All businesses need effective marketing strategies to maximize success. Just ask Lion Shirdan, co-founder of UPRISE Management, a 360 ̊ full-service marketing, branding and creative agency with a focus on celebrity talent activations. A powerhouse in his industry, Lion has helped many brands garner mass awareness and reach new levels of success. He was also just accepted into Forbes Agency Council, an invite-only community for owners of esteemed public relations, media strategy, creative, and advertising agencies.
Home Business Magazine recently had the opportunity to connect with Lion and ask him about his business journey with UPRISE Management. He told us all about what inspired him to found his company, the biggest challenge he has overcome to be where he is today, and the key factor a marketing/branding/creative agency must have in order to be successful. He also shared helpful tips for businesses looking to change their marketing strategies to better connect with consumers in light of the coronavirus pandemic:
HBM: You are a co-founder of UPRISE Management. Could you tell us about your company and the clients you work with?
LS: “Since founding UPRISE back in 2015 together with my business partner Tomas Oscar Andrén, the company has grown into a 360˚ full-service marketing, branding and creative agency. We focus mainly on mainstream, premium, and luxury brands, but also on digital and leading e-commerce giants. Our main focus is to deliver strategy-driven branding, high-profile celebrity sourcing, forward-thinking and creative marketing – all in conjunction with integrated media photography, video and global from-start-to-finish production services.
At UPRISE, I oversee, consult, create and execute full-service marketing campaigns for brands, using traditional advertising, cutting-edge digital marketing, growth hacking and content strategies. We have unparalleled access to top talent to ensure growth and ROI. Our clients include Obliphica Professional, Binatone, Hubble Connected, Motorola Baby & Lifestyle to name a few.
Personally, I have over 20 years of experience in Marketing, Branding, Business Management, and Direct-Sales Management. I’m a Marketing Advisor, Creative Director and Consultant for key mainstream brands and successful startups.”
HBM: What inspired you to found UPRISE Management?
LS: “Before UPRISE, I was already working with talent, helping them manage their careers, brands and oversee incoming opportunities, so when UPRISE was created it was initially started as a talent management company. Through the years of working with talent, we continuously built global campaigns for their brand collaborations and endorsements, and it eventually made complete sense for us to make the switch and focus on brands.
We enjoy representing talent, but working with brands and shaping their creative, their strategy, and planning and executing their global marketing campaigns seemed like a great long-term fit for us. Working with brands, we still get to oversee talent activations but from the agency and brand side, which has given us a broader reach within both business fields. We still work with some key talent on the digital front, such as Furious Pete, Andrea Espada and The Royalty Family.”
HBM: What tips do you have for others looking to launch their own creative agencies?
LS: “One of my best recommendations would be to pick a niche to focus on. An agency can’t do everything, and in order to create a competitive advantage, you’ll need an area of expertise. For us that niche is talent. Due to our vast experience working with and representing talent, talent deals have become the core of our business. We source, secure, and structure talent deals, and build the strategies and campaigns around them. It’s our job to know what creative pairing and campaign will be right for the brand we are working with. Whether it’s a quick celebrity campaign or a celebrity face of the brand type engagement, we help the brand navigate through these waters, develop campaigns and properly execute them, ensuring results and ROI at the highest levels.”
HBM: What factors must a marketing/branding/creative agency have in order to be successful?
LS: “I think the most important element is strategy. Once you have a strategy, implementation is just about filling in the pieces intelligently. The strategy is the most important and crucial part; it is the element that will either make or break it for the agency. The right strategy and out-of-the-box thinking are what will help secure clients, deliver, and ensure high ROI. And hence achieve happy and satisfied clients.
At UPRISE we’ve so far only operated via word of mouth. We don’t have a website, we don’t advertise, and we don’t have an outgoing sales team. The only way we grow is by keeping our clients happy. Our clients have referred multiple other brands to us and we’re able to maintain and substantially expand the business via word of mouth and referrals alone.”
HBM: The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating to businesses around the world. What tips do you have for companies looking to change their marketing and branding strategies to connect with consumers in light of the pandemic?
LS: “Keeping up with market trends is key. Consumer spending trends have changed drastically. We’ve noticed a major increase in essential spending, such as food, fitness and anything that helps ease the quarantine. At the same time, all non-necessities and luxury products seem to have taken a hit. We’ve worked with a lot of our clients to ensure a seamless shift to digital, as in-person is no longer relevant. Additionally, we’ve directed focus to the lower priced items or key products that can maintain relevance even in the current heavily affected economy.”
HBM: As an entrepreneur, how do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? What tips can you share?
LS: “It is not always easy to maintain a healthy work-life balance, but it is of utmost importance to always try one’s best to do so. What helps me the most is having a schedule that clearly separates work from leisure hours and sticking to it. People are creatures of habit, and routine helps to ensure both efficiency and sanity. I tend to wake up reasonably early, work consistently throughout the day, and turn off my work phone after a certain time in the evening. I try to spend as much time away from my phone as possible in the evenings and weekends.
I spend the evenings with friends and family, something that allows me to refuel for the next day. A healthy sleeping pattern is also key. Furthermore, I keep my weekends off every week and that time off resets my energy completely. On those days, I love to spend as much time as I can outside hiking or doing anything immersed in nature to keep balanced.”
HBM: What was one of the biggest challenges you’ve overcome to be where you are today?
LS: “Cancer. Just over five years ago, I went through a horrible cancer that made me reevaluate my life, my priorities and the way I do things. I’ve managed to overcome it and I’m now cured, but the process made me reset my professional life entirely. I wanted to get involved with a more creative field, which led me to where I am today. I launched UPRISE, together with co-founder Tomas Oscar Andrén, in 2015 right after cancer and started out fresh.”
HBM: What is next on your entrepreneurial bucket list?
LS: “Personally, I’ve been mentoring businesses and coaching executives. I definitely want to focus on doing this more over the next few years. For the company, over the last couple of years we’ve been discussing expanding the business and getting into production as well.”
Visit uprisemgmt.com for more info.
