Hearst UK is partnering with digital talent agency Sixteenth on the launch of the Hearst Influence Network to leverage the editorial talent across its network.
The publisher of 26 brands, including Elle, Cosmopolitan, Country Living and Esquire, hopes the in-house talent and influencer initiative will grow and develop Hearst’s roster of talent. By training its editorial talent in the art of influence, Hearst can provide an antidote to the significant issues associated with influencer marketing generally. The launch adds to Hearst Solutions’ marketing services proposition, which includes Hearst Content Agency and Hearst Live, to name a few.
James Wildman, CEO of Hearst UK and president of Europe, explained the initiative: “Our editors and media brands are the original ‘influencers’ and represent to marketers the rare combination of reach, trust, and influence. We are delighted to launch this new service which will complement our broader, differentiated Marketing Services proposition.”
The Hearst Academy will be at the heart of the network. The in-house academy will provide training and development to its near thousand editorial staff across various genres such as beauty and fitness who want to grow their profile. Sixteenth will help deliver the product and is a talent agency known for working with premium influencers such as fitness influencer Carly Rowena, body positivity activist Lucy Mountain, and sustainability fashion influencer, Signe Hansen.
‘‘We’re delighted to be partnering with Hearst UK on this exciting venture. Our current talent roster is changing the way that influencers are perceived amongst the media industry, by creating excellent content and initiating meaningful conversations on their platforms. We have seen how this has built extraordinary value in the influencer space and are looking forward to continuing this with all of Hearst’s outstanding storytellers,” said Danny Lowney, MD of Sixteenth.
