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A new Paradigm for Coda

Ex-Coda agents Mike Malak and Anna Bewers reflect on the impact of the agency’s integration into Paradigm, as well as wider changes in the global booking agency business

21 Oct 2019

Anna Bewers, Mike Malak, Paradigm

On becoming Paradigm…

Mike Malak: It’s exciting to work with a like-minded team who are ready to embrace the future of the business. We share synergies in the way that we work: for example, [neither Paradigm US or UK] believe in ‘one strategy works for all’, and so we strategise on our clients’ careers with a unique approach.

Having been in partnership with Paradigm for the last five years, we have been able to exponentially grow global acts such as Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish to heights we wouldn’t have been able to without the support of our transatlantic colleagues.

Anna Bewers: In the relatively short time I have been here, the whole company has been incredibly welcoming and proactive in sharing tips and teaming up on acts. We are on the same wavelength in terms of being artist-centric. Plus they have amazing rosters!

Mike Malak: I am excited about developing the brand further internationally, and giving our clients a sense of cohesion throughout the business. Having a unified business that is fully aligned on values and messaging is extremely important, especially to those who we work with externally.

Anna Bewers: I think Coda and Paradigm had seen real success in the partnership over the past five years, so it made total sense to become one company. Before I joined, I think I felt it was inevitable.

It’s a move I definitely welcome. Change can be scary, but to me this seems like a natural progression of the two companies already working together so closely.

As an indie agency, you simply cannot compete on a global level

On agency sector consolidation…

MM: The business is simply following the evolution of the world and its consumption habits. As a united business we are stronger, more collaborative and can offer our clients a true 360 service. It’s about having an experienced, diverse team, whereby we can all learn from each other.

As an indie agency, you simply cannot compete on a global level. Artists are sharing their music in ways that are totally different from before. With the rise of social-media platforms such as Instagram and Soundcloud, a new generation of artists are connecting with fans on a level that was previously unobtainable. Therefore, knowledge in these areas is key – as is understanding the data and cultural relevance around this.

We have to explore how it impacts touring, how we can leverage it to take the artist further, what new ways of thinking and approaches we can implement to break new ground and truly connect with an audience, etc.

AB: Just because an agency is deemed corporate, it doesn’t mean the personality and skills of an agent are lost. When we pitch, it’s about our passion for the artist. I have worked with the majority of my clients from the very beginning and they have stayed with me through my recent change.

Paradigm gives us a global platform and the tools that come with that will only make an agent stronger. It’s a global music industry and the consolidation just reflects that.

MM: Having an international scope on these ideas only benefits the wider agency, and discussions filled with valuable expertise allows us to excel at it.

We are still the same dysfunctional Coda family we have always been

On the future…

MM: The live industry is ever changing, from how tickets are purchased to the types of shows fans want to go see. We strive to stay at the forefront of the changes and consistently look towards the future of the business, which I believe will definitely be achieved through our merger with multiple brilliant minds feeding into bigger ideas.

AB: We now have a worldwide platform that will continue moving towards more globally focused artist representation.

What won’t change? The personalities here definitely won’t change, and that’s one thing that really attracted me to the company. The artist comes first. We are here to build long-term careers, and that certainly wont change either; it’s an ethos we already shared. 

MM: We may be Paradigm UK now, but we are still the same dysfunctional Coda family we have always been! That can-do spirit remains and is what makes us go that step further for our clients… We will always embody the non-corporate and hands-on attitude which has taken us this far.

I am so excited to see what the next decade looks like for the newly formed Paradigm family.

 


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