What's Happening?
Authentic, the parent company of brands like Ted Baker and Reebok, has partnered with Steven Bartlett’s creator holding company, Steven.com, to launch a new media business called OBSN (Obsession). OBSN is designed to support creators by providing news,
analysis, and live experiences for the creator economy. Steven.com will manage OBSN’s media, data, technology, and audience growth, while Authentic will lead brand building, licensing, strategic partnerships, product development, and global distribution. The new venture aims to deploy up to $400 million in creator businesses in the coming years, with OBSN at the core of this strategy. The business is already live and boasts over one million followers on Instagram, with its debut event held in New York on September 14.
Why It's Important?
The launch of OBSN by Authentic and Steven.com signifies a major investment and strategic shift towards formalizing and scaling the creator economy in the U.S. and globally. This partnership brings together significant brand-building expertise from Authentic with Steven.com's understanding of media and audience development for creators. The commitment of up to $400 million highlights the growing recognition of creators as central to future media and consumer brands. This initiative could professionalize the creator landscape, offering creators more structured resources and pathways to scale their businesses beyond individual influence. It also indicates a trend where traditional brand powerhouses are actively integrating with and investing in the digital creator space, potentially reshaping marketing strategies and consumer engagement for various industries.
What's Next?
OBSN's immediate next steps will likely involve expanding its creator partnerships and leveraging its combined resources to identify, invest in, and scale creator-led intellectual property. The company will focus on integrating its media, data, and technology capabilities with Authentic's brand-building and global distribution networks. We can anticipate OBSN hosting more events and developing tailored programs to support creators' ambitions. The success of this venture could encourage other large corporations to form similar partnerships, further accelerating the professionalization and financial investment in the creator economy. The deployment of $400 million in creator businesses over the coming years suggests a sustained effort to build a robust ecosystem for digital content creators.
Beyond the Headlines
The collaboration between Authentic and Steven.com to launch OBSN represents a deeper cultural and economic shift in how value is created and distributed in the digital age. It signifies a move away from traditional advertising models towards a creator-centric economy where individual influence and authentic content drive consumer engagement. This development raises questions about the future of traditional media, the evolving definition of 'brand,' and the power dynamics between large corporations and independent creators. It also highlights the ethical considerations around intellectual property, fair compensation, and the potential for market consolidation within the creator space. The initiative could empower a new generation of entrepreneurs, but also poses challenges regarding the sustainability and independence of creators as they integrate with larger corporate structures.
