Talent and Branded Content: A Match Made in Heaven

I’m excited to participate in the The NewFront during a time of great opportunity for brand content.  The merging of brand messaging and multiplatform entertainment is on the verge of broad success.  Since The NewFront began in 2008, there have been sizable and meaningful advances in the role of talent agencies working with brands to package and distribute brand relevant digital content.
 
As Head of Digital Media for Innovative Artists, I represent top creative and production talent and package projects for advertisers, brands, and media companies.  I’m also defining new revenue models for production, distribution and sponsorship.  The emergence of digital media is generating new opportunities for our clients to connect with audiences.  I evangelize these new non-traditional platforms and explain that the new buyers are advertising and media agencies, traditional network and studio digital and branded content divisions, online portals, digital studios, distributors and brands.   The speed of change makes many heads spin, personally I love being part of an industry where “back in the day” refers to last year.

I help clients navigate the developing financial models, understand the implication of technology, and the value of creating a brand by utilizing Facebook, Twitter, videoblogs and other social media platforms.  I want them to understand the value of owning and controlling their own intellectual property, and how that gives them more creative and financial control over their  ideas.

The one constant theme is the role of the brand.  From the earliest days of live television through the current explosion of online platforms, brands have always been not only sponsors but storytellers.   Brands have an incredible ability to tell a story in a 30 second commercial, and brand content presents a new and exciting creative challenge.  Brands are emerging as publishers and entrepreneurs, with new distribution models and metrics enabling them to reach targeted audiences. And as social media, interactivity and technology put more emphasis on the consumer audience, inventive content is even more important and brands are integral to the creative process.  

When asked how my role as an agent has changed, my response is that my role didn’t exist until a few years ago!  As the digital media industry grows, forward thinking talent agencies are expanding to take advantage of new platforms and revenue streams.  Spending and budgets for online and digital content are up and creativity is at a high point.  There is amazing and groundbreaking work being created that is crossing over multiple platforms from online to television, and agents not only package talent and material, but now also production, distribution, metrics, social design, interactive technology, games, and mobile. 

This type of nontraditional agenting provides not only new options for our clients but also the opportunity to be a partner to brands and agencies in the thought leadership driving the process, working to create and execute great content and new strategies. Companies like Digitas are leading the way, and I’m looking forward to this year’s NewFront.  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that our client, 11 year old Chef Lizzie Marie Likness will be on stage with Jane Pratt Thursday at 4:30!

David Tochterman was a senior television executive and producer for hit shows including That 70s Show, 3^rd Rock From The Sun and Grace Under Fire before becoming one of the first traditional executives to expand to digital media in 2005 with the launch of the brand sponsored video website ChannelBlast.

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