We turn down 9 out of 10 offers we have from brands to pay our artists or us as a company – millions and millions of dollars. Our process is really to establish a partnership with a brand partner, build trust. Know that you’re going to go on a journey together. Know that journey is going to be consistent with their brand values, consistent with our brand values. And then how are you we going to tell a story that makes something that people react to…
The consumers, our fans in particular, are so fickle. We learned early that if Justin Bieber was tweeting about a product… these kids know “Oh he’s just taking a cheque”. Because of that, our job gets that much more challenging from a creative level. So it’s: “Okay, if we’re going to work with a brand, fans know you might be getting paid. How are you to work with that brand in a way that you provide value to them? That’s the way we operate, and I think it’s the only way to build long-term sustainable brands in our space.