With the world coming alive again and events happening left and right, companies are also making sure that they're exceeding customers' expectations in the new normal world we're all living in, and at the forefront of it all is WILD Entertainment.
As an Asian talent and management agency, WILD is the kind of company that thinks outside the box in terms of what kind of entertainment to put out there. They are the reason why we enjoy amazing content from equally amazing talents such as Sorn, The Hammingtons, and Junoflo! This 2023, they're about to become even bigger and it's all because of the vision of its founder and CEO, Leonard Lim.
K-loka by Cosmopolitan Philippines had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Leonard to get to know the man behind this company that is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with.
What was your motivation behind establishing WILD?
WILD was established in early 2020 and back then, the motivation came from giving new opportunities to foreign artists and creators that were based in South Korea. I felt like there was under-representation of the artists and so work coming from Southeast Asia and North America. There's so much talent in Southeast Asia that needs to be seen more on a global scale, and we're doing our best to try and be a hybrid entertainment company (both western and Asian entertainment roots).
What makes WILD different from other entertainment companies out there?
We've been working hard on creating a reputable brand of entertainment in the region, with a working culture and attitude that resonates with our artists and team. We work hard to stay ahead of the curve and think creatively to put out music and content that's different on the market. But at the end of the day, we'd love to be known as an "artist-first" company that works well in partnership with all our talents.
Can you describe to us a typical day in the life of Leonard Lim?
There's never really a day that's the same. Recently, it's been a lot of studio sessions, music marketing, talent signings...the list goes on. I spend a lot of my time working directly with our strategic and agency partners, especially with my artists. Their well-being is something I spend a lot of my time on, so I make sure I'm a great support system to them.
What was your biggest challenge in being the CEO of WILD and how did you overcome it?
I think the biggest challenge is moving between markets very often, and putting together a team that can support the demand of our artists and creators. We're constantly looking at how we can promote music in a creative way whilst maintaining the integrity of the music, which is difficult at times, given how Tiktok and short-form content plays a role in this new age music market.
How do you balance artistic integrity and commercial success when it comes to selecting talent or projects to invest in?
We're always conscious of the artist's integrity first. The artists we work with are talents whose potential we firmly believe in. Being an artist-first company is what we are trying to be, which means keeping in mind the creative dream of our artists. I'd say we try to keep as 50-50 throughout the process as possible. It's our part as management and label to think about commercial success but within the realm of what our artists believe is true to them.
What skills do you think are essential for artists to be successful in this industry?
Every artist in this generation has to be an entrepreneur themselves and treat their artist brand like a business. Today, just having the right skills and resources isn't nearly enough. It's about marketing yourself differently ahead of the masses, which is challenging. There must be a perfect combination of music matching your artist's brand, their social media platforms engaging with listeners/audience, and consistency with keeping up to date with trends.
What's your advice to the entrepreneurs out there who would like to venture into the entertainment industry?
Just keep learning, everything there is about the new age media and trends. I was able to learn most things about music and entertainment in the traditional sense quite fast, but what’s most important is knowing what makes people tick in this new generation of media and music. Things change so fast, and being ahead of the curve creatively is so important. Building a network of people around you that can support your team and talents is everything and takes time.
*This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
