Behind every it-girl is a force to be reckoned with, and this is no exception. We had the pleasure of connecting with Jessica Henig, Founder and CEO of Unlocked Branding, the premier management agency for up-and-coming and developed digital talent across the globe. Henig and her elite team have developed some of the most prominent social talent, including Alicia Breuer, Millie Leer, Pia Mia, and Montana Brown, to name a few. Henig’s unique talent management approach nurtures young digital talent, from as early as 16-years old, to full-time content creators, working with namesake brands such as Prada, YSL Beauty, Google, SKIMS, Nike, and many more. Jessica’s holistic method prioritises mentorship and guidance with her young female talent, building trust and strong bonds with both the girls and their families. Unlocked Branding, an entirely women owned-and-operated company, represents the ‘it-girl’ talent taking the digital world by storm in fashion, beauty, music, sports, and beyond. With presence across the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and United Arab Emirates, Unlocked Branding is unmatched in developing sustainable careers and long-lasting personal brands for leading digital talent.
Henig boasts a strong career background in entertainment, music, and culture. From working at MTV, managing Olympic athletes, and leading the inaugural music marketing campaigns at Interscope Records, Henig has become a bonafide expert on all things media. Henig’s foresight into the importance of social media talent led her to become the Head of Influencer Marketing and Lifestyle at Virgin EMI, prior to the escalation of TikTok and Instagram in brand foundations.
In addition to managing the internet’s ‘it-girls’, Henig employs her expertise in branding through consultancy in music marketing and brand creative direction. Her versatile agency consults on artist development, global partnerships, positioning strategy, artist development, and full release campaign, including concepts and activations. Henig has a track record of being the pioneer of influencer marketing in music throughout her past endeavours. From working with names such as Will.i.am to Post Malone, and brands including Victoria Secret, Jack Wills, Hard Rock Hotel and Charlotte Tilbury, Jessica proves that a young, female talent manager is not to be underestimated. Henig’s unique differentiation as a multi-hyphenate creative, manager, and entrepreneur, lies in her unparalleled vision for a Gen-Z audience, curating a talent roster unlike anything seen before.
You are the go-to-girl for internet it-girls. How do you identify if a talent has what it takes to truly soar in the creator economy, and live up to this title?
I think the biggest misconception in social media is that it’s an easy job and anyone can do it. It can be simple to get initial online attention, but to become a recognisable brand (both on, and off, social media) and solidify a large income, there must be a clear strategy for longevity. Sometimes it’s raw talent, mixed with indescribable star quality.
We signed two clients, Alicia Breuer and Millie Leer – whilst they were both 17-years-old and still in school. This was ahead of their rise to fame on TikTok, when they had a much smaller following. Alicia and Millie are prime examples of talent that possessed a special quality and needed clear direction, strategy, and personal brand development. Now, at 20-years-old, they are starring in major campaigns for Gucci Beauty, Google, Nike, YSL Beauty, Victoria’s Secret, and many more.
For me, walking into a room with a strong presence is important, not everyone has that. We are known for representing talent that have much to offer beyond the realm of social media. When choosing who to work with, I think in global terms and consider multiple revenue avenues in the long-term for their career. In addition to this, personality, positive attitude, a strong worth ethic, and willingness to learn are all fundamental ingredients to success in this industry and beyond.
Your background is so multi-dimensional. From sports to music, and now social media, how has your expertise across various different businesses helped you in launching Unlocked Branding?
When starting my career, there was a gap for the new millennial way of working. My career is over a decade long, as are many of my relationships. My long-term relationships have helped inform my vision and innovations through identifying gaps and opportunities in the industry. My experience in the ‘traditional talent’ era of the 2010s, to the modern day talent landscape, has informed my business in the best way possible. My hybrid experience over the past decade has helped me to build the foundation of running a talent management business, deal-making, brand positioning, new avenues of scouting, and effective ways to scale.
Through my past roles I have witnessed the rise of influencer marketing throughout various avenues of media. This wide range included interning at MTV at age 19 and liaising for artists such as Selena Gomez (Unlocked Branding has since marketed some of her records), consulting at Universal Music (Virgin EMI) for 3 years as the Head of Influencer Marketing and Lifestyle, and managing Olympic gold-medalists during the 2012 London Olympic Games. Through all these roles I had the pleasure of working alongside colleagues from 17-years-old to 60-years-old, learning the different generational working values. I went on to become one of the first to sign and develop social media talent before the term ‘influencer’ was coined. I was confident in my ability to foresee trends and synergy in the media industry over the past decade, which allows me to effectively understand audiences and talent development today.
What is your main objective and goal with Unlocked Branding in 2024?
In 2023, we expanded to the Netherlands and have already seen so much growth and success in that region. We currently have ten clients signed there and have already worked on huge campaigns for Samsung, L’Oreal, and more. Based on this, I’d like to infiltrate more markets where there is a need for the new age of talent management that we offer.
This year I have been Creative Directing for brands from concept to execution. I had the pleasure of Creative Directing on viral talent campaigns for Victoria’s Secret, Charlotte Tilbury, Jack Wills, and more. I look forward to nurturing this passion of mine and further developing the Creative wing of the business, Unlocked Creative Agency. Recently launched, Unlocked Creative Agency curates elevated and culturally relevant impactful campaigns with creatives under one umbrella. Overall, I want Unlocked Branding to push the boundaries and connect the dots globally, between sectors, as much as possible.
As a founder in the creative space, working with young and rapidly evolving talent, what is your best advice for talent who are interested in launching digital careers?
For talent, it’s important that you find what you enjoy, hone in on your niche, and really study your audience – even if it’s only a few people at first. I’m always realistic and transparent with my talent, some things don’t have to be overly complicated. If you find an idea or concept that works for you, it’s ok to follow that formula again. Personality and professionalism is often overlooked but of the utmost importance – your network and people skills are imperative. I encourage my talent to be well-rounded, be willing to learn, and to keep researching, as the landscape is forever changing. This is a tough industry, and criticism is a part of the game. I encourage my talent to be as confident and comfortable in their own skin as possible, to eliminate excess noise and comparison. There is so much more to being a digital creator than I think people realise. My client’s work ethic is second to none and they are always evolving. I tell them to think of their life in ‘eras’, they have to keep growing and pivoting into each new season of development – similar to how a musician changes with each album.
How have you developed and maintained such long-lasting relationships with the world’s top luxury brands?
In my 20s I began investing in myself professionally through travelling and nurturing relationships with my growing network, especially in the United States where budgets are predominantly larger. I made sure to continuously learn, listen, and effectively execute my goals in this regard. I realised that many brands have umbrella companies, so, once a job is done well, word can spread easily and doors can open. Reputation is paramount when it comes to relationships. In general, I make sure to add value and give more than I take – our clients know that is how we operate at Unlocked Branding. It’s a privilege to have brands partner with us, we make sure to demonstrate loyalty, gratitude, deliver quality content, and overall encourage longevity of the relationship.
I understand how partnerships operate from the brand’s perspective, I try to understand their aims so we can be aligned on a successful end result. Of course, each brand relationship is very unique so I am constantly adapting my approach based on their specific needs. Our talent is a main factor in drawing in the brands, so we ensure that they are well-developed and ready to add professional value to the brands before asking for anything. In this day and age, with the pace of content moving so rapidly, it’s important to always be elevating our approach to content and adapting partnerships to execute on a 360 level.
You are truly a media guru and know so many sides to the business so well – that said, how did you niche down and find the focus of Unlocked Branding to be on strong female talent in lifestyle and entertainment?
Unlocked Branding’s women-led identity grew out of the many years I spent at corporations in male dominated environments. At the time, a lot of women had assistant roles, even though they operated as the backbone and deal makers of the business. I’m passionate about protecting women in the industry and nurturing young people. That’s just my human instinct. The culture and comradery at Unlocked Branding is a pleasure to watch.
There are clients on our roster who have become close friends since being introduced at the agency. We’ve intentionally created an ‘it-girl’ group of young, inspiring women that support each other, work together on campaigns, attend events together, and genuinely have fun and enjoy the ride. It has to be fun. I’ve always wanted to create a team, both internally and on our roster, that feels empowered in all they do. There weren’t many, if any, female USP agencies when I started out. Additionally, I noticed very early on in social media that women are very persuasive in sales. The number of click throughs on female-led content were outstanding and delivered real results for products. This has been the foundation of all the relationships I’ve built and part of my formula for the business
What is the best advice you have for up-and-coming managers, and aspiring CEOS on the back side of the creator and digital economy?
I like this question. Definitely obtain a 9-5 first to learn as much as you can and understand your own gut instincts. Experience is priceless to your journey. Working for someone else or an organisation can teach you valuable skills in professionalism, corporate processes, discipline, communication, team effort, office politics, people skills and so forth.
I think many people have a preconceived idea that being a business owner or CEO is ‘glitz and glam’ but that’s for social media, the highlight reel. The reality of the day-to-day is: putting out fires before 9am, lots of administrative tasks, organisation skills, and project management. It doesn’t matter how senior you are, these things don’t go away once you start your own business or make it to the top.
To be an effective CEO, patience, handling pressure, and critical thinking are all fundamental. Nothing about this role is purely transactional. People invest in people. You have to be very focused on your goals and have a clear mindset about how you will get there. I don’t think that people talk enough about how important it is for you to understand yourself when you’re a leader. There is a lot of noise and obstacles you will face, but there’s always a solution to be found. The more you understand yourself and are able to emotionally regulate yourself in all environments, the more you are able to resolve.
How do you balance your professional life and your personal life?
I get asked this a lot. I read a quote the other day by Sadhguru that I absolutely adore, “There is no such thing as work-life balance – it is all life. The balance has to be within you.”
I suppose what I do for a living has always been my hobby from a young age, whether I realised it or not. I’ve always loved pop-culture – I used to be obsessed with watching MTV. My favourite things have always been adjacent with what I do now: go to concerts, discover new talent, meet people from all walks of life, travel around the world – it all reflects my passion for life. I’m very lucky to love what I do. As for what balance looks like on an everyday basis, I don’t work weekends if I can help it. This allows me to unplug and recharge for the next week.
How do you foresee the creator economy working with brands in 2024? Will things change in the luxury market, stay the same, be more influencer-heavy, etc?
2023 has proved to be even more influencer-heavy in comparison to previous years where we’ve had to break down doors and fight for a spot for talent. Considering the current economy, and audience spending patterns, return on investment is going to be more important than ever for corporations in 2024. I foresee a return of long-form content and traditional marketing tactics throughout social media and beyond.
What is the best advice you have received that has shaped your outlet on your line of work?
Rich Paul (CEO of Klutch Sports Group), has always said to me ‘character is what keeps you in the room’. I think about that a lot. I believe that being transparent and reliable has helped me to get where I am. Most of the super-successful people I know are quick to reply and are generally of service to others. Another good piece of advice is ‘there’s always a window of opportunity, some people just don’t see it’. Learning from others’ mistakes has helped me understand what not to do.
How do you encourage your clients to keep mental wellness at the forefront in an industry so impacted by online highlight reels?
At Unlocked Branding we care, full-stop. We hand-pick our roster very meticulously, it’s a big responsibility to have someone’s career in your hands, especially at such a young age. With our clients, some as young as 16, it’s important to safeguard their mental health during such developing and vulnerable years into young adulthood. They aren’t just another number – or another profile – they are people who also have day-to-day personal struggles. We advise them to take days off and manage their time to their benefit, like banking their content so they don’t feel so robotic. We make sure to develop a long-term career plan with them, so there are always other avenues for them to be successful and do what they love that isn’t so reliant on technology or social media. We arrange team gatherings so they can build friendships with one another and have someone to relate to. Each of our talents has their own routines, goals, values, etc. We are here to guide and support them with what they need along the way.
