Finding natural brand partnerships

Most creators have favorite brands and products they love. The role of a manager is to make money from that content.

“They should be organically posting and enthusiastic about what they’re doing, but, ultimately, it’s about monetizing,” said Mahzad Babayan, a creator agent at agency UTA.

In one example, UTA signed beauty influencer Katie Fang, who liked skincare brand Glow Recipe. Fang was already posting about how much she loved the brand’s products. UTA helped her create a kit of Glow Recipe products that are sold at Sephora.

“We were able to build that relationship with the brand,” Babayan said.

The key is to not pressure creators into brand deals with the sole goal of making money, she said.

“Ultimately, it needs to feel organic,” Babayan said.