5 Tips for Adding Creator Campaigns to Your Marketing Mix

Editor’s note: This piece is part of our Columnist Network series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts. Today, Collab’s Will Eagle notes the common pitfalls brands face when working on campaigns via creator agency partners. Below, in his own words, he demonstrates the careful approach it takes for these relationships to go smoothly. Even some of the best marketers are still navigating the complex process of creator-based campaigns. Like any good ad, the best creator and brand partnerships are so seamless, you don’t notice, or care, that you’re being marketed to. Those moments are actually the result of a deep understanding of the creator economy, the brand, the brief—mixed in with lots of hard work, negotiations and good lighting—and boom: You’ve got a winner. Here are five maxims to keep in mind for making creators a seamless part of your marketing mix. Assumptions It’s easy for any marketer, whether client-side, agency-side or independent, to assume that creator campaigns work like most other productions—but that’s a dangerous assumption. These are some of the most incredible creatives you’ll get to work with, but they might not come from the same professional background as you, typically not having had the opportunity to learn the ropes of the ad industry. What might be a reasonable request for other industry folks, such as edits or even a reshoot within 24 hours, is unlikely to be well-received by a creator if these are surprises. The creator's approach to work tends to be different from traditional productions. Take the time to uncover your assumptions born from experience of other tactics and raise them early on with your creator agency partner. With enough time, most things can be accommodated. Expectations Recently, a client wanted creative just for ads—not organic creative posted to the creator’s channel—which we thought would be a nice addition to the campaign. We felt we could deliver four additional assets and communicated that. But rather than being understood as an addition to the scope, this became the expectation, which caused a bit of friction. Your creator agency partner should be clear when setting expectations, especially around elements that go beyond the agreed scope—it’s the classic “underpromise and overdeliver.” Scope creep with creator campaigns is an easy trap to fall into, so be intentional when aligning on the front end. Communication When is a challenge not ultimately about communication? All parties should take the three-step approach taught in school when writing an essay: “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.” We've found regular written documentation, like post-meeting contact reports, to be key. Sure, they take some extra time, and when both partners feel like you’ve got a good working relationship going, they might seem surplus to needs. But the creator agency partner should always provide contact reports so you can refer back to what was said, by whom and when, to make problem-solving much easier. Both parties have relied on contact reports often to align on points of discussion, including timelines, scope and deliverables, and to keep all project components in check and on track. Transparency Our account lead is a strong believer in making everything as easy as possible for our clients, hiding all the drama and mess from them as much as possible. That’s a great approach to take, but at one point in time, she found herself between a rock and a hard place: A creator wasn’t delivering something on time (they, uh, went on vacation without telling anyone—not even their agent) and the agency wanted to know what was going on. We decided to be transparent about what was happening, and that transparency gave our client confidence that we were doing everything we could, that some things were out of our control, and it moved them from feeling frustrated to a place of understanding and collaboration. Situations come up all the time, so tell your creator agency partner how much transparency you’re comfortable with. That way, they’ll only show you the messy bits you want to know about. Partnership Whether you’re an individual marketer, a client, an advertising agency or anyone else tasked with executing creator-led marketing campaigns, know that the spirit of partnership is key. Creator campaigns are an indispensable part of your marketing mix, but they do tend to have more nuance and complexity than other tactics, so taking a partnership-minded approach will help you weather even the most troublesome of challenges that might come your way.

Columnist Network

5 Tips for Seamlessly Adding Creator Campaigns to Your Marketing Mix

A spirit of partnership is key

Will Eagle

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Will Eagle