Ogilvy Australia announced that is investing in and developping a new global platform called Padlokt. Padlokt is a fan engagement service which enables fans to get closer to their idols than anywhere else. The aim of the business is to be the leading platform in bringing fans and celebrities closer (#closestfan).
At Padlokt fans get to know the real person underneath the celebrity talking directly to top tier stars from across the globe through a unique subscription model involving both talent and consumers. As the business grows other services will be included that extend the offering.
“Ogilvy Ventures views Padlokt as a way for both talent to get closer to their fans, but also for
brands to engage with consumers in ways that provide meaningful returns. We have a direct investment in Padlokt and see building businesses and creating opportunities for our clients as the future of the ad agency model,” Anthony Johnston (Head of Ogilvy Ventures) said.
Ogilvy Australia was a co-founder and was instrumental in thefan platform design and development, launching it to market via its Ogilvy Ventures division. Padlokt is a stand-alone company with offices in Las Vegas, London, Munich, Sydney and the Gold Coast.
Ogilvy is part of WPP AUNZ, the region’s leading marketing communications and content group.
How does the platform and business model work
Anthony Johnston, Head of Ogilvy Ventures said the platform worked by providing fans with
direct access to a variety of stars contracted to the service, either by being part of a group asking a question via video from a mobile or desktop, or through watching and listening through a live stream, accessing a library of video content and reading exclusive news.
Padlokt also provides a direct and new revenue stream for athletes via a revenue share, encouraging the talent to continue to provide access. To help the talent all questions are submitted and vetted before the video event, with a moderator on hand to ensure the process runs smoothly.
Recent partnership with UFC, increased celebrities available
Padlokt recently partnered with UFC® in a deal to bring some of its top current and former athletes to the platform, offering subscribers access to live video interactions and content created exclusively for Padlokt.
These athletes will join professional basketball player Julius Randle, professional American footballer Randall Cobb, four-time track and field Olympic gold medal winner Sanya Richards-Ross, former professional cricketer Adam Hollioake and US TV personality Marquel Martin as content creators using the platform. Padlokt expect to announce more partners from across the sporting, entertainment and lifestyle worlds in the near future.
Moving from the agency concept to the innovation space
“Ogilvy has been moving into more of an innovation space for several years, including the launch of Ogilvy Ventures last year. Our involvement in Padlokt is part of this move, as we look to not only provide marketing services to our clients, but create new products and services in the content space,” said Ogilvy Australia CEO David Fox.
“As we collaborate with other companies to launch new products, we continue to drive a fully-integrated model with innovation at its core. This change in our business model is really the platform to drive our growth at scale and at speed.”
“Padlokt is a great example of this model in action. Through Oglivy Ventures, we helped develop the idea, design and build the platform, and create the business model to take to market to gain broad investment. With its launch onto the market this month, we are proud to now be an ongoing investor and look forward to its growth across the globe.”
