.

GoPro already has a leg up: a unique marketing/sponsorship spin that links itself with many young-skewing extreme adventure sports, including the Red Bull Signature Series.

Nick Woodman, who started GoPro with $64,000, says the company, now distributed in 50 countries, has been "profitable since day one."

Is this more of the future?

We all can use our smartphones’ video function for those quick tricks our family members or friends might do -- and then load them up onto YouTube. But we wouldn’t tape our mobile phones to our heads while skiing down a double diamond.

GoPro frees up hands to do other stuff. In the long term, GoPro wants its cameras to be on anything and everywhere where we might like to look back at recorded day-to-day history -- in our cars, on bicycles, on our funky hats and helmets, and perhaps on our arms while shopping -- or romancing.

Some have said the hot trend of user-generated videos might be cooling off. Others think that every U.S. citizen with a bit of technology continues to pursue the dream of TV producer.

Think we have too much video now? Seems like it’s only the start. Don’t worry about saturation. Someone’s designated personal TV-video director will eventually say “cut.”