The Creator COO Andrew Graham: The Agent Turning A-List Celebs Into Billion Dollar Media Brands
Are celebs missing out on the growth of the creator economy?
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) and owned media are the next great frontiers for A-list stars who want to maximize their media presence…and earnings.
The challenge they face? Finding the right team to make it happen.
In this conversation, Andrew Graham, an agent with CAA's digital media team, explores the dynamic world of direct-to-consumer strategies and the rising influence of owned media. Drawing from experiences with celebrities like Zac Efron and Tim McGraw, we discuss the importance of building the right team to support new ventures.
Andrew also shares his knowledge on packaging and monetization of original intellectual property (IP) and projects. Forging strategic brand partnerships with global advertisers, and bridging the gap between traditional entertainment and modern creators. He also explains how talent is reshaping the roles of managers and agents and turning digital ecosystems into powerful agencies
Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Andrew:
Build the Right Team:Andrew shares a critical piece of advice for creators and celebrities alike: you're not alone in this journey. So assemble a team with specialized knowledge. Andrew suggests you start with a manager who can help guide your growth. Then you can scale to partner with experts or bring that expertise in-house. This lets you focus on the good stuff: creating the content your audience wants. And let the experts handle the operations
Leverage Your Personal Brand for Long-Term Success:To see success align your core business, like film, TV, or music, with your personal brand strategy. This episode highlights real examples of this, with celebrities like Tim McGraw, who’ve managed to build media brands around their personalities. Andrew also encourages creators to foster deep relationships with their audience, which has become increasingly important in a post-pandemic world.
Embrace the Role of Talent Agencies in Your Career:Talent agencies are changing, moving towards equity participation and creating long-term, high-value content. He urges creators and celebrities to align with an agency that understands both their vision and the new standards and practices around tech and content creation. He emphasizes the need for a clear strategy when partnering with an agency to maximize all potential revenue streams.
Jump into the Conversation:
[05:08] Transitioning A-list celebrities into social media influencers
[11:11] Embracing the ‘talent as a publisher’ approach
[15:09] Recent trends in management companies
[17:17] Navigating the spectrum of celebrity involvement in business ventures
[20:59] Maximizing long-term value by building the right team
[25:54] Case study in celebrity-owned media: Down Home, Tim McGraw’s media company
[32:38] Embracing direct-to-consumer ventures
[35:17] The future of talent agency and talent management
[38:21] Mitigating the risk of AI to talent and creators
[41:26] Advice for choosing an agency partner
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