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- Jake Paul’s Betr Startup Raises Funds at $375 Million Valuation
- Instagram Revamps Brand Partnerships With Creator Marketplace
- TikTok's Silent Majority - Surprising Truth About Adult User Habits
- TikTok is urging users to call Congress about a looming ban
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Great Reads
TikTok is urging users to call Congress about a looming ban
As bipartisan support grows for legislation effectively prohibiting TikTok in the U.S., the platform is rallying its users against the threat. TikTok pushed an alert Wednesday warning a ban would strip Americans' free expression rights and hurt creator livelihoods. The notification urges users to call Congress, including representatives' office numbers. It follows a new bill responding to perceived TikTok national security risks around parent company ByteDance's data collection. The proposed law would mandate TikTok split off from the Chinese firm or face removal from U.S. app stores. This isn't TikTok's first appeal to users amidst political attacks.
Facing previous banning attempts, CEO Shou Zi Chew directly asked followers to sound off. The ACLU argues the latest bill enabling a ban would violate First Amendment rights. While federal and local TikTok prohibitions have so far been blocked or overturned in court, the bipartisan momentum behind this effort raises the stakes. By mobilizing its millions of American fans to voice opposition, TikTok hopes to counteract growing regulatory scrutiny threatening its future domestic growth.
Creator Authority: Ex-Mekanism Execs Bets On "Nascent" LinkedIn Creator Ecosystem With Agency Launch
When Brendan Gahan sold his first YouTube influencer campaign in 2006, he immediately recognized social media's massive potential for marketing. Now, after 15 years driving viral content and early influencer initiatives for digital agencies, Gahan spot another major opportunity emerging on LinkedIn. Seeing engagement swell on the platform, Gahan set a goal in 2020 to post daily on LinkedIn for a year. Interacting directly with the thriving community led him to believe it could be a powerful channel for influencer campaigns. With support from top LinkedIn creators like James Creech and Avi Gandhi, Gahan decided to launch Creator Authority - the first agency concentrated entirely on LinkedIn influencer collabs.
He brought on Mandi Hopper as a co-founder, aiming to cement their positioning as the foremost experts guiding brands through LinkedIn’s nascent but rapidly developing creator ecosystem. Gahan compares the current state of LinkedIn to YouTube in 2008 during its initial creator boom. While still early and fragmented, he sees huge potential for expansive growth ahead. Though B2B brands have tapped creators so far, Gahan envisions major opportunities for B2C marketers ranging from CPG to fashion. Blending extensive agency expertise with first-hand knowledge as an influencer, Gahan plans to incorporate personalized, relationship-based storytelling techniques that resonate across platforms. After recognizing social media waves early before, he's positioned once again to help brands capitalize on LinkedIn's creator surge.
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Campaign Insights
Gymshark’s Ben Francis Built A Billion-Dollar Activewear Brand By Leveraging The Power Of Influencers.
When Ben Francis launched Gymshark from his parents' garage in 2012, he envisioned more than just another fitness apparel company. The 19-year old student deliberately targeted social media bodybuilders and gym influencers for collaborations, sending free product to YouTubers like Nikki Blackketter. This novel influencer strategy helped catapult Gymshark's exponential growth, with profits skyrocketing from $8 million in 2015 to nearly $400 million by 2022. Today, Francis holds personal billionaire status while Gymshark boasts an invite-only community of sponsored creators driving massive engagement.
The brand's earned media value recently surpassed giants like Adidas and Lululemon largely thanks to its army of micro and macro influencers. Gymshark also maintains perceived exclusivity by hand selecting creators who authentically fit its ethos. As Francis collects royal honors in recognition of Gymshark's economic contributions, he continues championing the influencer community central to the brand's identity. The founder still fashions himself as a top creator with over 700,000 collective followers. By aligning with creators from the start, Francis built Gymshark into both a billion-dollar business and cultural phenomenon.
Innovating The Game: How ESPN's New All-Female Creator Network Is Making History With Adidas
ESPN is making history by unveiling its second Creator Network class - the first from a major media company comprised entirely of women. The 2024 roster features 12 digital content creators spanning sports, culture and lifestyle. Iconic brand Adidas joins as the inaugural sponsor, granting creators exclusive access, collaborations and marketing opportunities. "We are thrilled to partner with ESPN on the first all-female creator class," said Kelly Olmstead, Adidas VP of Media. "This aligns with our commitment to inspiring women in sport and culture."
The program expands ESPN's strategy of engaging younger audiences through creator collaborations. Following the successful 2022 debut class which generated 400 million cross-platform views, the network aims to further increase its social reach. "The scale, influence and creativity this new class showcases is incredible," said ESPN's Laura Gentile. "We look forward to elevating their voices alongside Adidas." The roster includes influencers Jenn Stucker, Natalie Wynn and others who bridge sports analysis, fitness and female fandom. As consumer behaviors rapidly shift, major media outlets like ESPN continue exploring new ways to reach audiences through diverse creator voices.
Silent TikTok Majority - Surprising Truth About Adult User Habits
A new Pew Research study dispels assumptions that TikTok is dominated by prolific video creators. The data reveals that around half of adult platform users in the U.S. have never posted their own video. A small minority of top account holders by posting volume generate 98% of publicly accessible content.
"The typical TikTok user posts seldom, if ever," the report states. The median adult user has not filled out a profile, follows 154 accounts and has just 36 followers. Interestingly, both posters and non-posters respond positively to TikTok's algorithmic "For You" feed, with 40% overall calling it "extremely" or "very" interesting. The findings suggest passive consumption is the norm, with a minority fueling TikTok's vast video inventory. Marketing and creators may need to recalibrate strategies to effectively reach more of these silent majority users.
How LinkedIn is embracing influencer marketing
LinkedIn is emerging as a hot new platform for influencer marketing. The business-focused social network has invested heavily in creator-friendly features and updates benefiting influencer content. This includes tweaks to its algorithm to better showcase advice and analysis from creators over corporate announcements. A new agency called Creator Authority specializes solely in facilitating brand partnerships with LinkedIn influencers. Major brands are taking notice, with a recent study finding 75% of B2B executives already leverage influencers and 92% agreeing it effectively boosts marketing.
Creators are also jumping in, enticed by LinkedIn's engaged professional audience and their own communities craving authenticity amid "cringey" corporate tropes. Paychecks aren't massive yet, but supplemental income is growing. As Gen Z flocks to the previously uncool platform seeking stability, B2C marketers increasingly see value in tapping trustworthy personalities to reach LinkedIn's lucrative demographics. With kinship between brands and business influencers strengthening, the formerly stale platform now offers a thriving ecosystem for marketer-creator collaboration.
Clinique Forms Derm Creator Council To Promote Skincare Products
Estée Lauder's skincare brand Clinique is taking a novel influencer marketing approach by creating a "Derm Creator Council." The group consists of 7 prominent dermatologists, each boasting hundreds of thousands to millions of Instagram and TikTok followers. These derms will produce social media content showcasing and advising on Clinique products, while also consulting the brand on strategy. As VP Michelle Wong told Vogue, "They can help amplify sharing of dermatological insights to millions." The move addresses changing consumer behavior, particularly younger generations relying more on social media for skincare guidance. However, much of that content spreads misinformation without expertise.
By leveraging derm influencers, Clinique aims to provide educational, trustworthy content on ingredients and formulations to help guide purchasing decisions. "There’s an increasing need for expert education around ingredients," said beauty expert Isabella Palmer. While other brands have enlisted derms recently, Clinique's two-fold council approach – creating content while advising strategy – is novel. It allows the heritage brand to directly combat skincare misinformation by putting medical authority at the center of its social presence.
Influencers say quality brand deals have been replaced by ‘sketchy’ TikTok Shop spam
Influencers are lamenting the decline of lucrative brand deals, increasingly replaced by spammy offers tied to TikTok's Shop ecommerce feature. At a New York creator economy mixer, prominent TikTok stars like comedian Sarah Luciano and NBA dancer Melissa Becraft complained they now get bombarded with "sketchy" low-paying pitches to advertise random, irrelevant products on TikTok Shop.
They pine for the days when major brands would pay top dollar for custom branded content. Industry players blame TikTok for elevating Shop as it struggles to make ecommerce work -- even if the products don't resonate and deals provide little payoff for top creators. Yet the platform is unlikely to abandon the feature anytime soon. For now, influencers will keep sifting through spam in hopes legitimate advertisers return once they replenish their viral cachet with hit content. The situation shows growing pains as the $250 billion creator economy intersects with platforms like TikTok, while presenting hurdles for up-and-comers trying to gain a following.
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Interesting People
Beyond The Metrics: Gigi Robinson's Mission To Elevate Creators With Hosts Of Influence
Gigi Robinson boasts an accomplished background in content creation dating back to 2016, recognizing early on the need for creators to establish a polished brand beyond metrics. This vision inspired Robinson in December 2023 to launch Hosts of Influence, a company empowering creators through personal branding services plus website building, public speaking training and more. “The main mission is building a brand to outlive social platforms,” Robinson explains, noting the fickle nature of viral fame.
She aims to equip creators to position themselves as thought leaders, enhancing business partnerships. Offerings range from creator consulting roles to teaching impactful storytelling for authentic audience engagement. Robinson ties success to the growth of peers as much as her own achievements. She has witnessed creators implement her advice to gain compliments on their branding and secure repeat brand deals. As Robinson expands services like LinkedIn workshops and coaching, she ultimately seeks to shift the creator economy conversation beyond numbers to sustainable personal narratives.
Who Is Nara Smith? Wife of Mormon Model Lucky Blue Sparks Controversy
Nara Smith is a model and lifestyle influencer with 2.7 million TikTok followers. Married to fellow model Lucky Blue Smith, she documents her picture-perfect life as a tradwife and mother of two (soon three). Her pregnancy fashion, date nights, and elaborate homemade meals for Lucky charm her young, mostly female audience. But some accuse Smith, who is Black while Lucky is white and Mormon, of promoting regressive values or even converting followers to Mormonism.
While Smith doesn't overtly discuss faith, Mormon women have long influenced secular audiences by subtly advancing traditional gender roles. Critics say Smith and other elite tradwife influencers glamorize domestic servitude that is not a choice for less privileged women. Yet Smith rejects claims that she pushes any "stance" on her audience. Rather, like all influencers, she provides fantasy inspiration—in this case, a dream tradwife archetype. Though not necessarily endorsing Mormonism outright, she evangelizes a version of feminine domestic bliss that resonates with modern women feeling pressure to "have it all."
How the D'Amelio Family Used Its TikTok Fame to Launch a Footwear Business
The D'Amelio family has capitalized on Charli and Dixie's TikTok stardom to launch an array of business ventures under their company D'Amelio Brands. Their latest effort is bringing the family's footwear line, D'Amelio Footwear, to New York City for a pop-up event from March 8-10 in partnership with Shopify. Since its launch in May 2023, D'Amelio Footwear has experimented with in-person activations to drive direct-to-consumer sales, a challenge for footwear brands. The NYC pop-up will sell the spring line, host creator events, and feature a female entrepreneurship panel for International Women's Day.
D'Amelio Brands, co-founded by dad Marc and based in LA, has raised $11 million in funding to date. In addition to footwear, it has launched a skincare line, clothing brand, and recently a popcorn snack company called Be Happy Snacks. The family's business acumen comes naturally to Marc, a serial entrepreneur who previously launched clothing companies and is part-owner of sporting goods brand Mitchell & Ness. He has tapped his experience and network to get the D'Amelio ventures off the ground. Central to their strategy is leveraging the massive Gen Z followings of Charli (152M on TikTok) and Dixie (56M) as well as their first-hand knowledge of that demographic. The D'Amelio sisters provide creative direction and authentic marketing by essentially serving as representatives of their own target audience. From hosting live events to launching snack brands, the D'Amelios are proving that TikTok fame can translate into a multi-faceted business empire - when paired with an entrepreneurial parent's guidance and Gen Z's coveted cultural cachet.
Ben Deaney On MANA Talent Group's Approach To Talent Management In The Creator Economy
When Ben Deaney first started informally managing his wife’s burgeoning ASMR YouTube channel, he realized the massive potential of this then-niche community. Applying his business school skills, Deaney ably scaled up her viewership. Soon he began working with other creators in desperate need of the strategic guidance he could provide. Meanwhile, Matt Phillips founded Human Media Group to manage gaming personality MoistCr1tikal after assisting his childhood friend grow an early YouTube following. And Zach Russell alongside Alexandra Press built Streamworks around one-time Vine star JimmyHere, leveraging Zach’s first-hand experience living and filming in Jimmy’s house during his rise to fame.
These three separate firms focusing on individual creator relationships merged over time to form MANA Talent Group. As President and COO, Deaney now oversees maintaining the personal touch across MANA’s expanding roster. He asserts this creator-first perspective will define the influencer marketing sector’s future. MANA embraces opportunities presented by social media’s fragmentation, tailoring brand integrations precisely for each platform’s niche strengths. They also observe more brands taking risks on unconventional sponsorships, like Lenovo promoting through MANA’s network of ASMR artists.
Snark Communities And The Anti-Fan Are On The Rise
So-called "snark communities" dedicated to harshly criticizing influencers are proliferating rapidly on platforms like Reddit. Entire threads and websites feature rude, sarcastic commentary bashing creators and celebrities like the Duggar family or Katie Pachatzke. These groups apparently aim to hold public figures accountable but often descend into misinformation, doxing and conspiracy fueling. Targets accuse them of bullying and harassment, with some like Pachatzke even interacting directly.
Experts tie the origins to parasocial relationship dynamics where followers feel entitled to private details. When stars draw boundaries, fans can react angrily. Yet people also simply crave trolling others. Our neural hate circuits resemble love circuits. For influencer marketing, agencies now routinely vet potential creator partners for brewing backlash. Cream Social's Harri Brown says she checks post comments for repeated critiques then investigates validity, presenting findings to clients pre-contract. So while amplifying negativity at times, snark and anti-fans are making influencers address past controversies. The rise of these bitter critics reflects darker digital trends - but could bring more accountability.
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Industry News
Instagram Revamps Brand Partnerships With Creator Marketplace
Instagram is significantly expanding its Creator Marketplace, a platform connecting brands with content creators for marketing campaigns. First tested in the US in 2022 and now onboarding thousands, Creator Marketplace is launching in 8 new countries - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Japan, India and Brazil. Chinese export brands can also discover creators in select countries. The expansion brings new features like AI-powered recommendations to match brands with suitable creators using Instagram data. Creators build portfolios highlighting their uniqueness to get discovered.
One key offering is partnership ads, allowing brands to amplify creator content and scale collaborations in a transparent, performance-driven way. To join, brands sign up via Meta Business Suite. Creators access their professional dashboard in the Instagram app. Once matched, campaigns launch across organic and paid Instagram content. The marketplace evolution demonstrates Instagram's commitment to supporting creator economies and helping brands find marketing success. By intelligently connecting parties and offering robust monetization tools, the platform aims to foster even more impactful collaborations at scale.
Music Is TikTok's Past. Sounds May Be Its Future
As negotiations between TikTok and Universal Music Group stall, more songs from UMG artists are being removed from the platform. This opens opportunities for smaller artists and viral sounds to fill the void. Sound clips like "You have been promoted!" are already spreading widely without a full song attached. Analysts say if TikTok users adapt to viral sounds over licensed music, it could pose risks for the industry.
But sounds also present new creative opportunities. Devoid of context, audio snippets can be endlessly reshaped into aesthetic, memeworthy audios perfect for 15-second videos. And sounds help incentivize participating in the latest trends. For artists, having a viral presence on TikTok can drive cultural relevance beyond streams and sales. So while major label catalog removals are certainly frustrating, TikTok's sound-centric, trend-driven ecosystem suggests viral clips and creator culture - not just full songs - will become the platform's next big commodities. The future of music on TikTok may be sounds taking center stage.
UTA Buys JUV Consulting, Gen Z Marketing Firm
Talent agency UTA is further expanding into marketing services, acquiring youth culture consultancy JUV Consulting. JUV, founded by CEO Ziad Ahmed, helps brands understand and connect with Gen Z audiences. The company and its dozen-plus employees will join UTA's Entertainment Marketing division under co-heads David Anderson and Julian Jacobs. JUV brings an impressive client list including Google, Unilever, Converse, and Lionsgate.
The acquisition builds on UTA's push into advertising and consulting since its 2021 purchase of industry firm MediaLink. JUV leader Ahmed highlighted UTA's commitment to amplifying diverse voices as an ideal fit. UTA co-head Jacobs sees immense value in adding JUV's expertise engaging next-gen consumers. As Gen Z's economic influence grows, the ability to authentically reach these young audiences is increasingly vital for brands. By acquiring a specialist Gen Z consultancy, UTA boosts its marketing services targeted to youth culture and expands its skill set for advertising clients overall.
Lightricks announces AI-powered filmmaking studio to help creators visualize stories
Lightricks, maker of popular photo and video editing apps, unveiled LTX Studio - an AI-powered filmmaking tool to help creators visualize and test story ideas. Creators describe a concept and LTX Studio generates a script, storyboard, and short video clip showing how it could play out. Users can refine the storyline, edit scenes and shots, customize characters, settings like anime style or cinematic, and preview the video before exporting to share. Lightricks sees it as valuable for pre-production evaluation without high costs.
The launch represents Lightricks' growing focus on AI amid the creative shift, having added AI features to existing products too. After recent funding led by Charli D'Amelio, acquisitions, and some product discontinuations, Lightricks is expanding beyond consumer apps into professional tools. LTX Studio kicks off those efforts by targeting filmmakers, agencies, and others involved in visual storybuilding and testing initial concepts.
The Journey Of Passionfroot: Empowering Creators
Passionfroot is on a mission to empower the creator economy by streamlining often complex brand partnership management. Cofounder Jennifer Phan was inspired by firsthand frustrations monetizing her own content newsletter. The all-in-one platform now handles collaborations, bookings, payments and more so creators can earn easier and faster. Passionfroot has already paid out millions to users scoring deals.
Recognizing creator challenges extend beyond technology alone, Passionfroot also offers community engagement via newsletters, podcasts and pitching tools connecting creators with ideal brand partners. By nurturing niche creators early on, Passionfroot has helped transform passion projects into full-time careers. Phan advises that quality engagement in one's niche matters more than follower counts for monetization. As B2B sectors experience a "creator moment", Passionfroot plans to expand across emerging platforms like LinkedIn while integrating AI to enhance connections.
TikTok says its revamped creator fund has increased total creator revenue by over 250%
TikTok creators have something to celebrate as the platform announced its revamped creator fund has led to a massive 250% increase in total creator revenue over the last six months. The fund, originally called the Creativity Program when it launched a year ago to replace TikTok's initial $1 billion Creator Fund, is now being rebranded as the "Creator Rewards Program" as it exits beta in the coming weeks. The key change with this new fund is that it incentivizes and rewards creators for posting longer videos over 1 minute in length. This strategic shift has paid off for TikTok, as users are now spending 50% of their time on the app watching these longer videos, with viewership in this category spiking nearly 40% in just half a year.
TikTok hopes the lucrative new fund will appease creators who had heavily criticized the paltry payouts from the original model, with some making just a few dollars for videos with millions of views. When first unveiled, TikTok estimated the revamped fund could see creators earning over 20 times what they made previously on the platform. While still lagging YouTube's massive $30 billion creator payout over 3 years, TikTok is pulling another monetization lever by expanding its LIVE subscription offering beyond just live streams. Renamed simply "Subscription", the feature will soon roll out to non-live creators as well on an invite-only basis initially. Subscribers will get access to exclusive videos, comments badges, and more upcoming perks.
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Great Paywalled Content
Gen Z Is Sick of Seeing Influencers Sent on Extravagant Brand Trips - Insider
Gen Z has grown disenchanted with the lavish influencer brand trips that were once all the rage on social media. As this generation increasingly values authenticity, sustainability and ethical consumption over affluence and consumerism, they are put off by the ostentatious displays of wealth from influencers being flown around the world and showered with luxury gifts by brands. A prime example is Tarte Cosmetics' infamous #TrippinWithTarte series, where the makeup company has flown influencers to tropical destinations like Bora Bora on private jets since 2013. What was once a savvy marketing tactic to create buzz has increasingly been viewed as tone-deaf by Gen Zers struggling with financial realities like the cost-of-living crisis. Seeing already-wealthy influencers indulging in excessive luxuries like caviar and designer freebies feels alienating when many are struggling to afford basic necessities.
The "deinfluencing" movement against mindless consumerism has further turned Gen Z off from influencers perpetuating unrealistic aspirational lifestyles. However, brands like Tarte may not actually be targeting Gen Z with these trips. The lavish content is likely aimed at aspirational millennials and higher-income groups who still find influencer wealth inspirational. For Gen Z, brands would need to prioritize equality, sustainability and giving back through their marketing activations to regain interest. While the backlash continues, the controversy certainly keeps Tarte's name in the spotlight. But to truly resonate with Gen Z's values, brands may need to retire the extravagant freebie trips in favor of more grounded, ethical marketing campaigns that this generation can genuinely connect with.
Jake Paul’s Betr Startup Raises Funds at $375 Million Valuation - Bloomberg
Betr Holdings Inc., the sports betting startup co-founded by influencer Jake Paul, has raised $15 million in a funding round led by Harmony Partners and 10X Capital. The round values Betr at $375 million. With this latest raise, Betr has now raised a total of $100 million in funding. Betr launched real-money fantasy sports products in 24 U.S. states earlier this year. It is currently beta testing its full sportsbook offering in Ohio and Virginia. The startup aims to launch its sportsbook in several more states like Colorado and Kentucky before the NFL season starts in September.
Betr also plans to launch an online casino platform with slots and table games like blackjack in Pennsylvania later this year, pending regulatory approval. The new funds will be used for user acquisition, product development and hiring as Betr seeks to rapidly expand its sports betting and igaming offerings nationwide. CEO Joey Levy says Betr wants to "build profitable businesses" state-by-state before expanding further as the U.S. sports betting market continues its rapid growth.
TikTok Music Marketers Focus on Artist and Fan Videos Over Influencers - Insider
Music marketing on TikTok is shifting away from relying heavily on influencer campaigns to promote new releases. As the platform has become saturated with content, paying influencers to feature songs in their videos is increasingly expensive and less effective. Instead, marketers are now focused on getting the artists themselves directly involved in creating original content to build initial traction and fan engagement around a new song. This includes having artists post their own videos, as well as filming behind-the-scenes footage from tours, music video shoots, and live performances to share more personal, authentic content that resonates with fans.
Creative agencies are even traveling with major acts like the Jonas Brothers to capture this type of behind-the-scenes material. The authentic, fan-focused content tends to outperform over-produced music videos and ads. In addition to the artists, music marketers are tapping into super fans to help create and amplify promotional content for new releases. By commissioning content from an artist's biggest fans, the videos gain more targeted traction versus working with influencers without an inherent connection to the music.
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