KOMI group – the Manchester headquartered social media marketing company which rebranded from It’s Gone Viral earlier this month – has launched a brand new division called Ark Media which aims to be the market leader in user-generated content, connecting creators and distributors. Its core services are licensing, syndication and rights management.
Ark Media is the third division to fall under the KOMI group umbrella alongside KOMI Media, which creates and builds bespoke social channels, and KOMI Social, which focusses on content production, content distribution and social media management for brands.
Ark Media’s licensing team focuses on placing some of the best videos on the web in TV shows, in advertisements, on websites and social media channels. Its dedicated sales staff and content partners present videos to buyers around the world, whilst media professionals are able to search Ark’s archive for the latest exclusive videos.
The syndication department works with clients by representing and syndicating their videos to the likes of MSN, AOL, and Yahoo. Its aim is to ensure owners generate as much revenue as possible from commercial purchasers.
The rights management team is focused on targeting piracy and unauthorised use of video content whilst also ensuring clients are compensated properly if they do fall victim.
Andrew Trotman said: “We are incredibly excited about the launch of Ark Media. Over the past few years, It’s Gone Viral and the other pages under the KOMI group umbrella have grown to become some of the leading content suppliers gathering hundreds of millions of views and interactions each month. Establishing Ark Media was an obvious move for us as our video library hosts some of the most viral clips shared online.”
Ryan added: “Central to our ethos is rewarding content creators fairly whilst also supplying brands and entertainment companies with the most amazing and unique videos.”
KOMI group, previously known as It’s Gone Viral, was founded in 2016 and is led by Andrew Trotman and Ryan Williams. Over the past four years, its team of content creators, analysts and video producers have made and then distributed video content and viral campaign adverts for international brands such as BBC Films, O2, Universal, Bud Light and Disney.
Content has been shared across its Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts including the It’s Gone Viral page, which is dedicated to relatable, informative and educational content; as well as Go Fetch, a platform for dog lovers to connect with one another; Happiest, which focusses on bringing the most entertaining and uplifting content and real life stories; and Ultimate DIY which is all about sharing fascinating and clever DIY, crafts and hacks followers can do at home.
The last six months has seen the company reach various milestones including delivering over six billion views across its portfolio of pages, relocating its HQ to Beehive Mill in Ancoats, reporting its highest ever NewsWhip results, acquiring social media brand Happiest Media Ltd and appointing Urban Splash’s Sam Lenehan as its new non-exec director.
