Part of Akwue’s remit will be working on how Translation and UnitedMasters work together and enhancing how the independent artists under UnitedMasters connect with brands, similar to how influencers are used to target different types of consumers.
UnitedMasters, which recently resigned a distribution deal with the NFL and signed its first distribution deal with TikTok, will make up 60% of the company’s revenue by the end of the year, according to Stoute.
“Our 2.6 million artists on our platform, who generate billions of streams, [provide] valuable intelligence that resembles media properties,” Stoute said. “If you look at what the artists do, from their social media, to their streaming DSP [demand-side platform] footprint to their YouTube presence, these things are all steeped in a deep understanding of who their customers are, who their fans are, and those are insights that resemble what media buying companies need to understand with content. Having a deep understanding of that content can help inform creative, media buying, briefs, and how to solve a problem.”
Utilizing UnitedMasters’ data and potentially coupling it with other data will become a key differentiator, especially as more agencies continue to invest in “culture” offerings,” Akwue said.
“Most agencies talk about being a culture agency, but they’re all getting their insights from the same place,” said Akwue, citing data providers such as Nielsen and consumer research company GWI.