5 Minutes with… Emma Harman
Emma Harman, formerly chief client officer of Whalar, has just been appointed president for the EMEA region for Whalar Group. With this appointment, Emma will lead on the expansion and strategic growth of Whalar Group's offering in EMEA, meeting the increasing demand for a ‘glocal’ approach for brands, platforms, and creators alike.
Having worked at the first-of-its-kind creator ecosystem since 2018, Emma is well versed in how the various pillars of the group combine to enable excellence for creators working with brands. Whalar offers a full-service creator agency, a 360-degree talent management company, a physical campus for creators, an innovative digital operating system, a venture studio, and a ground-breaking gaming studio.
As she steps up as EMEA president, LBB’s Alex Reeves spoke to Emma about her new role and ambitions for the region.
LBB> Where did you grow up and what sort of kid were you? Were there any signs back then about what sort of career you'd end up having?
Emma> I grew up in Southampton and from the age of 14 had several jobs including working in a legendary comedy club called Lizard Lounge. Southampton had a great live music and DJ scene so I often promoted club nights for local venues. My mum ran a small talent agency from our flat so my whole world was surrounded by interesting characters. I left Southampton at 18 to pursue an acting for screen diploma at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London.
LBB> How did you get into the advertising industry? What defined those early years for you?
Emma> The pivotal moment of my advertising career was getting into the Fox Kids TV network. From competitions to online games to meet and greets with stars like the Spice Girls and Pussycat Dolls, we facilitated amazing brand collaborations to engage kids online. It was there that I truly found my passion for sales and storytelling which I have built on throughout my career.
LBB> You worked at Universal Music Group with some global superstars. Which of those were particularly formative relationships and what lessons did you learn about working with people who have a big impact on culture?
Emma> At UMG, I worked with diverse artists at various career stages, from developing talents like Jessie J and Amy Winehouse to breaking established acts like Lady Gaga internationally. I connected these artists with audiences through stunts, PR, street teams, forums, and managing fanbases. This experience taught me how to craft a distinctive artist narrative and balance connecting with tastemakers while going mainstream.
Many artists I worked with, such as Rihanna, Scissor Sisters, and Taylor Swift, continue to influence culture, style, fashion, and beauty. The industry's lack of focus on mental health and the emphasis on the 'perfect body' were key reasons for my departure.
LBB> How did you first get involved with influencers (as they were called at the time)? What were your biggest realisations from that experience?
Emma> I began working with influencers when I joined Whalar in 2018, during a time when beauty, fashion, and mummy bloggers dominated the scene, and influencers were often gifted rather than paid. Many influencers did not have talent agents and also were working traditional day jobs.
Fast forward to today, most creators who earn over £100k per year have an agent and the space encapsulates more specialised topics which makes for better, diverse and more substantive work. We are very much in the age of co-creation which is a positive step forward for our industry.
LBB> What drew you to Whalar in 2018?
Emma> Whalar has always been and continues to be an absolute rocket ship. I love the way we are co-authoring the creator economy and our collective mission of ‘liberating the creative voice’. In many ways, we are a challenger to the big agency groups and our independence and size has enabled us to zig when others zag. It's been a great honour to be able to translate Neil and James' vision for the creator economy for the last six years.
LBB> You've just been appointed as president, EMEA of Whalar Group. What will be your priorities in that role?
Emma> At Whalar Group, we're expanding far beyond our brand partnerships agency. We're building a comprehensive end-to-end ecosystem that includes cutting-edge services for creators. The key priority of this new role is to drive growth and strategic partnerships across our entire ecosystem.
LBB> What do you think the biggest question for creator marketing to answer is right now?
Emma> The stats and data all point to the fact that people spend close to 50% of watch time online with creators. Creators are shaking up legacy media and re-defining a new era of entertainment and education, however, we still have a job to do to convince and educate marketers who may not be socially media savvy or connected directly to creators.
We’ve seen a recent shift in the industry of media agencies buying influencer companies which brings creators closer to media. This makes sense from a scale, efficiency and predictability perspective but we need to ensure that we stay focused on great creative work, big ideas and emotional ways to connect with modern consumers.
LBB> What is your most obscure social media obsession?
Emma> I joined LinkedIn in 2004 and since then, I have had a mild obsession with it. I’m also a big fan of comedy creators like Luke Hamnett who provide a brilliant dose of British humour to me on a daily basis.
