Oliver Luckett
Oliver Luckett | |
---|---|
Born | 1974 |
Nationality | American |
Education | BA |
Alma mater | Vanderbilt University |
Occupation | Businessperson, art collector |
Known for | Founding or co-founding the companies iBlast, Revver, DigiSynd and theAudience |
Oliver Luckett is an American businessman and art collector. He is the founder of iBlast, Revver, DigiSynd and theAudience.
Early life
Born in 1974, Luckett was raised in Mississippi by his mother and father. His father co-owns the Ground Zero blues club with actor Morgan Freeman. While in high school, he learned microbiology and computer coding[1] and received a bachelor's degree in French literature from Vanderbilt University.[2]
Companies during the 2000s
In 1999 Luckett cofounded the firm iBlast Networks with former FOX syndication president Michael Lambert and former head of Universal Studios Ken Solomon, and following its founding Luckett served as the company's Chief Technology Officer.[3][4] In 2005 Luckett cofounded the firm Revver, which was the first company to attach advertisements to amateur and professional Internet videos, providing the video makers with a percentage of the ad revenue. He cofounded the company with Freenet developer Ian Clarke and Steven Starr.[5] He then founded DigiSynd, a company that outsourced packaging, syndication and marketing for digital studios and other content creators. The company was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2008. Disney made the decision to create a sequel for Finding Nemo after finding the most liked fan page on Facebook was the film’s character Dory.[1][6]
theAudience
Luckett is the cofounder and CEO of theAudience, a social media publishing firm. The idea for the company was developed at a dinner between Luckett and William Morris Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. theAudience develops and publishes content across multiple social media platforms. William Morris Endeavor was one of the initial investors in the firm, in addition to City National Bank, and Napster founder Sean Parker. theAudience works with its clients to develop social content and publishing strategies. Content published by theAudience is seen by about one billion social media users per month.[7][8][9]
Media
As founder of theAudience, Luckett has appeared on broadcast television shows including Frontline Magazine,[10][11] in addition to print publications. Luckett has explained that due to a consumer's initial decision to follow a property or individual, using social media to funnel viewership to websites or promotional videos becomes a path of less resistance than more traditional methods of attracting viewers.[12][13] Some of Luckett's work with clients has been written about by national newspapers, such as his work with Richard Simmons and Steve Aoki.[14][15] He has also been an advocate for movie studios to pay actors for their marketing commitments to the films they appear in,[8] as well as philanthropic aspects of social media on Bloomberg Television such as American Express' latest documentary Spent.[2][16]
Personal life
Luckett is a collector of art, including items from Iceland.[1][17]
References
- 1 2 3 Arit John (October 25, 2013). "How To Gain Friends & Alienate No One". Grape Vine. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- 1 2 "Social Media Is a Lifeline During Unrest: Luckett". Bloomberg. March 4, 2014.
- ↑ Michael Grotticelli (May 7, 2001). "Whither iBlast?". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Glen Dickson (March 13, 2000). "IBlast makes datacast splash.". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ GARY GENTILE (October 30, 2005). "Startup aims to make online video profitable through advertising". AP Worldstream. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Michael Arrington (May 29, 2008). "Hallway Gossip At D6: Revver Founder Selling Stealth Startup Digisynd To Disney". TechCrunch.
- ↑ "Culture Jamming: Who's Helping Celebrities Go Viral?". Mashable. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- 1 2 Josh Dickey (September 24, 2013). "TheGrill: Social-Media Pioneer – Hollywood Should Pay Talent for Marketing Projects". The Wrap. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ JAMES RUFUS KOREN (February 10, 2014). "Mixed Match: Banks never loaned to tech startups – until now". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Soraya Nadia McDonald (April 8, 2014). "And the Award for 'Best at the Interwebs' Goes to ...". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Generation Like". Frontline. PBS.org. February 18, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Lucas Shaw (February 3, 2014). "Facebook Turns 10: How It Became an 'Integral' Part of Hollywood". The Wrap. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Katherine Brooks (March 27, 2013). "Draw The Future Of Social Media: Details Magazine Challenges You To Be A Digital Maverick". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ Brooks Barnes (August 23, 2013). "Richard Simmons, Internet Star?". New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ DEBORAH VANKIN (March 24, 2014). "DJ Steve Aoki premieres his panoply of fan art". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- ↑ "How Social Media Can Help the `Underbanked'". Bloomberg Business. June 9, 2014.
- ↑ Deborah Vankin (May 2, 2014). "Tech mogul Oliver Luckett connects with emerging artists in a big way". Los Angeles Times.