The Hook

• Production strategy aimed at levelling-up junior team members

• Executive producer work editorially focusing on original comedy sketches for social

• Won Social Media Agency of the Year (The Drum, 2018) and Content Studio of the Year (British Media Awards 2018) during my tenure

In 2017, The Hook were a next-generation Facebook publisher hot on the heels of LADbible and Jungle Creations. They had grown a large young audience of 12 million who were hungry for entertainment content, and they made money effectively producing ad-funded content to distribute to their audience for brands like Lionsgate. From the outside, the content seemed quick-turnaround and witty, but they knew they’d need to be able to create broadcast quality video to take advantage of new revenue opportunities like Facebook Watch. The team behind the content were full of energy and ideas, but low on experience - I don’t think any of them had worked for a traditional TV company.

I was hired primarily to oversee a push into original comedy, which they wanted to make their USP, though once I was on board most of my time was taken up with getting the team into shape, introducing TV production paradigms and job titles and improving the overall quality of the output. 

A good example of the kind of sketches made at The Hook during my tenure (though the views, as always, were much higher on Facebook).

During my time at The Hook, the team’s output improved drastically, reaching tens of millions of viewers and increasingly attracting industry accolades from The Drum, DIGIDAY, Campaign and the British Media Awards.