About Dolphin Entertainment

Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. (Dolphin) operates as an independent entertainment marketing and premium content development company. The company, through its subsidiaries, 42West LLC (42West), The Door Marketing Group LLC (The Door), Shore Fire Media, Ltd (Shore Fire), Viewpoint Computer Animation, Inc. (Viewpoint), Be Social Public Relations, LLC (Be Social), B/HI Communications, Inc. (B/HI) and Socialyte LLC (Socialyte), provides expert strategic marketing and publicity services to many of the top brands, both individual and corporate, in the motion picture, television, music, gaming, culinary, hospitality and lifestyle industries. 42West (Film and Television, Gaming), Shore Fire (Music), and The Door (Culinary, Hospitality, Lifestyle) are each recognized global PR and marketing leaders for the industries they serve. Viewpoint adds full-service creative branding and production capabilities to the company's marketing group and Be Social and Socialyte provide influencer marketing capabilities through their roster of highly engaged social media influencers. Segments The company operates through two segments, Entertainment Publicity and Marketing; and Content Production. The entertainment publicity and marketing segment consists of 42West, Shore Fire, The Door, Viewpoint, Be Social and Socialyte and provides clients with diversified services, including public relations, entertainment content marketing, strategic communications, social media and influencer marketing, creative branding, and the production of promotional video content. The content production segment consists of Dolphin Films, Inc. (Dolphin Films) and a department within Dolphin, which produce and distribute feature films and digital content. With respect to its entertainment publicity and marketing segment, the company sees a favorable environment for organic growth. The company has seen the entrance of large streaming services, such as Disney+, Apple TV, Peacock (from NBCUniversal), HBO Max, Paramount+ and Discovery, all to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Additionally, the company has endeavored to create a 'marketing super group', combining marketing, public relations, branding, and digital production, that will serve as a platform for organic growth via the cross-selling of services among its subsidiaries. By way of example, the company's initial public relations companies (42West, Shore Fire, and The Door) have identified the capability to run influencer marketing campaigns for clients as a 'must have' in environment, which requires the ability to drive social media awareness and engagement. Thus, the company's subsidiaries, Be Social and Socialyte provide a critical competitive advantage in the acquisition of new clients in the entertainment and lifestyle marketing space and will continue to fuel topline revenue growth as the average revenue per client increases with the cross-selling of influencer marketing services. Furthermore, influencer marketing campaigns are also considered essential to so many consumer products earned media campaigns in online marketplace, creating large cross-selling opportunities between the company's PR agencies and Be Social's and Socialyte's expertise and services. The company's expanding portfolio of public relations and marketing companies will continue to attract future acquisitions. Its 'marketing super group' is unique in the industry, as a collection of best-in-class service providers across a variety of entertainment and lifestyle verticals. With each new acquisition in this space, the company's portfolio will increase its breadth and depth of services and, therefore, be able to offer an even more compelling opportunity for other industry leaders to join and enjoy the benefits of cross-selling to a wide variety of existing and potential clients. Thus, the company can continue to grow both revenues and profits through future acquisitions into its entertainment publicity and marketing segment. Finally, the company's ability to engage a broad consumer base through its best-in-class pop culture assets provides it an opportunity to make investments in products or companies which would benefit from its collective marketing power. The company calls these investments 'Dolphin 2.0' (with 'Dolphin 1.0' being the underlying businesses of each of its subsidiaries). Simply put, the company seeks to own some of the assets it is marketing. Specifically, the company wants to own assets where its experience, industry relationships and marketing power will most influence the likelihood of success. This leads the company to seek investments in the following categories of assets: Content; Live Events; and Consumer Products. The first of the company's 2.0 investments was in the new world of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). Initially, the company had seen a large opportunity in this sector. The company had believed the NFT market would continue to grow at a rapid pace for years to come, driven by the combination of the ability of consumers to purchase using a credit card (and not just with cryptocurrencies); consumer-friendly pricing options (previously not readily available due to large 'gas fees' charged by both sellers and buyers of NFTs to offset the energy consumption required to 'mint' the NFT for sale); and popular entertainment and pop culture collectibles being offered. In March 2021, the company announced its intentions to enter into the production and marketing of NFTs. In August, 2021, the company announced it would develop and launch NFT collections across all major entertainment industry verticals (film, television, music, gaming, etc.). In December, 2021, the company unveiled its first collection, entitled 'Creature Chronicles: Exiled Aliens', a generative art collection of 10,000 unique avatars. On October 2, 2022, the company minted and offered for sale a collection of 7,777 Creature Chronicles: Exiled Aliens NFTs. The company's second Dolphin 2.0 investment was made in October, 2021, when it acquired an ownership stake in Midnight Theatre, a state-of-the-art contemporary variety theater and restaurant in the heart of Manhattan. An anchor of Brookfield Properties' recently opened Manhattan West development, the Midnight Theatre held its soft opening in September 2022 and is expected to be fully operating by fourth quarter of 2023. The Midnight Theatre will feature three distinct experiences for guests: the theatre itself; a separate pan-Asian restaurant, Hidden Leaf; and a ground-level cafe. The company manages all aspects of publicity and marketing for the venue (both theatre and restaurant), as well as facilitate talent and commercial relationships within the entertainment and culinary industries. The Midnight Theatre will have a weekly schedule of performances and immersive experiences across music, comedy, Broadway, and narrative magic shows programmed at the 160-seat venue. The contemporary variety theatre integrates state-of-the-art 270 degree projection mapped visuals into live performances, allowing for unprecedented intimacy between performers and guests. The Midnight Theatre also has built in live-stream capabilities, allowing for events inside the theatre to expand beyond into other theaters, people's homes and corporate offices. The theatre will be available to host live streamed podcasts, comedy specials, music events, Broadway cabarets, corporate keynote events and more. Hidden Leaf, the modern pan-Asian restaurant concept on the second floor of The Midnight Theatre space, led by acclaimed restauranteur Josh Cohen, commenced operations on July 2022. The restaurant features a 75-seat dining room, 20-seat private dining room and a 40-seat lounge/bar area. Hidden Leaf will be open for both lunch and dinner and will incorporate world-class food with interactive elements, such as table-side prep, wine consignments, and memberships. The company's third Dolphin 2.0 investment was made in December, 2021, when it acquired an ownership stake in Crafthouse Cocktails, a pioneering brand of ready-to-drink. Founded in 2013, Crafthouse Cocktails is a pioneer in the premium ready-to-drink cocktail category, with eight different, made-from-scratch cocktails, using all-natural ingredients and premium craft spirits, available in more than 2,000 retail locations nationally. The company will manage all aspects of publicity and marketing for the brand through its network of agencies and will facilitate talent and commercial relationships within the entertainment and culinary industries. Lastly the company's fourth Dolphin 2.0 investment was made in June, 2022, when it entered into a multi-year deal with IMAX to jointly finance the development and production of a slate of feature-length documentaries for the global market. The first project under this deal is for 'The Blue Angels', co-produced by Bad Robot Productions. 'The Blue Angels' follows the newest class of the storied Navy and Marine Corps flight squadron through intense training and into their first season of heart-stopping aerial artistry, while also sharing the emotional stories of the veterans on the team who, this year, will take their final flights. It will mark the first time the iconic blue and yellow F/A-18 Super Hornets will be featured in IMAX. The film is expected to be released in IMAX theaters in the second half of 2023. Strategy The key elements of the company's strategy are to expand and grow 42West to serve more clients with a broad array of interrelated services; expand and grow Shore Fire Media to serve more clients in more genres of music and in more markets; expand and grow The Door through the expansion of its Consumer Products PR business; diversify Viewpoint's client base; diversify Be Social's and Socialyte's client bases; cross-sell Be Social's and Socialyte's expertise across both paid and organic influencer campaigns; opportunistically grow through complementary acquisitions; build a portfolio of premium film, television and digital content; promotion of Midnight Theatre; and assist Crafthouse Cocktails on its expansion. Entertainment Publicity and Marketing 42West Through 42West, an entertainment public relations agency, the company offers talent publicity, entertainment (motion picture and television) marketing, video game and eSports marketing, and strategic communications services. 42West has served, and will continue to serve, as an 'acquisition magnet' for the company to acquire new members of its marketing 'super group', which has the ability to provide synergistic new members with the opportunity to grow revenues and profits through 42West's access, relationships and experience in the entertainment industry. Marketing professionals at 42West develop and execute marketing and publicity strategies for dozens of movies and television shows annually, as well as for individual actors, filmmakers, recording artists, video game publishers, and authors. Through 42West, the company provides services in the following areas: Entertainment Marketing The company provides marketing direction, public relations counsel and media strategy for productions (including theatrical films, DVD and VOD releases, television programs, and online series), as well as content producers, ranging from individual filmmakers and creative artists to production companies, film financiers, DVD distributors, and other entities. The company's capabilities include worldwide studio releases, independent films, television programming and web productions. It provides entertainment marketing services in connection with film festivals, awards campaigns, event publicity and red-carpet management. Talent Publicity The company focuses on creating and implementing strategic communication campaigns for performers and entertainers, including film, television and Broadway stars. The company's talent roster includes multiple Oscar-, Emmy- and Tony-winning actors. The company's services in this area include ongoing strategic counsel, media relations, studio, network, charity, corporate liaison and event support. Video Game and eSports Publicity The company provides marketing direction, public relations counsel and media strategy for video game publishers, as well as eSports leagues, and other entities in the gaming industry. The company's capabilities include global game releases (web, console and mobile), independent releases, eSports tournament and league publicity, and various gaming events. Strategic Communications The company's strategic communications team advises brands and non-profits seeking to utilize entertainment and pop culture in their marketing campaigns. The company also helps companies define objectives, develop messaging, create brand identities, and construct long-term strategies to achieve specific goals, as well as manage functions, such as media relations or internal communications on a day-to-day basis. Its clients include major studios and production companies, record labels, media conglomerates, technology companies, philanthropic organizations, talent guilds, and trade associations, as well as a wide variety of high-profile individuals, ranging from major movie and pop stars to top executives and entrepreneurs. Shore Fire Through Shore Fire, the company represents musical artists and culture makers at the top of their fields. Shore Fire's dedicated teams in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville wield extensive, varied expertise to strategically amplify narratives and shape reputations for career-advancing effect. Shore Fire is the largest public relations agency in the music business, representing top recording artists in multiple genres, songwriters, music producers, record labels, music industry businesses, venues, trade organizations, authors, comedians, social media personalities and cultural institutions. The Door Through The Door, a hospitality, lifestyle and consumer products public relations agency, the company offers traditional public relations services, as well as social media marketing, creative branding, and strategic counsel. The Door acquisition has expanded the company's entertainment verticals through the addition of celebrity chefs and their restaurants, as well as with live events, such as some of the most prestigious and well-attended food and wine festivals in the United States. The company's public relations and marketing professionals at The Door develop and execute marketing and publicity strategies for dozens of restaurant and hotel groups annually, as well as for individual chefs, live events, and consumer-facing corporations. Be Social and Socialyte Through Be Social and Socialyte, its influencer marketing agencies, the company offers brand marketing services ( both paid and organic influencer marketing campaigns) and management for individual influencers. Be Social is a recognized leader in its field, especially within the beauty, fitness and wellness industries. Socialyte is an influencer marketing powerhouse, with teams in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville representing some of the most sought-after creators, from digital-only to celebrity-level talent. Combined, Be Social and Socialyte have a client roster of more than 200 market-leading influencers. Lytehouse, Socialyte's sister agency, represents some of the world's most iconic brands, providing a full suite of services for paid influencer campaigns, from strategy and casting, through execution and delivery, with in-depth analytics and reporting. Viewpoint Viewpoint is a full-service, boutique creative branding and production agency that has earned a reputation as one of the top producers of promotional brand-support videos for a wide variety of leading cable networks in the television industry. Viewpoint's capabilities run the full range of creative branding and production, from concept creation to final delivery, and include brand strategy, concept and creative development, design & art direction, script & copywriting, live action production & photography, digital development, video editing & composite, animation, audio mixing & engineering, project management and technical support. Content Production Dolphin Films and Dolphin Digital Studios Dolphin Films is a content producer of motion pictures. The company owns the rights to several scripts that it intends to produce at a future date. Dolphin Digital Studios creates original content to premiere online. The company owns several concepts and scripts that it intends to further develop and produce at a future date. In June, 2022, the company entered into a multi-year deal with IMAX Corporation to jointly finance the development and production of a slate of feature-length documentaries for the global market. The first project under this deal is for 'The Blue Angels', co-produced by Bad Robot Productions. Regulatory Matters The company is subject to state and federal work and safety laws and disclosure obligations, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and similar state organizations. As a public company, the company is subject to the reporting requirements under Section 13(a) and Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. History The company was formerly known as Dolphin Digital Media, Inc. and changed its name to Dolphin Entertainment, Inc. in 2017.