CANNES — If it is harder than ever to capture younger people’s attention, spare a thought for Erin Moran.
As Global Chief Revenue Officer, WMX, Moran is growing Warner Music Group’s new division combining several audience-facing content plays, with an advertising opportunity in tow.
But, in this video interview with Beet.TV editorial advisor Jon Watts, Moran says WMX knows how to command the attention of young people interested in music and popular culture.
WMX’s footprint
“Music is so valuable because it really is synonymous with culture,” Moran says.
“Our audience … they have high expectations, they’re seeking it out and they’re coming back regularly. They’re spending more than four million hours with our content every single month.”
WMG launched WMX in November, transforming the former WEA (Warner, Elektra, Atlantic) division as a services unit, describing it as “a next generation services division that will connect artists with fans and amplify brands in creative, immersive, and engaging ways”.
WMX’s owned-and-operated footprint is considerable. Aside from a sizeable audience on video channels, it runs its own properties:
- UPROXX, the Gen-Z youth culture and music site.
- Songkick, the live music discovery app.
- HipHopDX, the hip-hop media brand.
- Cover Nation, the largest community of cover song creators and fans.
- Premium artist YouTube inventory.
All-in, the unit claims 46 billion monthly views.
Coming up
Moran discussed new WMX projects:
- WMX is working on building an over-the-top (OTT) TV service.
- A show called “Fresh Pair“, hosted by “Katty Customs”, Nikki “Kattie Lenoir” Knight, with music producer Just Blaze, customizing footwear.
- An “NFT drop” will launch alongside the show, allowing WMX to scale beyond that one physical property”.
Capturing attention
“Attention is everything,” Moran says. “It’s harder to capture attention from young influential audiences.
“Having that premium publishing and that world-class artist experience is what’s driving consumers back – and it’s also driving outcomes for advertisers.”
Previous work includes WMG pop-punk act Meet Me At The Altar making a music video for a breakfast cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
You are watching ‘Attention Matters: New Ways to Build Community & Drive Engagement’, a Beet.TV Leadership Summit at Cannes Lions 2022, presented by WMX in partnership with dentsu.
For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
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