Channel 4 has signed a deal with Studio71 and Unilever Ventures to identify up and coming social media influencers with commercial potential. Selected through a pitch process, successful influencers will be supported to establish a new business to help build their brand.
The partners will mentor selected talent and support them to grow their startup by offering their expertise and resources across a range of specialisms including building scalable business plans, on-screen exposure and developing branded content.
The enterprise will enable both partners and influencers to share their professionalisms and experience with each other – and partners will also have the opportunity to develop ideas further with the startups at their own discretion.
Studio71 will lead the UK influencer pitch process and will be looking for talent operating in key commercial growth areas such as consumer products, lifestyle and entertainment.
Jonathan Allan, Chief Commercial Officer at Channel 4 said: “This is a particularly interesting project for Channel 4. As the leading young skewing channel in the UK with a remit to nurture and grow new talent, this partnership will help us to explore a new generation of on-screen talent and business entrepreneurs that might benefit from our content expertise and innovative commercial models such as the Commercial Growth Fund.”
James Stafford, Managing Director UK at Studio71 said: “The launch of Influencer Commerce Partnerships is the natural progression for us. We already provide a huge range of creative and business services to help our social influencers with their day jobs creating great content, and this launch allows us to really develop their full potential as entrepreneurs. Social influencers make great entrepreneurs because they have a deep and trusted relationship with millions of fans and they often have expertise in their areas and audience insights that many big brands struggle to match.”
Studio71, a Red Arrow Studios company, is a premium global media company and content studio that develops, produces and distributes original programming across multiple platforms. Studio71 is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Berlin, New York, Toronto, London, Paris and Milan.
The deal has been developed through Channel 4’s partnership with the European Media Alliance established by ProSiebenSat.1, alongside Unilever Ventures.
To register an interest to pitch to Studio71, contact James Stafford at james.stafford@studio71uk.com