CODEBLACK ENTERTAINMENT (CB), a subsidiary of CODEBLACK ENTERPRISES LLC (CBE), is a vertically integrated entertainment company that focuses on new media & film content production, providing brand strategy solutions to globally-recognized celebrities, artists, intellectual property holders and brands operating in the entertainment and sports industries.
CB’s operational capabilities include: long form & short form film development and production; live event production and management; content distribution & monetization solutions; brand strategy development & management; social media strategy creation and implementation; and development of innovative games and software for iPhone and iPod Touch, Google Android, Blackberry and a variety of other user interface technologies.
CB’s passion is helping its content and brand partners access the power of the $1-trillion African American consumer market. The African American population continues to expand both in pure numbers and in buying power and has a major influence on entertainment, technology and media trends. CB’s analysis and understanding of the social context of this fast-evolving market — values, attitudes, behavior, trends and pre-trends—allow us to position our content and brand partners in the center of influence—and develop the best strategy to maximize benefit.
CB employs a multi disciplined approach to value creation for its content and brand partners interested in broadening their product reach beyond their existing market landscape. CB is distribution agnostic and adopts a “Transmedia” strategy as a way to aggregate fragmented audiences and introduce its content and brand partners to new modes of presentation, monetization and social integration. CB’s key objective is to create and deliver content wherever and however consumers want to consume it.
WHAT IS TRANSMEDIA?
The “Transmedia” concept involves the discipline of leveraging brands and products across multiple platforms, by creating a diversified portfolio of developed content and technology applications with an overarching brand narrative that is then distributed through both traditional and new media outlets. By establishing a single brand narrative that flows from live performance venues to theatrical exhibition houses to TV to web to mobile devices to game consoles, brands and content are strategically leveraged and positioned to benefit from multiple revenue platforms; consumers and fans enjoy a richer experience and stakeholders realize increased value.
In 2011 CODEBLACK ENTERTAINMENT deployed its “Transmedia” concept to help comedian and actor Kevin Hart create a multi-channel revenue generating strategy for his brand and product “Laugh at My Pain.” Essential to the success of this effort, CB was able to establish an overarching brand narrative that was imbedded into a portfolio of customized Kevin Hart products to be leveraged across multiple media platforms. The product portfolio consisted of a live performance tour, a smart phone mobile game application “Little Jumpman,” apparel products, a feature film, an animated web series, a social media eco-system and DVD (digital and mobile products). These products were then monetized through live concert venues, Facebook and Twitter, Apple and Android mobile devices, YouTube, movie theaters, traditional retail stores, digital internet retailers, gaming consoles and cable broadcast platforms.
CB’s Kevin Hart transmedia brand campaign helped to position Kevin Hart as a bonafide media star. The campaign generated over 1-billion brand impressions and media views, captured a direct consumer base of over 7-million fans and has generated over $15-million dollars in revenues.
CODEBLACK ENTERTAINMENT has also partnered with Shaquille O’Neal’s “Shaq Entertainment” to create and launch the hottest and most successful urban comedy brand “Shaq’s All Star Comedy Jam.” CB works with Shaquille O’Neal to help extend his brand into entertainment by creating a diversified portfolio of products that allow for multi-channel revenue generating opportunities in the comedy category. In executing this brand strategy, CB created a national live concert touring partnership with AEG, DVD, digital and mobile products, 1-hour cable television specials that air on the Showtime Network, an international brand licensing package, an online video channel in partnership with Google’s YouTube platform and a new 3-D interactive game for Facebook. CB serves as the brand manager for the “Shaq All Star Comedy Jam” brand and the business operations manager and marketing strategist for Shaq Entertainment’s comedy business.
ABOUT CODEBLACK ENTERPRISES
CODEBLACK ENTERPRISES LLC (CBE) was launched in 2005, by entertainment industry veteran Jeff Clanagan. CBE’s mission is to super-serve the global Black community through the development of a diversified portfolio of entertainment media companies that create quality products and experiences that speaks to, engages and accurately represents the global African American experience. These companies include: Codeblack Entertainment (www.codeblackentertainment.com), a new media entertainment company that focuses on brand strategy consulting and content production and distribution; Codeblack Live, a full service live event & concert production company focused on the packaging and promotion of live comedy concerts worldwide; Codeblack Interactive (www.codeblackinteractive.com), the investment and digital technology arm that develops casual games and smart phone apps as well as digital content delivery platforms and services relevant to Black Americans across the country and the world; Codeblack.com (www.codeblack.com), the eyes and ears for Black Americans looking for what’s hot in black entertainment; and The Comedy Shaq (www.youtube.com/comedyshaq), an online video channel showcasing the best in multi-cultural comedy programming. Since its launch, CBE has quickly become the #1 supplier of filmed and live entertainment for the African American community.
CBE strategic partners include: Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions, T.D. Jakes Enterprises, Courvoisier, AEG Live, Lisa Raye McCoy, AMC Theaters, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Google/YouTube, Sony Network Entertainment and The Usual Suspects Productions.
