Havas Media Makes an Entrance Into the Creator Economy

When Aaron Brown needed upfront cash to invest in his content, he turned to creator investment company Spotter. Brown, who is known for his iconic red snapback and baby back ribs, is the man behind “Smokin’ and Grillin’ with AB,” a YouTube channel that has racked up nearly two million followers. He acknowledged Spotter’s role in allowing him to bring his business to a new city and create more content, which he said has fueled channel growth and given him the “freedom and flexibility” to expand his online presence. https://twitter.com/SmokinGrillinAB/status/1522675061064298497?s=20&t=yIMiR1BFUxkcvgVlL2gbyQ Spotter is in the business of betting on talent, and Havas Media Group wants in. The agency, which has historically supported diverse-owned broadcasters through initiatives like BIPOC Media Connections, is making its entrance into the creator economy through a partnership with Spotter, which has already invested $125 million in its diverse creator network. Havas typically commits to media up front and in turn secures preferential rates for clients, which is a model that the agency is now applying to the creator economy. “We’ve always been focused on building meaningful media, so this is a way to build out meaningful content by getting money in the hands of diverse content creators,” said Greg Walsh, CEO of Havas Media, North America. “It's another way for us to focus on our DEI initiatives.” https://twitter.com/HavasMediaGroup/status/1536634765088022528?s=20&t=4qqXf-ELRrMES3ZyNcca_g Simplifying support This partnership will allow Havas clients, which include Hyundai and Puma, to more seamlessly tap into diverse talent within the creator economy. But instead of connecting with creators for one-off brand deals, Walsh looks at this partnership with Spotter as a funnel into meaningful, long term partnerships with a “repetitive business model." “When creators see that an agency and brands align with us to actually give them more money to do bigger things, they have a natural gratefulness towards these brands,” said Aaron DeBevoise, founder and CEO of Spotter. While traditional partnerships involve their fair share of middlemen, Spotter chief revenue officer Nick Johnson calls this relationship “the thinnest membrane” between talent, agency and client budgets, which he believes is the fastest way to make a difference in DEI. “The creator is the talent but they’re also the CEO, the small business owner and the entrepreneur,” said Johnson, adding that there are “no hops” in the transaction. “The money goes from Havas directly into the hands of the creator, and the creator can deploy that capital to accelerate their business.” Disrupting Madison Avenue Agency leaders have a clear interest in investing in the creator economy, and many have traded their traditional roles for positions at influencer marketing companies. Alex Morrison made the switch to Pearpop from Grey Group, as well as Malcom-Aimé Musoni from Movers + Shakers. Creator commerce company Whalar CEO Rob Horler moved over from Dentsu, and president Jo Cronk was the former group account director at PHD. This series of agency leaders leaving their previous positions underscores that if agencies don't want to risk losing talent, they need to create a strategy that puts influencer marketing at the center of their advertising efforts. https://twitter.com/whalar/status/1536420166929629184?s=20&t=bn1Rh28lcY--hq7Jol6VmQ Spotter and Havas say they are threaded together by a “mission-driven purpose” to not just partner with diverse clients, but to create meaningful work that also meets performance goals. “It’s not just about getting content in front of brands,” said Walsh. “It has to be the right content, and it has to work. We are confident that with the amount of diverse creators Spotter has in its arsenal, we’ll be able to do that.” As the Creator Economy Booms, Adjacent Ad-Tech Firms Struggle to Stand Out

Influencers & Creators

Havas Media Just Made an Entrance Into the Creator Economy, and Your Agency Should, Too

The agency is teaming up with Spotter, a platform that supports YouTube creators, to back diverse talent

Emmy Liederman

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Emmy Liederman