ChatGPT for Creators, Kenny Beecham's ESPN Deal, and a $4M NBA Viral Hit Story

Plus $1.2M in Grants - Marketing Strategy for Creators, Vol. 3

Author

Idia Ogala
January 19, 2024

Marketing Strategy for Creators
By Idia Ogala · January 19, 2023 · Vol. 03

Good morning and Happy Friday!

In today’s edition, we explore Kenny Beecham's landmark deal with Peyton Manning and ESPN, delve into OpenAI's GPT Store launch and what it means for creator monetization, share marketing takeaways from Jesse Itzler's $4M songwriting business, and present over $1.2 million in Creator Grants (easy to enter and with pressing deadlines).

You ready? Let’s dive in….

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🔥 WHAT’S TRENDING?
#1. GPT Store Launch Offers Unique Opportunity for Creators

The Gist:

  • Last week, OpenAI launched the GPT Store, a marketplace (similar to the Apple App Store) for custom versions of ChatGPT. 

  • The store allows Plus users ($20/month tier) to discover applications for various tasks, like teaching math, learning a new language, or creating digital artwork.

  • For creators, the GPT Store simplifies the process of building customized AI applications. It allows you to train the applications with your own specialized data, all without requiring coding skills to get started.

  • OpenAI plans to allow GPT creators to monetize their AI applications. A revenue-sharing model is being developed, initially for U.S. builders, based on user engagement with their GPTs. As of January 2024, according to SEO.ai, 159K customized chatbots have been created for public use.

The Rundown:  

GPTs are widely regarded as one of the most important innovations in AI for 2024. I’m super excited about it because it feels like a technological inflection point that creators can capitalize on to fast track their businesses (more on Inflection Points here).

Why Should You Be Excited?

  • The barrier to entry is extremely low – You don’t need to be an expert in coding language or have a large team to bring an AI idea to life (you could create a GPT in as little as 10 mins)

  • The interest level in AI is extremely high – More than 60% of marketers plan to use AI in 2024 for influencer campaigns, and big tech has invested hundreds of millions into AI startups & solutions.

  • The monetization opportunities could be endless – Right now revenue-sharing for GPTs is based on app engagement, which is a benefit to creators with an already built community to cross-sell their apps to. But there’s also an opportunity to use proof-of-concept from successful GPTs to create a standalone version of your AI solution (building a subscription-based business). More on this here.

Helpful Resources:  

  1. Analyze Your Creator-Market Fit: Assessing your creator-market fit is helpful prior to launching anything. The concept can be summarized as making things your community wants. Check out this quick breakdown from Li Jin here for further context. An example of good creator-market fit is celebrity baker Rosanna Pansino selling a cookbook to her audience of millions of baking enthusiasts). What digital solution both aligns with your personal mission statement AND is needed by your audience?

  2. Get Some Inspiration: Check out these 15 really interesting, creative GPTs that are currently live on the Store.

  3. Learn How To Build: Watch this video of Matt Wolfe covering the GPT Store launch, and sharing tips on ways to build, monetize, and publish your custom GPT.

#2. Creator Kenny Beecham Inks Deal w/ Peyton Manning, ESPN

The Gist:

  • Last week, the Hollywood Reporter announced that Kenny Beecham, a popular YouTuber and basketball analyst with over 1.4M subscribers, landed a digital content partnership with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and ESPN.

  • Kenny’s Enjoy Basketball Podcast Network was launched as part of this collaboration. It includes a rebrand of the popular NBA podcast 'Through The Wire' to 'Numbers on the Board,' hosted by Beecham alongside his childhood friends Pierre Andresen, Mike Heard, and Darrick Miller

  • ESPN and Omaha Productions will assist in producing new digital shows, alternate broadcasts, and branded content for Enjoy Basketball.

  • Beecham has made a significant impact in the content space with over 2,000 videos and a billion views – largely among Gen Z basketball fans.

  • Beecham’s Enjoy Basketball brand, launched in 2022, includes digital content, an apparel line, and an NBA newsletter.

The Rundown:

Pairing influencers with proof of concept + loyal communities, and traditional media juggernauts with access to capital + vast resources always made sense to me. But for some reason, we hadn’t seen a ton of this crossover, until now.

ESPN’s $85M deal with popular YouTube streamer & analyst, Pat McAfee in late 2023, in my opinion, ushered a new era of strategic partnerships that marry both worlds. And I expect to see more strategic, creator-centric deals like Kenny’s in the new year. 

Why It Makes Sense for Kenny:

  • Access to linear distribution of his shows (opening up a new audience)

  • Credibility from an established, respected entity 

  • Access to industry resources, data, and expertise (to support the strategic decision-making for his network and media endeavors)

  • Expanded advertising opportunities 

Why It Makes Sense for ESPN:

  • Ability to cross brand into a Gen Z audience (which is also a hedge against the looming TV rights battle over NBA programming)

  • Ability to test the two-way pipeline from linear to digital (Can we convert YouTube audiences to ESPN subscribers? Can we leverage Kenny’s digital audience to build our owned-profiles and increase engagement?)

  • Gaining insights into emerging media formats through this partnership, which serves as a test case (Where should we invest for future brand expansion?)

What You Can Learn As a Creator:

  • There’s power in niches audiences – Kenny carved out a specific niche (basketball analysis) and served his audience with multiple products that all fit under this umbrella (newsletter, podcast, show). 

  • There’s power in consistency –  Kenny is a 10-year creator vet with 2,000+ videos (and over 1B in collective views).

  • There’s power in authenticity – Kenny’s extreme preparation (watching 2+ live games a day) and focus on positivity powers his refreshing, authentic takes. Consumers of his content come for the trending news, but stay (and subscribe) for his genuine approach. 

  • There’s power in partnership – In an interview with The Boardroom about the deal, Enjoy Basketball co-founders Cole and Cody Hock emphasized the production value and distribution opportunity provided by Omaha Productions. They described the partnership as 'mutually beneficial,' noting that Omaha shares similar values with Enjoy Basketball, focusing on the game, positivity, and player upliftment.

#3. How a Music Creator Built a $4M Business from a Viral NBA Anthem

The Gist:

  • In a video making rounds on X this week, Jesse Itzler (American entrepreneur and investor) detailed how he turned a small opportunity with the Knicks into a multi-million dollar business. 

  • Jesse started as a rapper after college, but chose to switch his focus after his debut album flopped.

  • A die-hard fan, Jesse produced a demo for the Knicks entitled “Go, New York, Go”, that they bought for $4,000 — which was $800 less than his production costs.

  • Still, he viewed it as a valuable investment for the credibility and positive brand association. When the track grew in popularity, becoming #1 on New York radio because of the Knicks’ historic playoff run, he created a company to replicate this blueprint.

  • Jesse’s company worked with over 50 organizations, including major brands like Coca-Cola, Foot Locker, and the Lakers. He and his partner eventually sold their company in 1998 for $4 million. Today, Jesse is worth more than $200 million, and is part owner of the Atlanta Hawks.

  • The song would turn into the Knicks’ official anthem, used by the organization frequently over the last 30 years, and a soundtrack to one of the most successful seasons in franchise history.

The Rundown:

There are countless marketing lessons from this story, but these are some that (in my opinion) best relate to creators:

  • Fail forward — Jesse had the ability to pivot after his album flopped, highlighting the importance of not being deterred by initial setbacks. For creators, this means being open to changing strategies or exploring different avenues if a first approach doesn't work as expected. You could still leverage the experience, data, and skills developed from one thing (a solo music career) and roll that into value, success and money in your next thing (theme song construction). Fail fast, and forward

  • Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren’t tied to massive, immediate payouts — I am not an advocate of doing free, or severely discounted, work for exposure’s sake. But I do think it’s important for creators to be more objective when considering opportunities, even if they don't come with big budgets. Some experiences are investments in building your brand credibility, and come with long-term value that could outweigh short-term financial losses. (Think Beyonce offering you an opportunity to photograph The Renaissance Tour)

  • Be intentional & start with the end in mind — That said, I encourage you all to think about what you ultimately want to achieve. If you’re considering these types of opportunities, don’t rely on the exposure to organically carry you. It’s important to brainstorm how you could leverage that moment, and extend its life. In the Beyonce tour example, the ‘end’ could be as small as requesting institutional inventory (defined as resources owned or managed by an institution that is valuable). Examples of institutional inventory could include concert tickets, a social post (highlighting your shots, with a mention), or a 15-sec promo spot on the concert stage). The ‘end’ could also be as thorough as funneling that opportunity into a paid photography service – creating a pitch deck with your best photos and doing intentional outreach to earn more opportunities directing content for touring musicians. 

💰️ CREATOR GRANTS
Top Creator Grants 

  • One More Hour by Hinge (<$25K) — 1/30

  • Cadence Cash Thrive Grant ($5K) — 1/31

  • 71st Scripps Howard Awards ($170K) — 2/5

  • AT&T Tribeca Untold Stories (<$1M) — 2/6

  • Whicker Podcast Pitch (£5K) - 2/25

  • Papaya Grant for Women ($10K) — 3/31

  • Amber Grants for Women ($10K) — N/A

💼 CREATOR CAREER CORNER
Top Creator Roles 

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