Introducing Wattpad Studios - Aron Levitz will lead new division as head of Wattpad Studios
At Wattpad, we believe that the future of entertainment will be driven by communities of storytellers and backed by powerful data and insights. Today, we are one step closer to this future with the introduction of Wattpad Studios. Operating like a multi-channel network (MCN), Wattpad Studios will partner with the entertainment industry to co-produce Wattpad stories for print, film, television, and digital platforms.
With insights on approximately 250 million original story uploads and access to over two million creators, Wattpad is in a unique position to partner with the entertainment industry. Wattpad stories reflect what people love in life, on the screen, and in the depths of their imaginations; and as a result, Wattpad stories are always culturally relevant. With Wattpad Studios, entertainment executives can keep their finger on the pulse of pop culture and also reduce the guesswork involved during the traditional development process.
Aron Levitz has been promoted to head of Wattpad Studios to lead the new division. In this new role, Aron will connect the entertainment and publishing industries with original content created by Wattpad Stars, the biggest influencers on the platform. Previously, as the head of business development, Aron helped establish the company’s monetization strategy and launched Wattpad Brand Stories, a native advertising solution. He was also instrumental in launching the Wattpad Stars program that gives top influencers access to a variety of paid and promotional opportunities.
“Wattpad deals exclusively in the one thing that powers the billion-dollar entertainment industry - original and compelling stories,” said Head of Wattpad Studios Aron Levitz. “As the largest and fastest-growing platform for stories, we can easily spot the voices that resonate with audiences around the world and the stories that have an established fan base. Wattpad Studios will help industry executives make smarter decisions, faster.”
Wattpad Studios connects entertainment and publishing executives with Wattpad stories and creators. Using a combination of data and community insights, Wattpad can help media executives hone in on stories that have the greatest chance of commercial success from the roughly 250 million uploads shared on the platform. Other initiatives under the Wattpad Studios division include:
Wattpad Stars - The engine of Wattpad Studios, Wattpad Stars are Wattpad’s biggest influencers and the most successful and popular writers on the platform. Chosen by the global Wattpad community, these writers understand how to craft stories that drives huge engagement. With incredible reach, both on and off the Wattpad platform, Wattpad Stars give brands, publishers, and studios access to a massive built-in audience.
Wattpad Words - Wattpad Words helps publishers connect with millions of readers around the world, promote works to a new audience, test story ideas and concepts, and gather reader feedback in real-time.
Wattpad Presents - Wattpad Presents is a partnership with networks and producers to adapt Wattpad stories for television. Some of Wattpad Studios early work includes a partnership with TV5 Network in the Philippines. TV5 has produced 200 episodes representing 40 Wattpad stories. The series has reached millions of viewers, and the network has seen a total viewership increase of 30 percent between 2014 and 2015.
Wattpad Insights - Through Wattpad Insights, executives can subscribe to trend reports that identify and analyze the types of content that are trending on the platform. They can also access IP reports that identify the top trending IP on Wattpad as well as ‘hidden gems’ curated by Wattpad’s team. Wattpad also offers contesting opportunities that identify rising voices and fresh stories for new IP acquisition, as well as concept and property testing against broad or targeted audiences to evaluate potential development success.
“Entertainment and Wattpad stories go hand-in-hand. It’s why millions of people around the world spend 15 billion minutes a month on the platform,” said Wattpad Co-Founder and CEO Allen Lau. “The launch of Wattpad Studios will not only extend the reach of Wattpad stories, but will also help shape the future of community and data-driven entertainment.”
Wattpad Studios will drive revenue growth across the company. It will also create multiple paths to monetization for online writers who previously had limited opportunities to earn money from their creative writing. Up until recently, it was almost unheard of for major brands to commission writers to craft fiction on their behalf. Today, we have helped hundreds of Wattpad writers create original and entertaining stories for global consumer and entertainment brands. Collectively, Wattpad Stars have earned over seven-figures from the early work of Wattpad Studios, with some writers making more money on Wattpad project than they would from a traditional book advance.
Wattpad Studios opens up new opportunities for us to connect the most popular writers on the platform with an industry that depends on a constant stream of original and compelling stories.
We’ve already developed several strategic partnerships with entertainment leaders like United Talent Agency, Paramount Pictures, TV5 Networks and many others. We’ll be announcing some exciting projects in the coming weeks - stay tuned!
If you’d like to learn more about how Wattpad Studios can help you, please contact us.