For Brandon Korff, entertainment is the family business. A grandson of CBS and Viacom Inc. chairman Sumner Redstone, he learned the trade working at his billionaire forebear’s companies, including MTV Networks.

Now, he’s forging his own path, trying to use what he learned working for grandpa to launch a product he believes can revolutionize social media: a new mobile platform that allows users to express themselves purely through emoji – perfect for anyone who finds writing 140 characters on Twitter just too demanding.

Korff was recently hired as a strategic adviser to Opinit, an L.A. startup that lets users rate shared content, such as film clips, articles, photos and music, by using smiley faces, scowling devils and other emoticons.

“In today’s fast-paced world, speed of communication is a must and emojis are a way to quickly communicate an emotion without elaborating with words,” Korff said. “I think it can be huge.”

Though he’s just 31, Korff, a West Hollywood resident, has already spent time working as director of corporate development at Redstone entertainment company National Amusements Inc., which operates movie theaters and other venues, and as director of music and artist development at MTV Networks, a Viacom subsidiary.

In 2011, Korff struck out on his own, co-founding real estate company Panoply Properties. Panoply, which has amassed a significant portfolio in the Miami area, is now looking to Los Angeles as the next part of its growth strategy, Korff said. The firm is exploring local markets including Venice, Silver Lake and downtown L.A.’s Arts District.

In the meantime, he is also exploring early stage investment opportunities. He wouldn’t disclose if he’s invested in Opinit but does have an equity position in the startup.

Though Korff’s name and connections could help fledgling Opinit, the startup’s co-founders, Paolo Fidanza and Qualid Ladraa, said they hired Korff not because he’s a Redstone scion but because they were impressed by his marketing and production experience in engaging young audiences.

“Brandon has a background in creating and delivering compelling content and understanding consumers,” said Fidanza, who believes Korff can “really help us grow this platform into the MTV of the digital world and become the next big story on the level of Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram.”

Building identity

Korff wouldn’t address any questions about his grandfather, other than sharing basic advice Redstone has given.

He also declined to comment on what role he or his media executive mother, National Amusements President Shari Redstone, might have in running his grandfather’s media holdings once the 92-year-old passes away.

“Right now, I am very focused on building my own identity,” Korff said. “Nobody can speak to the future but I am currently working with startup companies like this one and on developing my real estate business.”

But he said the knowledge he gained working for National Amusements and MTV, and from growing up in a media family – he’s not only the grandson of a media tycoon, but also the son of Yitzhak Korff, publisher of Boston’s Jewish Advocate newspaper – can help make this app, launched in July, a success.

At MTV, he created revenue streams by expanding the network’s music content acquisitions business and establishing a music library, which he then marketed to other networks.

At National Amusements, Korff took charge of developing and launching Showcase Live, a supper club and music venue in Boston.

Now, with Opinit, he plans to use his celebrity and social influencer contacts, none of whom he would name, to help grow the app’s audience and steer attention to the content being shared and rated.

“My grandfather has always said content is king, and Opinit allows for new content to be published and old content to be rediscovered by users who can express their emotional reactions to it,” said Korff, who said he recognized the app’s potential when first approached by its co-founders during the development stages.

Opinit, backed so far by investment from Fidanza and Ladraa and their friends and family, is available for free download from the App Store on iTunes and the company’s business plan is to eventually introduce advertising and new features as the app’s number of users grows.

The company, which has a staff of four, not including Korff, says its target audience is between the ages of 16 and 27, mainly female, and that the app is averaging 150,000 daily views.

“A fast-learning and early adopting audience like ours is very trend driven,” said Korff, who feels the trend for using emoji in social media will be a trump card for Opinit.