The Independent is doubling down on creators with the launch of Independent Studio, a vertical video media production.
It’s part of the company’s plan to create intellectual property for sponsorship as well as capitalise on the skyrocketing creator economy.
The Independent, a digital news publisher based in the UK, has signed Adam Clery as the creative director to launch Independent Studio, a unit that will make individual talent-led videos, newsletters and podcasts.
Clery is an established creator and respected voice in the football community. He will be producing his own videos for his YouTube channel, ACFC, which launched just last week and already has over 30,000 subscribers.
He will work with The Independent’s chief football writer, Miguel Delaney, who has a football newsletter and podcast, to provide sponsorship opportunities around football. Furthermore, Annabel Grossman, global travel editor and executive editor for The Independent, and travel journalist Simon Calder will represent a new travel vertical, which will include video, podcast and newsletter content.
Current affairs, music, film and food are all on the horizon too.
Clery’s deal with The Independent is part of a wider long-term strategy to make trusted vertical content led by individual creators. This also includes in-house editors with loyal followings on The Independent’s sites, which include Buzzfeed and HuffPost.
According to Comscore, The Independent nearly hit 28 million monthly visitors across all of its sites in February.
“Platforms haven’t been designed to give traditional and changing publisher brands a second life. They’ve been designed around people, around creators, and we’re moving with that,” Christian Broughton, CEO of The Independent, told Digiday ahead of the official unveiling of Independent Studio at Advertising Week Europe on the 2nd April.
The rise in short-form video content makes this move a strategic step forward for The Independent, who now have the opportunity to reach a wider audience across social media platforms.
There currently isn’t a fixed revenue share structure for the creators that sign onto the program, however, Broughton mentioned that could likely change over time.
It’s a power move from The Independent, who are nearing one million followers on TikTok. With its growing influence, it’s solidifying its presence as a major player in the digital news landscape.
