A trio of media industry veterans are launching their own full-service agency for content creators and brands, specializing in talent coaching, content strategy and brand partnerships.
The new agency, called RMR Media Strategies, takes its name from its three co-founders and managing partners, Rob Farina, Mike Bendixen and Rob Basile. Farina is the former head of content for Bell Media and Rogers Media VP of programming and innovation, while Bendixen had formerly been national director of programming at Bell Media and Basile led Bell Media’s syndication company, Orbyt Media.
Now, the group have gone into business for themselves in order “to solve clear issues” they’ve identified in the content landscape, explains Farina, stemmed by a “tremendous rise in audio consumption,” which has caused a surge in podcast production and so much noise in the space that it has created a problem for content producers: breakthrough.
“A lot of people are moving into the audio space and there aren’t a lot of others who are providing the expertise, strategy and coaching that we’ve built our careers upon being able to deliver with tremendous success,” explains Farina. “We have an extensive background working with talent to make sure whatever is coming out of the speakers, so to speak, engages people from one minute to the next.”
In a sense, the move keeps the trio in step with the direction that the industry has headed in recent years, as well. While at one time broadcasters held the vast majority of the power in the sector, with personalities working hard for a platform on those networks, now the personalities are able to monetize their work themselves and go direct to their listeners.
“Great personalities can build a great business around themselves, without the confines of a broadcaster,” says Farina. The goal for RMR, then, is to make sure they have the benefit of all of the skills development they might be provided with by a broadcaster.
“What we’re hearing is there’s a lack of knowledge transfer and core skillsets, whether it be with on-air talent or management and leadership,” he elaborates. “So we’re providing coaching and strategy there as the third area that we see in the marketplace.”
To round out its offering, RMR also represents talent, shows and production services within the marketplace and for distribution, as well as “consultation services for brands that want to break through with an audio strategy,” says Farina.
“Whether it be by increasing the appeal of the brand or driving sales, whatever the agenda – we know what we can do is make content better, make it stickier and make people listen longer,” he adds.
