OVO

Influencer brands aren't promo products, they're real businesses

Harley argues that creator-owned brands (Kylie Cosmetics, Jeffree Star, Drake's OVO, Yeezy) are deeply misunderstood as mere brand extensions. They're built by people who understand their category cold, and unlike Michael Jordan licensing his name to Nike in the '80s, today's stars can own 100% via Shopify.

“If Michael Jordan started the Jordan brand today, he would own 100% of it, just like Yeezy does, just like Drake owns OVO, just like Kylie owns Kylie Cosmetics. But because the Jordan brand started in the mid-'80s, he was a licensor of his brand to Nike. He received a royalty. The royalty was substantial, but he had no choice but to work with Nike on this deal because fundamentally Nike had add the means of manufacturing and the means of distribution.”