Global Marketing Leader Diageo will be the founding member.
As demand for more equitable solutions in the creator economy
grows, UnitedMasters will give independent artists access to
ambitious brands
BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 29,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, music creator
platform UnitedMasters and Diageo, a global leader in beverage
alcohol with a collection of brands that includes Crown Royal and
Bulleit Whiskey, announce the Independent(s) Exchange,
an initiative designed to foster multi-faceted partnerships
between independent artists and major brands.
Diageo has long been an advertising innovator at the forefront
of consumer trends and saw the opportunity to engage with the
Independent(s) Exchange to get further ingrained in the world of
independent music, via UnitedMasters. This partnership establishes
Diageo's commitment to supporting a network of diverse, independent
artists while ensuring that they remain connected to their
consumers through the music they love.
The Independent(s) Exchange will open new economic avenues for
creators and allow Diageo to design brand experiences powered by
independent artists and access a library of UnitedMasters top
artists' music. Powered by 1.3M
independent UnitedMasters artists, the Independent(s) Exchange is
an opportunity for brands to directly participate in the growth of
the creator economy and invest in the next generation of artists
shaping tomorrow's pop culture.
"Brands aren't investing enough in Black media, and the creator
economy is revealing obvious gaps in how diverse creators are being
celebrated, monetized, and capitalized on for brand relationships.
The Independent(s) Exchange is directly tied to UnitedMaster's
mission to create a more equitable ecosystem for artists, ensuring
that brand dollars are distributed instead of flowing only to
top-performing artists," said Steve
Stoute, Founder and CEO of UnitedMasters. "Artists' ability
to build wealth from their cultural influence has long been
co-opted without investing in or crediting the original creators.
It's time for that to change. The Independent(s) Exchange creates a
once-in-a-generation opportunity for ambitious brands to innovate
within a new direct media investment model with equity and
inclusion at its core."
Diageo brands will be prominently featured side-by-side with
UnitedMasters across a series of activations, including the release
of Who Made The Beat presented by Crown Royal 18 and a nationwide
artist search with Bulleit's Local Bar Sundays.
Additionally, Diageo and future Independent(s) Exchange partners
will have first-look access into the UnitedMasters community of
over one million-plus young, diverse creators representing culture
across various races, genres, and mentalities unearthing valuable
cultural intelligence. The Exchange will allow brands a rare
opportunity to underwrite emerging artists on the rise, create
wide-ranging content soundtracked by UnitedMasters
artists, and ultimately invest in artist independence.
"Our partnership with UnitedMasters will further cement Diageo's
brands as mainstays in culture and insert our portfolio in the
musical sphere for decades to come. Our excitement around how our
brands will be organically integrated into a community of diverse,
young adult creators can't be understated," said Sophie Kelly, Sr. Vice President, Whiskey,
Diageo North America.
UnitedMasters is a platform for creators, offering independent
artists the tools, resources, and access that music labels reserve
for bigger acts. The platform has enabled artists to operationalize
their independence and maximize their creative and economic
potential while maintaining full ownership over their master
recording rights.
The Independent(s) Exchange will continue to bring complementary
members, joining Diageo in giving up-and-coming artists access to
top brands looking to champion independent artists.
About UnitedMasters:
Launched in 2017 by Translation
founder and music industry veteran Steve
Stoute, UnitedMasters provides a new industry alternative
for independent artists. UnitedMasters gives artists access to
premium music distribution services, a suite of tools to help them
directly connect with fans, and opportunities for unique
partnerships with some of the world's biggest brands. The
UnitedMasters platform enables artists to operationalize their
independence and maximize their creative and economic potential
while allowing them to maintain full ownership over their master
recording rights.
About Diageo:
Diageo is a global leader in beverage
alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including
Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit
and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff,
Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan,
Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO)
and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are
sold in more than 180 countries around the world.
For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and
performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global
responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information,
initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow at Twitter and
Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America:
@Diageo_NA.
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SOURCE UnitedMasters