Meet Jessica Henig, founder of Unlocked Branding

Jessica Henig is a leading female entrepreneur within the celebrity, digital and music marketing arena. She is the founder of Unlocked Branding one of the UK’s leading companies for talent representation and development.

What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?

Interning from the age of 18 inbetween University I was predominately around males in the industry especially in talent management, women seemed to be stuck in the assistant type of roles at the time. I wanted to build an umbrella where female talent could feel protected and female staff could be supported daily with the detail and community, that I felt had been missing with coming up through the industry. With the immergance of digital talent I was one of the first in the UK to sign Instagram talent so I knew the timing was right for me. The end goal is to continue to build our talent as brands, lucrative revenue streams across various sectors in entertainment, and have lots of fun whilst doing it!

How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?

Especially in the digital space, we spot talent very quickly. It could be one video where we see a glimmour of X Factor! From there, we place the talent, create conversation online around them which helps builds their following quickly, almost over night! We've had multiple success stories across the last year from unknown, to millions of followers, with huge brand campaigns and placements scheduled for the next year. Our attention to detail for our clients on a daily basis, and team work between staff is really special.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

My business has no finanicial investment, although having 12 years of exeperience in the industry has helped immensly. I would say research and learning from history is a really good way of predicting certain aspects of the future. Learn how to do most things in your business in the first instance before you hire/outsource it, so you're clear on the roles, and nothing gets over looked when it expands. Always follow up after you’ve worked with a brand or company, customer care is very important to longgevity relationships.

With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap. How do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?

I decided to go it alone when I knew there was a gap in the market. Influencers (especially creators on Instagram) didn't have managment at the time, I knew with the loyalty of fanbases it would be lucrative and exciting to push the boundaries. Also I could clearly see the audience was the same as music fans, pairing the two up I went into the music world, starting at first to create multiple huge social media music marketing campaigns around my roster of talent for artists such as Migos, Katy Perry and Avicci, shortly after I signed a 3 year deal with Virgin EMI (Universal). At the time it was a new thing, the many different ways how you could market artists with influencers. Now Tiktok is the forefront, which we utilise with our Tiktok Roster.

What plans do you have for Unlocked Branding over the next two years?

Other than continuing to build our roster, with some of the biggest collabs and opportunities, music marketing with specific artists and songs, we are creating content concepts for TV, creator branded trips, a gaming sector and building out a HQ in the US.

How important is company culture and what is your top tip to get it right?

This is massive for me, I always felt at some agencies it was competitive or a clique culture. My tip would be to be transparent. I build my team up to be their best, if not better than me! I'm a tough love kind of girl, but we win together and lose together. It is a family culture, our clients support each other (some without even meeting in person) my staff are young, vibrant and know the dedication it takes, it's great to be excited about new ideas and concepts together. I also ask and I'm interested in my younger staff to hear their opinions and what they deem is the next thing as all our opinions and research are just as valid in this digital age. I want them to feel a part of what is being built, and also reap the rewards.

What’s the single most important decision that you made, that contributed to your business?

Declining investment. Staying focused on what I wanted the business to be known for (purpose) and who I wanted to represent with a personal approach, hiring staff with the company profit, so I could build slowly without outside input clouding what I wanted the business to be. I would never say never, but sometimes it's best to start small and take calculated risks before you look outside for investment.

How did you conquer those moments of doubt that so often affect entrepreneurs or stop many with great ideas – what pushes you through?

After working in the industry for 9 years for other people, I knew I had the knowledge and that I was in complete reality of what the industry was. I saw the gaps, and what I did and didn't want to be as a business owner. From all those years I met many people who are super successful in the Entertainment business, they inspire me to this day, I saw the dedicationa and discipline, and how they look after their team and family. That's all I needed. The business derrived from passion for the job, it was just timing. Moments of doubts are very slim, sometimes it's just taking some time out for yourself for a bit of self care that will have you back on track!

What would be your top marketing tip, to grow a business that is niche?

Consistency is key in every way, great communication which helps word of mouth, showcase the wins, and utilise the people around you who can work with you on other avenues that can bring opportunities.

What social media channel would you say has worked the best for your business and why?

It changes every 3-6 months, lately it's Tiktok. Youtube has longevity and larger deals, but package deals does really well for us across all social media channels. Also retainer deals for specific channels.

What do you think gives a brand longevity?

Being on the pulse with what content is doing well online, reading the room on topical social issues, good communication for customer service, having a solid product, quality control!.