May 9th 2024.
Issa Rae, the founder of Hoorae Media, has recently launched a new management company called Ensemble. This new venture aims to help creators learn the skills necessary to secure brand deals and establish deeper relationships with major companies and corporations. According to Business Insider, Ensemble has already enlisted 50 content creators, including Mark Phillips, Drew Afualo, and Leo González, who have all shown great potential in working with reputable brands such as Pepsi, Chili's, and Popeyes.
Rae is joined by a team of advertising veterans, including co-founder and president Ian Schafer, head of revenue Matt Berger, and head of revenue operations Keith Lee. Together, they work to guide their creators in properly packaging themselves to attract big brand deals. As Montrel McKay, the president of development and production at Hoorae, explains, "The proposition is that we have deeper relationships with the partners. A lot of people are just selling media impressions and matching them with creators. We're going to teach you how to sell media to these brands and do it in a way that allows you to service your audience."
Ensemble not only works with established creators, but also up-and-coming content creators who are building their audiences and preparing for lucrative sponsorships. As Schafer puts it, "We just see it as an evolution of the next generation of talent discovery, and the path is not obvious. People used to look at digital as the minor leagues. It's very much the major leagues, but the thesis is that the future talent is much more likely to be discovered by audiences and financed by brands."
One of the central focuses of Ensemble's deals is equity and inclusion. The company aims to close the pay gap between white creators and creators of color by going after media budgets rather than small allocations for diversity buys. As McKay explains, "We want to go after media budgets. We don't want to go after small allocations that are for diversity buys. That's why it's important to work with Pepsi out of the gate. [W]e want to show the world, we're just trying to drive popular culture."
Ensemble is the latest addition to Rae's already impressive lineup of businesses, which includes her studio Hoorae Media, talent management firm ColorCreative, marketing company Fête, and audio platform Raedio. With this new venture, Rae continues to expand her empire and empower creators to reach their full potential in the world of brand deals.
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