iWorld
Pinkvilla & Mad Influence launches ‘Creators United’ for content creators
Mumbai: India’s leading digital entertainment & lifestyle platform, Pinkvilla, and one of the country’s largest influencer agencies, Mad Influence, have partnered to launch a new joint entity, Creators United, the first-of-its-kind creators’ confluence in India.
The maiden edition of the event will be held in Goa in January 2023. The event is slated to be a two-day exclusive congregation that brings the country’s best content creators, influencers, brands, publishers, and social media platforms under one roof.
The joint venture was announced with an interesting teaser campaign.
The partnership aims to positively influence those who influence billions and celebrates content in all its forms, with the theme “It starts with you.”
With extremely unique experiential events giving creators access to exclusive activities over two days, it will enable the most compelling live experiences for creators, such as networking sundowners, special content zones, music, wellness and mindfulness activities, brand collaboration initiatives, and much more. It will also honour the leaders of today’s conversations through an awards ceremony, recognising the many diverse and influential voices in India.
Curated to present experiences of a lifetime, the property is built on the mutual passion shared by Pinkvilla and Mad Influence to pioneer the most happening conversations in the digital space, which has made them instrumental forces in shaping the future of Indian digital content today. The joint venture is built on a long-term vision to define how content creators can engage audiences in a meaningful and growth-oriented way in the new digital era. Beginning with the flagship event, the two content giants aim to amass their enormous collective reach of over five billion through influencer-led branded content, to drive meaningful change and lead important conversations shaping the future.
Speaking of the partnership, Pinkvilla CEO and founder Nandini Shenoy stated, “At Pinkvilla and Mad Influence, we share a mutual passion for pioneering the most compelling content experiences, and creators have played a key role in this journey. With the continual goal to evolve and elevate the bar for far-reaching content, through Creators United we aim to curate experiences that will define how we engage audiences and consumer media in the future, and transform influencer-brand narratives in the most positive ways!”
Adding to it, Mad Influence CEO and founder Gautam Madhavan said, “Mad Influence and Pinkvilla share the same vision of building the largest community of influencers globally with Creators United. Content needs to be celebrated, not just created, and that is what we are building for the future. Through this highly-curated experience for the digital changemakers of the world, we aim to amplify the biggest and brightest voices in the world and enable them with a platform that provides a 360-degree value-driven event experience.”
Creators United’s director Karan Sawhney said about the newly launched venture, “Successful events are the ones that add immense value to the lives of the attendees, while also curating an experience of a lifetime, through exciting and creative offerings. This is precisely our aim, as we bring together some of the biggest influencers, content creators, and brands on a scale never seen before through Creators United. With this one-of-a-kind celebration that merges the most avant-garde activities and wide-ranging transformative content experiences, we aim to push the boundaries, not just for the emerging creators’ economy, but also for the future of the events space in India.”
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
