The creative community is a leading contributor to the Greater Los Angeles economy, as substantiated in the 2010 Otis Report prepared for the Otis College of Art and Design by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). For example, the arts, design and entertainment industries combined in ’09 to represent 835,000 direct and indirect jobs (almost one in every six in the L.A. region) and some $113 billion in sales/receipts in L.A. and Orange counties. More than $4.6 billion in state and local tax revenues were generated in ’09 by art and design-oriented businesses spanning the entertainment, toy, digital media, fashion, architecture, interior design, industrial design, and communication arts industries, as well as fine and performing arts.
However, as impressive as these numbers are, they represent a decline from those in the ’09 Otis Report which tallied nearly one million direct and indirect jobs, almost $140 billion in sales/receipts, and over $5.1 billion in state and local tax revenues in ’08. Clearly the overall global economic downturn impacted the latest set of numbers as did arguably such dynamics as runaway production to other states and for that matter countries with more inviting tax breaks and financial incentive packages.
Still in the big picture, the economic barometer has risen steadily since 2003 in Greater L.A. Between ’03 and ’08, employment in the service-oriented creative industries of L.A. grew by 9.9 percent, and by two percent in Orange County.
Narrowing results down to the entertainment industry, the 2010 Otis Report found nearly 119,000 people working directly in the business during ’09 in L.A. County. The estimated direct sales numbers were huge, $48.3 billion in ’09, most of which came from the film production industry. The total economic impact was 354,900 direct and indirect jobs, and estimated total output of over $129 billion. State and local taxes generated directly and indirectly by this sector totaled $2.4 billion in ’09.
The creative economy represents the second largest regional business sector in Greater Los Angeles, surpassed only by the tourism and hospitality industry, according to the Otis Report, which estimates the creative community’s total economic impact in L.A. and Orange counties as having been some $286.3 billion in ’09. The LAEDC factors each direct job as supporting roughly one-and-a-half indirect jobs in the marketplace. And the creative economy includes the largest segment of self-employed people (independent artists, writers, performers) in the L.A. region.
In terms of employment trends, the creative economy in L.A. is projected to be on the upswing through 2014–but that growth will be slow, with an estimated 6.7 percent increase in the number of jobs. Helping to drive that growth is the digital media market, which has already exhibited its ability to buck the recession with 700 additional jobs in ’09 as compared to ’08.
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More