the formula for brand/creator partnerships

Hey, Paige here! Back with another creator deep dive.

Today, we’re breaking down why it’s time to shift from leveraging creators for promo to integrating them into strategic roles in your organization.

Marques Brownlee and  Ridge just set the new standard for brand/creator partnerships.

Otherwise known as MKBHD, Marques is one of today’s most popular tech content creators having grown his YouTube audience to over 18.5 million subscribers with his honest, relatable tech and gadget reviews. 

But he’s not stopping at that — his recently announced partnership with Ridge is rewriting how brands partner with creators (in the best way). 

Marques won’t be signing on for a few sponsored posts with Ridge — this partnership is much bigger. He’s taken a seat on the board and joined as the Chief Creative Partner. 

Ridge isn’t new to influencer marketing. It’s been the lifeblood of their growth. In fact, in 2020, the brand spent $3.9 million on 3,000 videos from numerous creators. 

But the Marques partnership is different than anything they’ve done before. He’ll be heading up the brand strategy and crafting new products.

Once you’ve seen the power of the creator economy, what’s the next evolution? Since August of 2023, Ridge has been looking for an experienced content creator to become their Creative Director. They believe influencer marketing can be more than fancy throw-away titles like “Chief Brand Officer” and a few photoshoots a year. 

Instead, they’re looking to pioneer a way of doing business with a creator where the creator actually cares and spends time in the business. Is it a job? Yes. With enough upside that both sides are excited about it.

Marques has the audience and a solid reputation — while he could build his own product, that move would take away time and focus on what he’s really good at. 

Ridge has a great in-house creative and social media team. But like most brands, they struggle to humanize their product — they think, talk and act like a brand. No more! MKBHD steps in 10-40 hours per month and provides unique content strategy, short-form video, and teaches their team how he creates along the way.

Ridge isn’t asking for ad placement in MKBHD’s videos in return. They will continue to sponsor his channel and support the tech content he’s creating for his audience.

The takeaway: Don’t just sponsor influencer content — leverage the creator skillset and audience. Give the creator a valuable place in your company and the agency to influence your trajectory.

That’s it, ya’ll. Happy creating!

Paige Peterson
Newsletter Aficionado, Sweet Fish