Co-Founder (Prev. CEO) GG Talent Group. Influencer partnerships at scale for game devs/publishers & brands. 95+ exclusive Twitch & YouTube gaming creators. Service first mentality. Data & results driven.
Almost all talent agencies in the gaming industry say they're "creator first." I'm not, and I'll tell you why. Creator first mentality means the concerns of your brand partners are last. Even without the challenging economic environment we're in right now, this is a recipe for disaster. I love 💙 each and every content creator on our roster. But I'd be steering our agency, and ultimately our creators, into a disaster if we didn't also prioritize the needs of our brand partners. Content creators often don't understand the economics of influencer marketing. And honestly they don't have to...that's our job. It's our job to educate our roster about economic changes in the industry, overall rate trends, brand KPIs, why "set/legacy" rates don't work, etc. Influencer marketing doesn't have to be, and I'd argue should not be, a zero-sum game. #influencermarketing #gamingindustry #creatoreconomy
Balancing creator and brand needs is crucial for sustainable partnerships. While 'creator first' sounds appealing, it's vital to prioritize brand partnerships too. Education and understanding bridge the gap for successful influencer marketing. 🤝
I always found that treating all external stakeholders equally yields best results. As the agency it is your duty to be the middleman and build fruitful partnerships for both talent & brand - this is only possible if it is your intend to maximize value for both. Education and managing expectations do play a fundamental role in this as you described in your post! This is a really important part of the job that I hope more creators will be able to benefit from in the future.
Thank you for sharing this perspective. Balancing the needs of both creators and brand partners indeed seems crucial for long-term success. How do you approach educating your creators about these economic factors?
If the brand enjoys working with the agency, then the creator has probably enjoyed the experience too. Especially if all the above is handled for them and they can do what they do best... create
It's all about finding that balance between creators and brand partners.
It’s a balancing act for sure! As an agent you’re essentially brokering transactions between a buyer (brand) and seller (creator) — keep both parties happy… maximize the LTV of the relationship
Brand-First is the way 💪
Spot on Eric! It’s always people first! Which is finding the best interests of both parties!
The ultimate balancing act.
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5moGood point. As a Marketing Guy that is also an Influencer/Content Creator, I know how both sides can fail and I see it all the time. My big gripe is when an influencer or content creator films something with the front camera on their phone and the logo of the company the are promoting is mirrored. No company wants their logo mirrored. And my other gripe is companies/brands that do not understand the importance of forming bonds with their influencers or creators. So many epically fail at that.