Innovators in Modern Creator Marketing - Full Panel
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00:00So I'm going to start out with, if we can do, just run down the row, talk a little bit about how your organization approaches creator marketing.
00:08Is it becoming a bigger priority for you?
00:11And then Linda is our creator, our one creator on this panel.
00:14So for her, Linda, can you talk about your main goals as a creator now, how you're evolving as it relates to wanting to work with brands?
00:25Todd.
00:26Oh, hi.
00:27I'll kick off.
00:28So I cover Roblox where I cover the entertainment partnership side of the business.
00:32So Roblox is a platform that's powered by creators.
00:35So they're inherent in every piece of work that we do, both from our own marketing purposes and the work we do with partners like Warner Brothers or anyone at Sephora or Amazon down the road.
00:45I think generally whenever we're thinking about how these brands become the platform, we want to figure out ways that they can actually activate the parts of the business that the creators are most excited about.
00:58And we tend to have three different categories on the roadblocks side, right?
01:01And that's a little different than I think for some of the other platforms.
01:03There's the developers, the creators who are building the experiences.
01:06So whether it's a dress to impress or another brand that's executing something in 3D.
01:10There's the UGC creators, right?
01:11The way that people show up on the platform and avatars is essential how they show up on the platform.
01:16So certain creators will focus on building out those items.
01:19And then we have an entire ecosystem of influencers or casters who are creating video content around these stories.
01:26I think the most effective campaigns that come from our platform tend to activate all those channels together.
01:30And that's what makes for a really powerful roadblocks campaign.
01:34Hi, I am Felicia Fant.
01:38I'm with Amazon Music.
01:39And I lead a team called Music Industry and Cultural Collaborations.
01:44I want to explain that because I think this is why creators are so important to my role over the last three years is that we understand they're celebrities.
01:51We understand that they are cultural anthropologists and that without them, our business stays stagnant.
01:56So for us to survive, for us to grow, for us to connect to communities, new audiences, we have decided that creators are paramount.
02:04We don't thrive unless we understand how to remain authentic and how to approach new communities.
02:09When I say collaboration in my title for that reason, we want to collaborate with these communities to make sure that we are giving our best selves to them by remaining authentic and honoring who they are.
02:19So we need these creators to make sure that we are relevant, authentic, and honest.
02:25Awesome.
02:26Hi, everyone.
02:26My name is Cameron Curtis.
02:28I oversee the digital marketing team at Warner Brothers.
02:31We are very committed to creators.
02:33We actually reorganized our digital marketing group to have a focus on creators.
02:37And Lauren Menno runs our earned creators team.
02:42And Chantal Rochelle runs our paid creator team.
02:45And it's a really important priority for us.
02:48We've seen a ton of success partnering with creators on movies like Barbie and recently Minecraft and Sinners.
02:53They're a key part of everything we do.
02:56And I think they'll only become a more important part as we move forward.
03:00Hi.
03:01My name is Linda.
03:02And I'm a creator.
03:05Yay.
03:05I do comedy on my channel.
03:09And for me, I think evolving with the brand is before I would usually do like one-off sponsor posts.
03:17But now I feel like at this point in my life, I want to have like a long-term project with brands and make more of an impact with my audience.
03:25And we can all enjoy content together.
03:27So that's the biggest thing for me.
03:29I love that.
03:30How are we doing, everybody?
03:31Brandon Lentino.
03:32I'm the vice president of Creative and Experiential at Viral Nation.
03:36And look, for us, you know, Viral Nation is a social transformation agency.
03:40We get the pleasure of helping the world's best brands figure out the best ways to leverage social for their objectives.
03:45And, you know, you've heard on every panel today, the social media ecosystem that we all operate in is becoming more sophisticated.
03:53And as that happens, creator marketing is becoming more sophisticated.
03:57And so for us, as a social transformation agency, creator marketing is at the core of almost every campaign or every initiative that we're leading,
04:05whether that's traditional senses and different size programs, whether that's leveraging them as creative and content partners,
04:12whether that's working with them as we see a deeper extension of content into a paid environment,
04:18it's truly the crux.
04:19And creators are truly the crux of really the way that we're thinking about strategies
04:23and how we're going to leverage and reach different communities across social.
04:27But I think just at a deeper level for us as well, you know, we celebrated in 2024 our 10-year anniversary as an agency.
04:34And our founders started in creator and talent marketing.
04:37And so I think that makes us particularly, you know, advantageous or special for this conversation in particular
04:43because we've grown with this creator marketing ecosystem as it's evolved.
04:48We've seen it from all sides.
04:50We've seen it become more sophisticated.
04:52And we've had the opportunity to grow alongside that.
04:55And now we obviously, as I mentioned, get the pleasure of bringing all of that knowledge and insight over 10 years
05:00to the partnerships that we have with global brand partners as well.
05:02I'm Brett Mitchell.
05:05I oversee social and influencer marketing at Sephora.
05:09Influencer marketing is so important for everything we do.
05:13Creators kind of run the beauty industry these days.
05:16So while my team, you know, oversees all of our influencer programs, et cetera,
05:21they're in every part of marketing.
05:23They're in our, you know, campaigns.
05:26People want to see application.
05:28And in videos now, it turns out models aren't very good at application.
05:31People have been doing it for them for years.
05:34So we're casting creators in these hero spots instead.
05:39Creators are also our brand founders.
05:41We have makeup by Mario Patrick Ta, who started as creators on social.
05:47Our partnership with Roblox that Todd mentioned was with a creator you might have heard of called Rihanna,
05:53who started Fenty Beauty and is one of our favorite creators to work with
05:59and opens up these amazing partnerships.
06:01So it's just a huge part of our overall ecosystem.
06:04And my team's role is to both, you know, shepherd it for the company,
06:09but make sure every department is playing in this creator-centric space that Cameron mentioned.
06:14For Linda, can you talk about how you're creatively approaching your content?
06:20What do you find connects with audiences now versus when you started?
06:25I think now before I didn't really read the comments so much.
06:29And so now I'm comfortable to read the comments where I'm like,
06:32what is everyone talking about?
06:34And now I realize there's a community, there's a lingo,
06:37there's a language that it's fun and I get to understand.
06:40And so now when I create content, I think about what can I post that's authentic that they will enjoy.
06:48And I know that if I post something that's like not in their realm,
06:51then, you know, engagement would be low and it would be not authentic for me.
06:55So I always try to think about my audience and what they would enjoy.
06:59For our executives, what does creator marketing look like at each of your companies?
07:05Do you have success in aligning with particular creators, particular areas,
07:08as what your audiences are looking for in a creator that would look organic with your brand?
07:13Yeah.
07:13So, I mean, just because Roblox is a platform that's fueled by creators,
07:17I think our marketing team is never focused on Roblox as a brand, right?
07:20It's about how do we showcase our creators, their content,
07:24the work that they're doing with other partners in a way that's going to be interesting.
07:27I think the spirit of that extends to the work we also do with partners.
07:30Like when we did a campaign with Cameron's team for Beetlejuice, right?
07:34I think the challenge, or the opportunity rather,
07:38wasn't figuring out how does Beetlejuice show up in Tim Burton's beautiful world on Roblox.
07:43It was how do we also integrate elements of the afterlife into top Roblox experiences, right?
07:50And so I think fueling and parallel pathing those two strategies,
07:54like building out a world that's going to please the director
07:56and make for a great, you know, vanity play,
07:59along with world components like game elements
08:02where we were able to take a top game called Escape Big Head
08:06where there's a head running around and literally put Beetlejuice's head on there
08:10and then incorporate that into a world that Roblox players are already familiar with.
08:13That's where we see, I think, the most success in campaigns
08:16when we're working with folks.
08:18I mean, I think we go back to the same thing.
08:20It goes back to being authentic.
08:22We are Amazon music, so to your point,
08:24we are only looking at how do we get more people to want to believe
08:27that Amazon is the best place to listen to music, experience music.
08:31So whether it's live stream, whether it's our tour partnerships
08:34when it comes to merch and how to make sure an artist feels like we're their home.
08:38But also, again, there's more than just the artist.
08:40It's the consumer.
08:41So there are so many different people we are trying to make sure
08:44that we are appeasing to.
08:45We cannot do that without constantly being on the pulse of culture with creators, right?
08:51So when we're thinking about how do we grow,
08:54how do we launch a new playlist,
08:56it's really, well, are we launching this correctly?
08:58Like, I'm really proud we launched this new one called Trail Line,
09:01which is about, you know, the idea that everyone's line dancing.
09:04But to get that right, we got to go talk to 803 Fresh.
09:08We got to figure out, like, what is happening in this community
09:10that's making people do that?
09:11So let's talk to the people that are on the ground.
09:14Let's figure out how can we make sure the right songs,
09:17the right conversation is always ahead so we can be on trend, right?
09:22So I think when you think about all the various playlists that you're going to see,
09:25whether it's, you know, rap rotation or, you know, our country heat,
09:29it's making sure we are talking to the right people in the country community,
09:32the right people in the hip-hop community.
09:34Like, the algorithm has to make sense for you.
09:37And it won't make sense if we are not aligned with those creators
09:40that really understand music, influence music,
09:42and that our playlist creators,
09:45because, again, I don't want to act like we are only algorithmic, you know,
09:47we really have people working behind the scenes to say,
09:50is this the right song that needs to be on the front of this playlist?
09:54Is this the right artist that speaks to that community?
09:56Because if we don't do that correctly, we lose an audience
09:58and we lose the trust that this is a place where you can get the right experience.
10:03Yeah, I think in a similar way, you know,
10:04we have a great case study recently with Minecraft,
10:07and, you know, for the first time ever,
10:09we actually cast creators in our movies.
10:11So, you know, great Minecraft gamers were actually cast in the film,
10:15and so we had them on from the get-go.
10:16And then we also create, throughout the campaigns, these shareable moments.
10:19So this idea that, you know, at every point in the campaign,
10:22creators have a toolkit to amplify your message,
10:26but also that they're creating content that is authentic to them and real to them.
10:30We also want to create these shareable moments that, you know,
10:33feel like they are part of this world, part of this experience.
10:36I think our team does a great job when it comes to setting up,
10:40in the case of Minecraft, a content day that was designed to look like the world of Minecraft,
10:44so that when creators were there, they wanted to share,
10:47they wanted to be a part of it and showcase that.
10:50There's a ton of great examples like that,
10:51and I think, you know, ultimately what it is,
10:53we, for so long, for so many years as a brand,
10:56we were focused solely on building up our own social channels
11:00and, you know, what that would get for us.
11:01Ultimately, when we talk about cultural heat,
11:04when we talk about, you know, lighting a match that really gets everyone talking about your movie
11:08to engage with and utilize creators and, you know, offer them these toolkits
11:14and these opportunities to be a part of our campaign,
11:17it really means something.
11:19And they say that this is of the moment, right?
11:22So these Minecrafters, this whole idea,
11:24if you've been to a movie theater lately,
11:26you've probably heard Chicken Jockey screamed as loud as possible
11:30from some of the auditoriums,
11:32and that was all intentional, you know,
11:34that was all intentional heat
11:35and part of working and collaborating with creators from the get-go,
11:39not thinking about them after we had already made the film,
11:43bringing them along every step of the way,
11:44and that's what's key to us.
11:48Let's get to my moment.
11:49Yeah, you know, I mentioned it in the response to the first question.
11:52For us, creators are really a part of everything that we think about
11:56from a strategy perspective.
11:57So from a traditional campaign, you know,
12:00from celebrity to macro to micro,
12:02depending upon the objective and what we're looking to achieve,
12:05you know, leveraging creators as creative partners
12:07to produce content that is authentic, human-centric, agile
12:12for our brand partners-owned and operated channels,
12:15you know, having them be a key component
12:16of the way we think about experiential marketing
12:18and the activations that we create,
12:20how are they not just attendees,
12:21but also content partners
12:23that can really help to make that moment
12:25much larger than just the physical moment that it represents.
12:28You know, and obviously with such a diverse utilization
12:31of creators across these different marketing strategies,
12:33when we think about, you know,
12:35where does success lie and what type of creator,
12:37it really depends upon the strategy.
12:39And so the work that we have to do for our brand partners
12:42is make sure that that validation
12:44and the right alignment of creators
12:46is bespoke to the strategy that we're looking to achieve.
12:49And so that goes well beyond just the data.
12:53It's, of course, the demographics,
12:55what audiences are they reaching,
12:56especially if we're leveraging them for that audience reach.
12:59But it's also what does their creative look like?
13:01Are we leveraging them on which platform?
13:03And are they creating content that is endemic to that platform?
13:06What communities do they engage?
13:08And is that a community that we're looking to align
13:10with one of our brand partners
13:12and therefore penetrate with our strategies?
13:13And so, you know, the first question,
13:16Jenny, you also had asked,
13:17how are your roles evolving as well?
13:19We've had to develop a much more sophisticated team outlook
13:23in order to be scaling that type of creator marketing.
13:25And so my colleague, John, is here somewhere today
13:28who leads our creator relations team.
13:30That's a dedicated team
13:31that helps us to be able to scale as such,
13:34who can bring the right human expertise
13:36and match that with technology
13:38in order to do that validation
13:40that allows us to be successful
13:41with these creators of different sizes
13:43in different remits
13:45and for different objectives.
13:48Yeah, at Sephora,
13:49we're doing a lot of your best practices.
13:51Hopefully you give us a good grade.
13:53I love it, I love it.
13:54But, you know, micro creators,
13:55like, dominate the beauty tutorial space now,
13:58so we work closely with them.
14:01We're doing more, you know,
14:03in the more macro space
14:04in, you know, women's sports and music.
14:08A lot of brands are in women's sports and music,
14:09but bringing our unique POV.
14:13We sponsored the Unrivaled League,
14:16the new women's 3-on-3 basketball league.
14:18We had the walkout tunnel
14:20where all the players, the celebs who came,
14:23we got so much EMV out of that one little tunnel.
14:26Great job by our partnerships team.
14:29So, and then, you know,
14:31how do we build deeper relationships
14:32with the players?
14:34We just recently posted something
14:37with Angel Reese
14:38in our Vanity pregame series.
14:40Check it out on YouTube
14:41if you want to.
14:44And then, you know,
14:45for those of you who are wondering,
14:46what is this Sephora guy doing
14:48at an entertainment conference?
14:50We actually did produce
14:51a documentary this year.
14:54It launched on Hulu
14:55about two months ago.
14:56Faces of Music with Chaparron,
14:59Victoria Monet,
15:01Becky G,
15:02three artists who are authentically
15:06very beauty-driven.
15:08Talk about the experience.
15:09Chaparron starts her segment off
15:12with no makeup on.
15:13You get to see the whole process,
15:15which is super exciting.
15:16So we have that whole mix.
15:17But for us,
15:19the core of our influencer approach
15:21is our Sephora squad,
15:23which starts as like
15:24a one-year contract with Sephora.
15:27We bring in about 50 new people each year.
15:31Last year, we had over 14,000 apply.
15:34We love to say it's harder
15:35to get in the Sephora squad than Harvard.
15:38And it's really people,
15:40they mostly have made it
15:41out of the micro tier.
15:43We do have some like store associates.
15:45And, you know,
15:46we provide them the Sephora launching pad.
15:51A creator named Gloria,
15:52who's gone on to be
15:53one of the biggest creators
15:54in the entire world,
15:56was a squad member a few years ago.
15:59So that is,
16:00they become almost the faces
16:02of our feed, their feeds.
16:05Our brands work with them.
16:08So that is really the heart
16:10of our approach at Sephora.
16:13Linda, when you're looking at
16:14viral trends
16:15and what's going on right now,
16:16how do you decide
16:17what you want to participate in
16:19and what might not be worth your time?
16:22I feel like with a lot of brands,
16:24they want to jump on
16:25a lot of viral trends
16:26but don't know
16:27which one to jump into.
16:30And if you're working
16:31with a creator,
16:32it's best to figure out
16:34if they have their own style
16:35and format.
16:37For example,
16:38I do a lot of like
16:38self-deprecating humor.
16:40And so there was a trend
16:42going around
16:43and it was like
16:43over millions
16:45and everyone was doing it
16:46on my feed
16:46and I was like,
16:47okay, how,
16:48as a creator,
16:49how am I going to do
16:50this different?
16:51The video was about
16:52when a girl meets a guy
16:55and then she's like
16:56so happy
16:57and then he pulls her
16:59out of frame
16:59and I'm like,
17:01okay,
17:01what can I do?
17:02And so my style
17:04would be me
17:05picking up like
17:07a bag of junk food
17:08and I'm like
17:09being swirled around.
17:11So when,
17:14that's just how
17:15my brain works
17:15for things.
17:16I don't know,
17:17my content's really weird.
17:18But I would say like,
17:20like what,
17:22with a creator,
17:22like what is their
17:23style of tone?
17:24Like mine is like,
17:25okay,
17:25I always make fun
17:26of myself
17:26or something,
17:27right?
17:27And then everyone
17:28has their own style
17:28of ways.
17:29And so I think
17:30with trends,
17:31for me,
17:33it's like if I see it
17:34three times
17:35when I'm scrolling
17:36in the span
17:36of like five minutes,
17:37I'm like,
17:37this is gonna go viral.
17:39Like you should
17:39probably jump on it.
17:41But yeah,
17:41have your own spin.
17:42And I feel like
17:43a lot of brands
17:44do a really good job
17:45at doing it.
17:46So yeah.
17:48Well,
17:49we have our brands
17:50to ask.
17:50So how do you all
17:51decide what you all
17:52want to jump on
17:53and whether you want
17:54to be in the comments,
17:55whether you want
17:55to be sharing it,
17:56whether you want
17:57to have your own team
17:58emulate in some way?
17:59How do you decide
18:00what trends
18:00are the right fit for you?
18:01Do you have
18:01any recent examples?
18:03I think a mistake,
18:04and just to jump
18:05on to that point,
18:05you know,
18:05I think a mistake
18:06a brand can someone,
18:07sometimes make
18:08is to chase the trends
18:09and to not build
18:11a trend with the creator,
18:13to have an understanding
18:13of a creator's audience,
18:15the type of content
18:16they make,
18:16and then start the trend
18:18and be part of that.
18:19I mean,
18:19that's the ideal.
18:21And I think oftentimes
18:22when we think
18:23about our movies,
18:25it's giving creators
18:26the tools to do just that.
18:27So we oftentimes create,
18:29again,
18:29these social toolkits,
18:30allowing them
18:31to use sound bites
18:31or opt into our,
18:33highlight our movies
18:34in new and distinct ways
18:35that resonate
18:36with their audiences
18:37and that get people
18:38ultimately to get off
18:39their couch,
18:40buy a ticket to a movie
18:41and go to a theater,
18:42which is a challenge.
18:43But I think anytime
18:44you're chasing a trend,
18:45it's fun to jump on,
18:47but how much better
18:48to bring, again,
18:49creators on early
18:49and to build one together?
18:51I mean,
18:52we have the practice
18:53at Amazon Music.
18:54We have a team meeting.
18:56It's called
18:56the Weekly Trend Forum.
18:57You know,
18:58we just see what works,
18:59what's not working.
19:00You know,
19:00we see what Sephora is doing,
19:02you know,
19:02what Roblox is doing,
19:03like who matters.
19:04But it's also,
19:05and I use this word
19:06and I mean it,
19:06it's you have to actually
19:07still go outside,
19:08right?
19:09And it's finding
19:10those communities
19:11or those entities
19:12or those people
19:13who have established
19:14real credibility over time.
19:17Like I can give an example
19:18and maybe you'll follow me
19:19or not,
19:19but I think about someone
19:20like a DJ collective,
19:22right?
19:22If you're thinking
19:22about Selection
19:23or Donovan's Yard
19:23or people like that,
19:24we're a music service.
19:25So we're looking to see
19:26like who is creating
19:29events and moments
19:31and to your point
19:31in real life experiences
19:32that people keep going to,
19:34right?
19:34If Afrobeats
19:35has become the movement
19:36and we're talking
19:36about these jerk
19:37and drill off parties,
19:38it's like there's a reason
19:39for these parties,
19:40right?
19:40So who's hosting
19:41these events?
19:42Why does this matter?
19:43I remember when Donovan's Yard
19:44first started at Los Cobos,
19:45I think that's the name
19:46of the club,
19:47and Diplo was DJing.
19:48It's like what celebrity
19:49is going to be there.
19:50And so we're following
19:52these pockets,
19:53these movements,
19:54these rooms to say,
19:55okay,
19:55this is the next sound.
19:57Let's make sure
19:58it's on our service.
19:59This is the next collective.
20:01Let's make sure
20:01they're talking to us.
20:02So I can go on for days,
20:04but I think creators
20:05are of course
20:06this beautiful lady
20:07on the panel,
20:07but it's also
20:08these communities,
20:08these collectives
20:09who've done a great job
20:10at keeping sustained audiences
20:13and movements going.
20:14Like I bring up
20:15Kids of Immigrants
20:15because we partnered with them
20:16a couple of years ago
20:17for Love Day.
20:18It's like if we want
20:19to understand this community,
20:21we want to bring
20:22more Latin audience,
20:24but they also were
20:26the number one sneaker
20:27for Nike.
20:28It shows kind of
20:29how the zeitgeist
20:29comes together.
20:30So we don't do that well
20:32unless we also partner
20:33with these longstay,
20:36mainstay people
20:36who have really established
20:37true credibility
20:38so that we don't mess this up.
20:40We've got to get
20:40the music right.
20:41Okay.
20:41Yeah, you know,
20:45for us and our brand DNA,
20:47we're like ahead
20:48of the trend.
20:4990% of the brands
20:50we launch at Sephora
20:51have never had
20:53retail distribution before.
20:55We have an incubator program.
20:56We actually incubate
20:57some of these brands.
20:58So it's in our DNA
21:00to be ahead of the trend.
21:02And so as the head
21:04of social and influencer marketing,
21:05it's important to me
21:06that we show up
21:08on these platforms
21:09in that way.
21:10It's been a journey
21:13to get there,
21:15but we are paying attention.
21:17Our rule is like
21:18what are we adding
21:19to the conversation?
21:21Not just like,
21:22oh, we could do that
21:22in a fun way
21:23with our Sephora bag,
21:24call it a day, ship it.
21:25No, like what beauty POV
21:28can we bring to it?
21:29Also, I'll just be honest,
21:32if one of our competitors
21:34beats us to a trend,
21:35I'm like, it's over,
21:35we're moving on.
21:38Even if we have
21:39the best idea,
21:40we're about to post,
21:41I'm like, nope,
21:42we are not going
21:44to be that girl
21:44who goes second.
21:46So it is really important
21:49to stay on top of it.
21:52Obviously, I'm not coming up
21:53with all these concepts myself.
21:56When I started at Sephora,
21:57someone was like,
21:58Brent, how do you come up
21:59with so many video ideas?
22:00And we post 5,000 times a year
22:03across platforms.
22:03I'm like, I don't come up
22:05with any of those ideas.
22:07We have Gen Z beauty experts
22:10who are in there making it happen.
22:13My role is to grease the wheels.
22:18But we, you know,
22:21it is important to us.
22:23The TikTok ban,
22:24we tried to get ahead of it.
22:26We thought it would be short.
22:27We're like, let's prepare
22:28for the ban to be over
22:30in three out of five days.
22:31Just kidding.
22:32It was 14 hours.
22:34But we were ready.
22:36We posted.
22:37I got one of the,
22:38I'm putting this quote
22:40in my end of year review.
22:43Someone's like,
22:43I knew Sephora and Duolingo.
22:46What'd be first to respond to this?
22:47I'm like, yes,
22:48finally got mentioned
22:49in the same breath as Duolingo.
22:51But it takes a lot of work.
22:53But it can be fun
22:54if you do, you know,
22:56crack that nut.
22:58Yeah, and I mean,
22:59I think you've heard
22:59everybody talk about it.
23:01It's the right blend
23:02of technology and humanity.
23:05I think that we would all agree
23:06the tried and true tech stack
23:08is still required.
23:09You need the right
23:10social listening tools.
23:11You need to be listening.
23:13But it has to be combined
23:14with the right human expertise.
23:17And that human expertise
23:18really being a duality
23:19of understanding your brand
23:21or for us,
23:21our brand partners
23:22and knowing this is a moment
23:24where the brand should be inserted
23:25because it matters
23:26to the community.
23:27But then also, you know,
23:29listening to the community
23:30that you're looking to reach.
23:32And so for us,
23:32we lean very heavily
23:33on our community management teams.
23:35They're really our ear
23:36to these communities as well.
23:38The creators,
23:39the, you know,
23:40the niches
23:40and the sub-verticals themselves.
23:42And I think when you combine
23:43those two things together,
23:45you'll know the right moment.
23:46And I love,
23:47I think, Todd,
23:48it was something that you mentioned
23:49or it was mentioned
23:51on the stage at least,
23:52which is, you know,
23:53building a trend,
23:54especially if you're partnering
23:55with a creator,
23:56building into that trend
23:57with that creator,
23:58not just trying to capitalize
24:00on that moment.
24:01And, you know,
24:01for us,
24:02I think about
24:02a really great opportunity
24:04we had with Zillow this year
24:05when, you know,
24:06Jules LeBron
24:06was having her demure moment.
24:08We knew that this was
24:09an opportunity for Zillow.
24:11Why?
24:11Because, frankly speaking,
24:12the people that are buying homes
24:14now are increasingly on social.
24:16And so for us,
24:17it was about
24:18how do we, you know,
24:19partner with Jules
24:20and create this really
24:21captivating series
24:21where she's doing home tours
24:23and she's telling you
24:24which dining room is demure
24:26and which office
24:27is particularly mindful.
24:29And it worked out incredibly well.
24:31It was one of Zillow's
24:32most social campaigns
24:33of the year.
24:34And I think that was
24:35a really great example
24:36of the right time,
24:38the right community,
24:39building it with the creator
24:40and the results
24:41and the authenticity
24:42speak for itself
24:43as a result.
24:44Yeah.
24:45I'd say on the gaming side,
24:46gaming's traditionally
24:47been a genre
24:48that's moved a little bit slower.
24:49I think the upside
24:50of working on a platform
24:50like Roblox
24:51is you can publish quickly
24:52and you can iterate.
24:53And I think that's
24:53the expectation, right?
24:54These aren't games
24:56that take years and years
24:57like a AAA.
24:58I think they're expected
24:59to listen to your community
25:00and evolve as they do.
25:01So as trends appear,
25:03I think oftentimes, right,
25:06the wise brands
25:06are kind of watching
25:07what game genres
25:09are blowing up.
25:09SpongeBob has a tower defense
25:11game that launched
25:11with a smaller studio
25:12a couple of months ago.
25:14Yeah, and that's doing
25:15tremendously well.
25:16Like broke into a top 25,
25:17which for brands
25:18in an ecosystem
25:19like Roblox
25:20that's hyper-competitive
25:21is quite a feat.
25:24And so I think
25:24working with
25:26and watching
25:26what genres
25:28are actually performant
25:29on the platform
25:30and being able
25:30to kind of jump in quickly
25:32tends to be
25:33the key to success.
25:34I think where brands
25:35tend to struggle
25:36or even entertainment partners
25:37is where you have
25:38these massive franchise teams,
25:40right,
25:40that have lovingly
25:42held up the brand
25:42and are very close to it.
25:44And I think oftentimes
25:44finding a bridge
25:45to work with the creator,
25:46and I think this extends
25:48across probably
25:48every partnership,
25:49is how do we make
25:51the best of what
25:52this brand needs to be
25:53but still working
25:54with the creator
25:54who understands
25:55what their audience wants
25:56and finding that sweet spot,
25:58which is, I think,
25:59forever the challenge.
26:02Linda,
26:02what was a recent campaign
26:04that you can think of
26:05where you partner
26:05with a brand
26:06and you felt like
26:07what you created,
26:08the content,
26:09aligned with the brand
26:09but also really resonated
26:10with your audience?
26:12I just want to say,
26:13first off,
26:13it's really cool hearing
26:14from the brand side,
26:16like just how everyone's thinking
26:18and it's like,
26:19caring about the creator.
26:21A brand that did
26:22really well on my channel,
26:24I think it was like
26:2510 million
26:26the first week,
26:28and so that one did really well
26:31because that brand
26:33was already a fan
26:34of my channel
26:35and they were already
26:36reading what the people
26:38in the audience
26:39were commenting.
26:40So, on my TikTok,
26:43I'm usually like,
26:45I stay home
26:46and I have like
26:46a messy hair bun
26:48and I'm like in my scrubs
26:49and for some reason
26:50my audience wanted
26:51to see me glow up.
26:54Not sure why,
26:55but it was all over the comments,
26:56it's getting thousands
26:57of comments,
26:57can you glow up,
26:58can you just like
26:59put on makeup
26:59and I'm like,
27:00I, no.
27:02But,
27:02I was like,
27:05and then so,
27:06I was like,
27:06hmm, maybe.
27:07And then a brand saw that.
27:09So that's already,
27:10it was so smart
27:11for them to come
27:11because one,
27:12it's already advertised
27:13on my channel
27:14that I want to do this,
27:15it's what the audience wants
27:17and now here you are,
27:19hey, we have a makeup brand,
27:20how about you put a video
27:22of you putting makeup
27:22and yeah,
27:23and so that one went viral,
27:25that was just like
27:26a great integration,
27:28the community loved it
27:29and they just saw it happen
27:32and it's also a positive impact
27:34for the brand too
27:35because it's like,
27:36oh, hey,
27:36you're here helping this creator,
27:38not really helping,
27:38but you're here with this creator
27:40with what we wanted to see.
27:42So it's like,
27:43you're listening to two sides
27:44of the people.
27:45No notes?
27:46Hmm?
27:47They gave no notes?
27:48No notes?
27:49From the brand side,
27:50did they have any?
27:50Any notes for the?
27:52Yeah.
27:52For content.
27:53No, oh yeah,
27:54for the content,
27:55they're just like,
27:56which is,
27:56as a creator,
27:57I love it when I have freedom
27:59to do whatever I want
28:00because I know
28:01what the style is
28:03and so for them,
28:04they're just like,
28:04hey,
28:04we just want to
28:05do whatever you want,
28:07what you think we'll do best
28:08and yeah,
28:09it did well
28:10and so it's great
28:11when the brand agrees.
28:14That's a great one
28:14for our executives.
28:15How do you all decide
28:16if there are parameters
28:17you want to put
28:18on the content
28:18and when you're working
28:19with a creator,
28:20like go wild,
28:21do whatever you want to do
28:22or what you're looking for
28:23in those campaigns?
28:24For us,
28:26it's a partnership,
28:26you know,
28:27so it's a conversation
28:27with the creator
28:28from the get-go
28:28and I think,
28:29you know,
28:29as we're talking
28:30to these creators,
28:31I think a mistake
28:31sometimes brands
28:32can also make
28:32is by looking
28:33at follower count
28:34and not paying attention
28:35to engagement.
28:36You know,
28:36engagement is key
28:37for everything we do
28:38and, you know,
28:39along those lines,
28:40like we had a great opportunity
28:43with Straw Hat Goofy
28:44on Sinners recently
28:46and he did an,
28:47he's a tremendous fan
28:48of movies
28:49and we had the opportunity
28:50to pair him up
28:51with Ryan Coogler.
28:52They've since become
28:53good friends
28:54but that access,
28:55when you see somebody
28:56that is a fan of film
28:57connecting with
28:58an extraordinary filmmaker
28:59and having a conversation
29:01and connecting in that way,
29:02we didn't put parameters
29:03on him or tell him
29:04what to ask.
29:05He asked as a true fan
29:06of film
29:06and Ryan,
29:07who's also a true fan
29:08of film
29:09and a great movie maker,
29:11the conversation
29:11was incredible
29:12as one of our best
29:12performing assets
29:13on the campaign.
29:14So to me,
29:15it's those type
29:15of conversations
29:16that happen early
29:17with, you know,
29:18with creators
29:18that really take off.
29:20Yeah, you know,
29:22it's the partnership
29:23agreed for us,
29:25you know,
29:25we have our squad,
29:26we know them so well,
29:27we know what they like to do,
29:28don't like to do,
29:29they opt into what brands
29:31they authentically do.
29:33So we've actually eliminated
29:34like content reviews
29:36for most of our content.
29:38We have a live discussion
29:39of the brief,
29:40make sure we feel aligned
29:41and just ask the creator
29:43to send the final piece
29:45of content.
29:46And if we're working
29:46with a new creator,
29:48of course,
29:49it's different
29:50and we'll, you know,
29:51put a little bit more
29:52time into it.
29:53But it is about
29:54building that trust.
29:55The creator feels
29:56more onus
29:56to really deliver
29:58and make that happen.
30:01And, you know,
30:03we just continue
30:04to find what works.
30:08You know,
30:08you say you like
30:09hearing from us.
30:10My team has lunch
30:12with creators
30:13twice a week.
30:14Like, it's really a dialogue.
30:15We learn just as much
30:17from you
30:18and we can then
30:20put that into
30:21our concepting briefing
30:23that we get inside
30:25your guys' minds
30:26a little bit
30:27and make sure
30:28we're taking that
30:29into account up front.
30:32Well, we only have time
30:33for a little more.
30:34I wanted to ask everyone
30:35if there's certain things
30:36that you see coming up
30:37when you look at the future
30:38and what you guys
30:38are working towards right now,
30:40specific beats
30:41that you're looking to hit
30:42within the next year
30:43in terms of how you want
30:44to work with creators
30:45and what you think
30:46is working best
30:46with creators right now.
30:48I think in our ecosystem
30:50we're increasingly
30:51seeing crossover.
30:52I think this is a trend
30:52across, right,
30:53from the biggest creators
30:55in the world,
30:55from Beast on, you know,
30:57asides, right,
30:58creators who've built out
30:59massive channels elsewhere,
31:01at least in the case
31:02of Roblox,
31:03like, coming to the platform
31:05and leveraging
31:05those audiences
31:06to then build
31:07Roblox experiences
31:08natively, right?
31:10Something we did
31:11on the Amazon side
31:12for Beast Games, right?
31:13He obviously
31:14had a series
31:15that rolled out
31:16and over the course
31:17of each week
31:17as challenges rolled out
31:19on the TV show,
31:20we had challenges
31:21that rolled out
31:21on Roblox.
31:22And so there was synergy there
31:24and then we also used
31:25Roblox as a sandbox
31:26to launch, you know,
31:27video content
31:28and read new life
31:30into a Beast Gaming
31:31YouTube channel.
31:31So I think activating
31:33all of these components
31:34together
31:35and leveraging the audience
31:36that you have
31:36in one place
31:37to stand up
31:38a new channel
31:39tends to be the trend
31:40we're seeing
31:41on our platform.
31:42I think he said it best,
31:43you know,
31:44it's the opportunity
31:45they want,
31:45long-form content,
31:47a chance to expand
31:48their brand.
31:48We have Studio 126
31:50which is dedicated
31:51to bringing creatives
31:52to Amazon Music
31:53to say, hey,
31:54here's a chance
31:55for you to have
31:55your podcast,
31:56here's a chance
31:56for you to work
31:57with us
31:57to build out
31:59your legacy with us.
32:00Again, I mentioned merch
32:01and all these
32:01different questions,
32:02but I also have to say
32:03the partnership
32:04as it relates to artists.
32:05I still want to say
32:06that artists are still
32:07kind of our first creator
32:08and I don't want
32:09to like miss that.
32:10So it really is
32:11how do we have
32:11our artists
32:13also partner
32:14with our creators?
32:15I can use an example
32:15of Amazon Music Live
32:16which is one of our,
32:18you know,
32:18really big content
32:19franchises that happens,
32:21you know,
32:21during Thursday Night Football
32:22after the game
32:23you come follow us.
32:24We think about
32:25the fandom
32:26that's with K-pop.
32:27It's one thing
32:27to have a concert
32:28but you have three
32:29people you have
32:30to take care of,
32:31you know,
32:31it's the artist,
32:32it's the fan watching
32:33and it's a person
32:33watching at home.
32:35To get that right,
32:35the room has to be curated right.
32:37People have to feel that energy
32:38so when we thought
32:39about twice
32:39it was like
32:40let's go partner
32:41with Pokimane, right?
32:43She's going to make sure
32:44that the right people
32:45are there
32:46but she's going to give
32:46the right narrative
32:47to the fan
32:48to attend the event
32:49but also making sure
32:50that our live stream
32:51speaks to what
32:52that room feels like.
32:53So it's kind of
32:54layered in that situation
32:55so I think again
32:56it's long-form content
32:57but it's also
32:58how can our creators
32:58help us make sure
33:00that we're getting
33:00the right room
33:01for the experiences
33:01we want to share
33:02with the world.
33:03On the Warner Brothers side
33:06I think for us
33:06if you think about it
33:07studios are kind of
33:09the original platform
33:10we've been 100 years
33:12working with creators
33:13initially
33:13pre-TikTok
33:14pre-all these platforms
33:15and I think
33:16we want to double down
33:17and continue that
33:18and I look forward
33:19to the future
33:19the opportunity
33:20where I think
33:21there'll be
33:21additional IP
33:22that you can mine
33:23from these creators
33:24and that's happening
33:24already on platforms
33:25like Webtoon
33:26and other places
33:27where studios
33:28are actually finding IP
33:29and working with creators
33:30to create that IP.
33:32I also think for us
33:33you know
33:34when we think about
33:35the views and engagement
33:37that all these
33:37influencer videos get
33:38again we have the challenge
33:39of getting people
33:40to leave their home
33:41and get to a movie theater
33:42and at the end of the day
33:43our job is to sell
33:43movie tickets
33:44and so we're looking
33:45at a Warner Brothers
33:46affiliate program
33:47an opportunity
33:48to bring creators
33:49on every step of the way
33:50and we want to
33:51continue those relationships
33:52and build on those
33:53very similar to
33:53an Amazon affiliate program
33:55but with rewards
33:56that kind of bring you
33:57closer to the movies
33:58and the projects
33:58and then I think
33:59frictionless ticket buying
34:01on these creator videos
34:02is something that should
34:03be a one-click opportunity
34:05our trailers receive
34:07millions of views
34:08creator content
34:10receives millions of views
34:12imagine if in that one moment
34:13you could just click a button
34:14and go straight to it
34:15straight to the movie theater
34:17and so I know we're working
34:18with partners like Fandango
34:19and other platforms
34:20to make that a reality
34:21and to make sure
34:22that ticketing is top of mind
34:24and then you get cultural moments
34:25at the movie theater
34:26like you're seeing
34:27with Minecraft
34:28or like you saw with Barbie
34:29or like you're going to see
34:30again with Sinners
34:31in week two
34:32so I'm really excited
34:32about that
34:33yeah look I think
34:37you know the future
34:38is scale
34:39you know it's
34:40it's not just about
34:42creator marketing anymore
34:43it's about at what scale
34:44for your brand
34:45or your company
34:47and how you're scaling it
34:48you know you see it
34:49in the data
34:49companies like Unilever
34:51moving 50% of their budget
34:52into social
34:53and 20xing influencer
34:55the the time is here
34:57the shifts are here
34:58and so you know
34:59brands need to really
35:01be thinking about
35:02am I prepared to scale
35:04with this industry
35:05and am I prepared
35:05to scale my creator
35:06do I have the right processes
35:08do I have the right teams
35:10do I have the right tech
35:11am I set up
35:13to be able to do this
35:14in order to be successful
35:15not just for the now
35:16but for the years to come
35:17and I think specifically
35:18bringing it back
35:19to the way that you work
35:20with creators
35:20it's about longer term partnerships
35:22you know I think
35:23that's another big shift
35:24that we're all seeing
35:25it's no longer about
35:26the one-off collaboration
35:28it's how can I grow
35:30with a brand
35:30how can I collaborate
35:32more deeply
35:32whether that's for
35:33the longer form content
35:34we're seeing on YouTube
35:36studio opportunities
35:37the only way
35:38that you're able
35:39to get to those levels
35:40with creator partnerships
35:41is if it's much more
35:42than just a transaction
35:43or a paid post
35:45or a sponsored ad
35:46there's got to be
35:46that deep-rooted partnership
35:48and obviously being able
35:49to effectively identify
35:51and nurture those types
35:53of long-standing partnerships
35:54comes with the right alignment
35:56and making sure
35:57that you're choosing
35:57the right creators
35:58for your mission
35:59yeah this might be obvious
36:02to everyone in this room
36:03but people want
36:04to be entertained
36:05and our space
36:08is just going more
36:09and more there
36:09the Zuckerberg platforms
36:11I think were kind of
36:12an anomaly
36:13in retrospect
36:14YouTube started
36:15as an entertainment platform
36:16TikTok is very proudly
36:19an entertainment platform
36:20you know Gen Z's loving
36:21Pinterest
36:22shout out to my Pinterest
36:23friends out there
36:24for being a happy place
36:26and especially from brands
36:27you know we all
36:28see the studies
36:29Gen Z wants brands to care
36:31yes but they don't want
36:32to be lectured
36:32from brands either
36:33they really do
36:35want to be entertained
36:36and the brands
36:37that are really
36:38you know winning
36:39at this moment in time
36:40are figuring that out
36:42and how to think
36:43entertainment first
36:44well thank you all
36:46for your insights today
36:47appreciate it