Dentsu Aegis invests in influencer agency Gleam, strengthening entertainment content offering
Dentsu Aegis Network has today (19 June) announcement an investment of an unknown sum in Gleam Futures, the influencer talent manager agency, in order to enhance its original entertainment content offering.
Dentsu invests in Gleam
The strategic partnership aims to develop Gleam’s global positioning while strengthening Dentsu Aegis’ entertainment content division – The Story Lab – in terms of the ‘development, distribution and marketing of original entertainment intellectual property across territories, platforms and devices’.
Gleam currently has more than 40 influencers on its books, including Tanya Burr, the Michalaks, Jim Chapman and Pixiwoo. Aside from the cash investment, the deal offers the London-based agency the chance to form ‘deeper’ partnerships in the marketing world and better its syndication and reach.
Gleam founder and chief Dominic Smales will carry on heading up the agency from its Charlotte Street headquarters, while his team will continue to independently represent the company’s entire roster of talent.
Dentsu Aegis confirmed that Gleam will retain the freedom to work with all agency groups, while being given the opportunity to call on all the specialist businesses within the group.
Smales said: “I am hugely excited to begin the next chapter in our evolution with Dentsu Aegis Network. This partnership will give our roster unrivalled access in bringing their brand of entertainment to the highly populated and fast developing audiences of the world, as well as strengthening our already established representation in the UK and US.”
Tracy De Groose, chief executive of Dentsu Aegis Network UK & Ireland, added: “The way people are consuming content has fundamentally changed as more people turn to trusted online content producers. This is the digital economy in action and few businesses have led from the forefront of the digital talent revolution like Gleam Futures.
“Its roster transcends the vast audience they command across platforms like YouTube. We now have a massive opportunity to support the growth of this truly unique talent business by creating powerful collisions between content, creative, and media distribution.”