Leap Music Press Release

Leap Music Jumps Deeper Into Branded Content Marketing With Launch Of New Consultancy Service

05 February 2007

With more leading brands fast-tracking branded content initiatives, Leap Music – a specialist joint-venture company with advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) – is launching a dedicated Branded Content consultancy which will help brands and their agencies to source music for rapidly emerging marketing platforms such as podcasts, vodcasts, mobile gaming, viral marketing and virtual worlds.

Leap will also help music rights owners to exploit the shift to new deal structures for branded content marketing – including the move to combined fee and royalty based agreements for platforms such as audio-only podcast downloads, vodcast downloads, mobile gaming, mobile remixing, viral marketing, virtual world platforms and editorial-led programming.

Richard Kirstein, managing director of Leap Music, says: “Within three to five years, TV spot advertising won’t exist in the way in does today and those companies that successfully embrace the new space will adapt their deal structures accordingly.”

He says: “Branded content is becoming so much more than just advertiser-funded programming. Before long, the boundary between advertising and editorial will be almost indistinguishable and music is likely to play a central part in brands’ multi-platform marketing activity.

“This will enable flexible rights owners to create a host of new opportunities for emerging music talent.”

Kirstein adds: “We will shortly be announcing our first projects in this sector and look forward to working with a broad range of brands and music rights owners.”

Editor's Note

About Leap Music

Established in 2003, Leap Music is a joint venture between Richard Kirstein and Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Since its inception, Leap has worked with almost 20 different agencies and is retained directly by Vodafone Global. Leap was the first music publisher to be based inside a UK advertising agency. In 2006 Leap extended its offering to clients, helping them to acquire music IP and build their own music publishing catalogues.