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Universal launches UMusic Media Network to boost brand partnerships
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 23 June 2022
Universal Music has announced the launch of a new “media and data network” called the UMusic Media Network, which will sit under its global partnerships division, Universal Music Group For Brands. Said network will find ways to “uniquely connect brands and partners with exclusive media from world’s largest music company and most iconic and influential artists”.
It’s basically a way for Universal to further monetise its music and video content by charging brands to rub up against it. But not only that, it says, “for the first time, the offering allows for audience hypertargeting at a scale”, and outside of music it will offer “lifestyle content from UMG-owned platforms such as Rebel Labs, Mercury Studios and Polygram Entertainment”.
Blimey. There will be data insights too, lots of them I’m sure, and the network will also seek out other brand partnership opportunities across Universal’s many record labels. The whole thing is being overseen by Richard Yaffa – Global Head Of UMGB – and Morgan Buksbaum – the division’s SVP Media & Properties – and properly launches after a year long beta programme.
“The UMusic Media Network brings together UMG’s unmatched artist roster, marketing capabilities and resources to empower brands and partners directly”, says Yaffa. “Through this cutting-edge new platform, UMG artists can create destination programming exclusively for brands, giving our partners the ability to hyper-target culturally relevant content where they have not been able to do before. When advertisers connect with culturally relevant content and associate their brand with our artists, consumers feel greater brand affinity and engage with those ads more actively”.
UMG Executive Vice President Michele Anthony adds: “The UMusic Media Network combines the unique collective resources that only UMG, as the world’s leading music-based entertainment company, can provide to partners, creating an unrivalled service that leverages and delivers the reach, power and influence that great music and artist content can bring, while creating value for our artists, labels and our partners”.
So that’s all very exciting. For Universal. And possibly some brands.
