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| The&Partnership launches talent agency for YouTube stars | The&Partnership launches talent agency for YouTube stars |
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| The WPP-backed media and advertising group The&Partnership is to launch a social talent agency aimed at representing and developing the next generation of YouTubers and social media stars. | The WPP-backed media and advertising group The&Partnership is to launch a social talent agency aimed at representing and developing the next generation of YouTubers and social media stars. |
| The&Partnership, founded by Johnny Hornby with Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP owning an almost 50% stake, wants to muscle in on the market dominated by players such as the established giant Gleam Futures, which represents big name YouTubers such as Zoella, Caspar Lee and Joe Sugg. | The&Partnership, founded by Johnny Hornby with Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP owning an almost 50% stake, wants to muscle in on the market dominated by players such as the established giant Gleam Futures, which represents big name YouTubers such as Zoella, Caspar Lee and Joe Sugg. |
| Its new talent agency, The&Collective, is thought to be the first launched by a UK media group. It will be run by Jenny Halpern Prince, founder of the PR agency Halpern, which is part of The&Partnership. It aims to sign up-and-coming talent who have the potential to be, or are already emerging as big influencers on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, such as the 21-year-old lifestyle video blogger Maddie Bruce. | Its new talent agency, The&Collective, is thought to be the first launched by a UK media group. It will be run by Jenny Halpern Prince, founder of the PR agency Halpern, which is part of The&Partnership. It aims to sign up-and-coming talent who have the potential to be, or are already emerging as big influencers on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, such as the 21-year-old lifestyle video blogger Maddie Bruce. |
| Bruce said she signed with The&Collective after being swamped by approaches from brands to commercially endorse or freely recommend their products. | Bruce said she signed with The&Collective after being swamped by approaches from brands to commercially endorse or freely recommend their products. |
| “They have my best interests at heart, as well as that of the brands that want to work with me,” she said. “I was working with loads of brands, it was too many for me to handle by myself. There is kind of a buffer between me and a brand now. I can focus on what I want to do.” | “They have my best interests at heart, as well as that of the brands that want to work with me,” she said. “I was working with loads of brands, it was too many for me to handle by myself. There is kind of a buffer between me and a brand now. I can focus on what I want to do.” |
| Related: New UK vlogger guidance issued in wake of Kim Kardashian's banned selfie | Related: New UK vlogger guidance issued in wake of Kim Kardashian's banned selfie |
| In August, the UK advertising watchdog issued new rules governing how popular video bloggers promote products, after a number complained of the pressure from brands to keep commercial tie-ups secret from their fans. | In August, the UK advertising watchdog issued new rules governing how popular video bloggers promote products, after a number complained of the pressure from brands to keep commercial tie-ups secret from their fans. |
| Halpern Prince, who has already run a number of campaigns using social media influencers through Halpern PR, says working with such young emerging talent comes with serious responsibilities and there is an “element of coaching and guidance”. | Halpern Prince, who has already run a number of campaigns using social media influencers through Halpern PR, says working with such young emerging talent comes with serious responsibilities and there is an “element of coaching and guidance”. |
| Bruce, for example, decided to quit her studies in criminology to make a career out of video blogging and social media influencing when she hit 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. She currently has 135,000. | Bruce, for example, decided to quit her studies in criminology to make a career out of video blogging and social media influencing when she hit 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. She currently has 135,000. |
| “That’s when I left uni to do this full-time,” says Bruce, who has championed mental health issues, which she herself has suffered from. “That’s when I saw it as a career, not just a hobby.” | |
| The&Collective’s fledgling roster includes the make-up artist and model turned blogger Tia Ward, who is engaged to the presenter Reggie Yates, the Scottish fashion and beauty vlogger Lucy Flight, the lifestyle vlogger Blake Steven and Sarah Ashcroft, who blogs as “that Pommie girl”. | The&Collective’s fledgling roster includes the make-up artist and model turned blogger Tia Ward, who is engaged to the presenter Reggie Yates, the Scottish fashion and beauty vlogger Lucy Flight, the lifestyle vlogger Blake Steven and Sarah Ashcroft, who blogs as “that Pommie girl”. |
| Barely any of them have been blogging or vlogging for longer than two years at most, and a number started just last year. | Barely any of them have been blogging or vlogging for longer than two years at most, and a number started just last year. |
| Halpern Prince, who founded her PR agency in 1993 and sold a 50.1% stake to Hornby’s group in 2013, says she is keenly aware of the duty of care to young talent. | Halpern Prince, who founded her PR agency in 1993 and sold a 50.1% stake to Hornby’s group in 2013, says she is keenly aware of the duty of care to young talent. |
| This is a new form of celebrity, the influencer, and they have so much integrity and we are aware of that | This is a new form of celebrity, the influencer, and they have so much integrity and we are aware of that |
| “It is about what is appropriate and what isn’t and we can help talent navigate this area,” she says. “This is so different to the world of celebrity endorsement, brand ambassadors and the supposed repping of brands. This is a new form of celebrity, the influencer, and they have so much integrity and we are aware of that.” | “It is about what is appropriate and what isn’t and we can help talent navigate this area,” she says. “This is so different to the world of celebrity endorsement, brand ambassadors and the supposed repping of brands. This is a new form of celebrity, the influencer, and they have so much integrity and we are aware of that.” |
| Hornby says that coming from the media industry the new talent agency is different from incumbents because it can bring to bear the metrics that clients expect a business from the ad sector to deliver. | Hornby says that coming from the media industry the new talent agency is different from incumbents because it can bring to bear the metrics that clients expect a business from the ad sector to deliver. |
| “It is about professionalising things,” says Hornby. “I don’t think anyone has come from the media side understanding analytics and tech and what customers are looking for, like cost-per-acquisition. These things aren’t in the nature of organisations repping talent that are currently out there.” | “It is about professionalising things,” says Hornby. “I don’t think anyone has come from the media side understanding analytics and tech and what customers are looking for, like cost-per-acquisition. These things aren’t in the nature of organisations repping talent that are currently out there.” |
| For example, The&Collective is developing a “data-driven rewards programme”, in which influencers will be remunerated on a commission basis for sales directly driven by their content. | For example, The&Collective is developing a “data-driven rewards programme”, in which influencers will be remunerated on a commission basis for sales directly driven by their content. |
| Hornby says talent signed to the agency will not be under pressure to work with clients of the wider group, or find they are contractually barred from working with competitor brands to those that work with The&Partnership companies. | Hornby says talent signed to the agency will not be under pressure to work with clients of the wider group, or find they are contractually barred from working with competitor brands to those that work with The&Partnership companies. |
| The venture has secured the backing of founding client Unilever, which has started on work for brands including Dove and Sure. | The venture has secured the backing of founding client Unilever, which has started on work for brands including Dove and Sure. |
| Keith Weed, Unilever’s global marketing officer who handles an annual marketing budget of €7.2bn (about £5bn), says: “They’ve got a great line-up of up-and-coming talent who offer real engagement potential. | Keith Weed, Unilever’s global marketing officer who handles an annual marketing budget of €7.2bn (about £5bn), says: “They’ve got a great line-up of up-and-coming talent who offer real engagement potential. |
| “The importance of influencer marketing within the brand comms mix is only going to grow. Younger generations in particular value authenticity and word-of-mouth recommendations over more traditional marketing messages.” | “The importance of influencer marketing within the brand comms mix is only going to grow. Younger generations in particular value authenticity and word-of-mouth recommendations over more traditional marketing messages.” |
| The&Collective will be headed by Lynsey Smith, digital and social media head at Halpern PR. | The&Collective will be headed by Lynsey Smith, digital and social media head at Halpern PR. |