Advertising Week’s $100 Million Bet on Creator Partnerships

Advertising Week New York is making creator partnerships a bigger part of its business agenda. The conference appointed Dhar Mann as its first chief creator officer, with a goal of facilitating $100 million in brand-creator deals over the next 12 months.

Digiday spoke with Lauren Lyster, VP and Head of Social Media at Go Fish Digital, about what this approach could mean for creator partnerships, pricing, and how brands work with influential creators.

Key Takeaways

1. Creator partnerships are getting bigger and more structured.

Mann’s $100 million goal is designed to connect creators directly with CMOs and encourage larger, longer-term deals. The focus is on building relationships that can lead to future agreements, rather than signing contracts during the conference.

2. Top creators are adopting traditional media sales models.

Lyster connected Mann’s approach to creator upfronts, where established creators negotiate deals more like television networks. His reach and relationships allow him to create the kind of exclusivity that attracts major advertisers.

“This could be the model for how a particular group of creators can be going forward,” Lyster told Digiday.

3. Public dealmaking could bring more consistency to creator pricing.

Unlike television advertising, creator marketing lacks widely accepted rate cards. Lyster noted that showcasing major deals publicly could help establish benchmarks, although those standards may not apply to 90% of creators.

4. Brands and creators still face a communication gap.

Many brands struggle to understand what creators can deliver, while creators don’t always know how to pitch larger partnerships. Mann’s programming aims to bring both sides together and make those conversations more productive.

The Go Fish Perspective

As creator budgets grow, brands need clearer ways to evaluate partnerships, compare costs, and measure performance.

Lyster’s observations highlight an important distinction: the deals negotiated by top-tier creators won’t necessarily reflect the economics of smaller creator partnerships. Audience relevance, engagement, content quality, and campaign objectives still need to guide investment decisions.

For marketers, the question is how to build creator programs that support business goals while leaving room for the different strengths and capabilities creators bring.

Read the Full Story

Digiday covers Dhar Mann’s $100 million creator dealmaking goal at Advertising Week New York, featuring Lauren Lyster’s perspective on creator upfronts and the potential for more standardized partnerships.

Originally Published by Digiday: Coverage of Dhar Mann’s $100 million creator-brand dealmaking initiative.