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Brands & Merch Business News
Former ATC brand partnerships chief launches new agency Simpatico
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 18 August 2022
The former Brand Partnerships Director at ATC Management, Gary Cohen, has today officially launched a new specialist agency which aims to “recalibrate the relationship between brands and music”. The new venture – called Simpatico – will connect brands and their marketing and advertising agencies with key decision makers in the music industry, and in particular artist managers.
Having previously worked at ad agencies like Ogilvy and Havas, while at ATC Cohen oversaw a stack of artist/brand collaborations, initially between brands and artists represented by the management firm, and subsequently with a wider range of music-makers. The brands included Sonos, Burberry, W Hotels, Bella Freud, Flannels and Matchesfashion, and among the artists were Johnny Marr, Benjamin Clementine, Mark Ronson, Little Simz, AJ Tracey and Mahalia.
Talking up his new business – in which ATC is a stakeholder – Cohen says: “These days, most artists operate as autonomous, self-sustained businesses. They call their own shots, and their managers understand the value of collaborating with a brand with whom the artist has a strong personal or creative affinity. Done right, these kinds of partnerships can be hugely beneficial to both parties”.
“Simpatico has deep-seated relationships with managers for the world’s leading artists”, he goes on, “which means we can help brands take a truly agnostic approach to selecting artists rather than be limited by just one roster via an agent or label. I also find working directly with the artist and their core team brings multiple benefits for the brand, including quicker response times, greater availability of fan data and increased engagement”.
“For a long time the music industry has been too transactional in its approach to working with brands”, he concludes. “We are breaking those chains by becoming strategic partners rather than just talent providers, and through our management background we can provide brands with unique insights into effectively engaging the music fan. By turning the traditional model on its head, I believe Simpatico can unlock immense value by creating genuinely authentic and long-term partnerships”.
