Usually, my focus is pretty square on what content creators can do to communicate better and work better with brands and agencies.
We are, after all, the ones offering a product or service that we’re hoping brands engage with.
But are the brands and agencies shooting themselves in the foot by using outdated language and practises?
Have brands and PR agencies let in bad framework that’s hurting their creator partnerships and the clients that they’re representing?
The answer, especially in Australia, is yes.
Let’s discuss some of the huge no-nos for brands and PR agencies that I do see, unfortunately often, and what they (or you reading) can do about them.
PS: Leave your ego at this line here – it’s not personal, and we can all do better.
These Fixes Aren’t Expensive – They’re Just Often Ignored
Worried these are all expensive fixes? Not only are the fixes free, they also help strengthen creator-brand-agency relationships, which in turn produces the coveted high-converting organic content and ongoing features for clients.
Worried it’s not worth your limited time? You do not want animosity between creators, agencies, and brands – no one wins when we’re all stepping on each other’s toes – and if you have the time to take the 10th exclamation point out of your email, you have the time to make these changes.
Why This Matters Right Now
Why bother? The creator economy isn’t going anywhere, but it is evolving.
The current market is leaning hard against “brands trying to be our friends” in the wake of a forever-looming recession, and consumers are rightly so aligning with creators that have built audience loyalty and have been consistent with the brands they promote.
Plus, do you really want to keep clenching and cringing through every diversity controversy in Australian influencer media, or would you prefer to be part of the change?
Read more: What is Brand Loyalty, do You Have it, and Should You?
All the points we’re about to jump into disproportionally affect creators of colour.
1. Brands & Agencies – Please Don’t Give Tight Turnarounds for Campaigns
Tight turnarounds produce the worst results.
Allow creators plenty of time to try products, learn how they like it, what they like about it (this can be used in their script!), show that they’ve used or are testing it, and (fingers crossed) organically feature the product a few times before the sponsored post.
Ideally, you do not want the first time an audience is seeing a product to be in an ad.
A new launch? Strict embargo? What an amazing thing for creators to share (and document) that they’ve tried it before everyone else – still do your best to get it to them ASAP.
What brands and agencies can do:
I know, I know – it’s the brand, not the PR agency – or for the brand, I know it’s HQ, not you. Has higher-ups put you in an impossibly tight turnaround? Once? Twice? You might be liable for legal compensation.
It’s time to communicate with your fingers crossed: You are positive you can get better results if creators are given more time to create, test, and trial their products.
Focus on the bottom line – more flexible timelines encourages organic features, which ultimately is what produces the best converting content with creators that are already locked in for a future sponsored slot.
- Real Example: A 24hr turnaround reel request for a $15 product, gifted collaboration.
Rethink these usual blockers:
Refocus on getting this as a top priority for new launches and campaigns. Be proactive about following up, PR send-outs, and don’t be over ambitious.
Is that knock-off Stanley cup with a pasted-on brand name sticker stalling the send-out to creators? Don’t let junk – or even custom boxes – stall this process.
Do two send-outs if you need to (many brands already do this for their paid work, by the way!), or request them to purchase themselves and refund it later.
If you are reaching out to a creator with a tight timeline, acknowledge it. It sucks, it’s a tight one, but you trust in their content, their style, their ability, and that’s why you’re reaching out to them. Try and sweeten the deal, too (it can even be a win–win).
Commission codes, extra goodies, a thank-you email when it’s all said and done – goodwill goes a very long way.
They absolutely noticed that you’ve asked them to work over the weekend when it’s raining morning to night.
It’s OK to acknowledge what’s happening – and be honest about timelines.
If you can make the brand push a bit, it’s better to push there.
The takeaway: Get it in creators’ hands ASAP. We know you’re doing your best, but cut down on the (usually expensive) fluff.
2. Don’t Excessively Barter Down Rates
If you are bartering a creator’s rate or mythical “market rate” down further than 40% – it’s on you to be upfront about your budget.
I get it – you might literally have next to no budget.
It can be hard for creators to understand why a brand on Amazon or in Woolworths doesn’t have money to work with – but I do really get it because I’ve worked on the brand side.
Hell, some of the luxury brands I’ve worked with on the marketing side never have a cash budget, and we’re juggling PR sample budget as it is.
There is lots of empathy from me here.
I understand why some PR and brands feel creators should be happy they’re getting paid at all because there’s rarely any cash to juggle.
For smaller brands and founders, it’s often coming directly out of your 9–5 pay cheque too.
We can be more strategic, open, and attract the talent we want when there’s a real win–win to offer.
If you’re handling the budget:
Mention that you do not have the budget to meet their rate. Leave it on the creator to come back with a counter offer, which will happen more often than not if the creator wants to work with the brand.
If it’s a huge no: Thank them for their time and quote, and mention you’ll keep it on record for future or reach out in future. (Polite way of saying no, thank you, and you can loop back if things change.)
- Real Example: A brand told a creator, “I cannot go any higher as our rates are set by internal ROI KPIs on project impressions,” to a UGC creator they were offering $150 for x3 videos with unlimited ad usage, ie; metrics didn’t matter as the content was being boosted for an ad.
Do not compare creators: “We pay creators your size much less.” = Bad feelings, sad creators, bye-bye goodwill.
And yes, brands say this weekly to creators of all sizes, please check that no one in your team is doing this – it’s the quickest way to make any positive feelings disappear.
There doesn’t have to be intention behind potentially hurt feelings – and although we might know it’s not personal, we are humans, we have our sensitivities and egos, and it never hurts to be extra kind.
- Real Example: A Black creator with 500,000+ followers was paid $300 for a 60s video, while a White creator with 50,000 followers was paid $15,000 for the same work.
Don’t use someone else’s rates as justification. Not all creators have the right information to work with, or talent representation that’s more across the market rates.
If someone is drastically underquoting, and you want a long-term relationship, it’s time to do the right thing.
- Real Example: A creator quoted a brand $500 for a project the brand had $2,000 put aside for, which other smaller creators had already locked in. The brand communicated to the creator that there was more in budget, and that they valued their long-term relationship with them, so it was important to pay them fairly.
Do not justify free boosting as a benefit to a creator. Ads being boosted don’t typically garner any benefit for the creator, sometimes the contrary.
Why isn’t boosting always great for creators?
We don’t want our potential future audience to associate us only with paid work, and we don’t want to be pointed out at the coffee shop as the “girl that used hair removal cream” on camera.
I’ve also never seen an ad and thought, “Woah! Better click five times to find the creator’s profile (because all links lead to the brand, not the creator anyway) and follow them after hearing them say a brand name five times.”
- Real Example: An agency told a creator, “There is significant value to you when it comes to boosting as it’s a great means of further exposure for yourself.”
Do not promise future partnerships and work, eg: “We’d also be looking at reviewing further content opportunities down the line.” I know, you might really mean it.
But too many brands don’t, and the turnover for marketers is pretty high. Focus on the now, and what you can highlight as valuable, like social proof, exclusivity, and positive action.
- Real Example: A marketer at a brand promised a creator ongoing work for locking in at a lower rate, and that they would personally oversee future collaborations. The marketer left the company at the end of the week. (Kind of iconic tho.)
The takeaways: Always put the focus on the brand (yes, I’m asking you to do the “it’s not you, it’s me”). Consider that maybe you need to find another creator that fits your budget – there will be plenty.
3. Don’t Offer Lower Rates to, or Barter Down Creators of Colour Harsher
This is a story I get contacted with a lot – we’re talking from brands and agencies in Australia.
Lower rates are consistently being offered to creators of colour for the same work, including UGC, boosting, and audience size – even when there’s no major difference between creators.
This will happen if you do not check if it’s happening in your company.
People will naturally favour people that look like themselves and are around them, which is an issue if the room you’re in has people that look the same.
- Real Example: A brand bartered down Asian creators harshly for a campaign, paying them on average 40–50% of their rate. White creators were bartered higher, eg: The creator gave their rate at $550 and it was pushed up to $600 by the brand stating leftover budget.
What brands and agencies can can do:
You need to communicate with employees that they cannot barter down Asian, brown, or Black creators more aggressively than they do their white counterparts – even if it’s justified via other reasons like personal style, vibe, or brand fit.
Because take a step back, is it really?
Camera quality, on-camera presence, editing, metrics, backdrops, lighting, engagement – if all the boxes are ticked and there’s a feeling that “something just isn’t quite right” – you’ve found the “something”.
- Real Story: “I’ve shown countless creators all with the same effortlessly chic content that looks like something out of a Vogue mag to an old boss, all for them to glance, pick six white creators, and when prompted to what was exciting about them or why not pick the other creators, I heard the dreaded can’t-put-my-finger-on-it ‘brand fit’.”
Sometimes it’s the brands. Often there’s no conscious thought or real reasoning behind these decisions – which is why they need to be counteracted actively.
Currently, the default is against diversity. It’s worth noting diversity doesn’t just include race, creators deserve to be represented fairly, showing all body sizes, skin types, ages, genders, and disabilities – but it’s no secret brands have a race problem that they can’t solve unless they invest and actively seek out creators of colour.
It can be hard to find creators of colour. The unfortunate reality is that there might not be any that fit your scope in your direct feed – but there are plenty, including smaller creators, UGC creators, and bloggers/writers.
Ask the talent agencies you work with to go out of their way to locate these creators – or highlight them if they’re in their books. That’s their job.
Creators – if you’re declining a job, it doesn’t hurt to paste a friend’s link in the email who would be a good fit.
Read: 6 Asian-Australian Beauty Creators Who Make Content You Need to See
Backtrack. Don’t just stop it from happening in the future – has it happened already?
Chat with employees, figure out what’s happened, and get a meeting going if you need to.
- Real Example: A Black creator was the only person of colour in a campaign – their turnaround was three days compared to everyone else’s three weeks.
Have affirmative action in place so diversity isn’t an afterthought to your campaign.
- Real Example: A brand hosted an event at Sydney Town Hall with multiple sessions over two days, which allowed many creators to attend who typically couldn’t – many of which were Asian, Brown, and Black creators.
Make events and brand interactions more accessible for people out of the clique, including more online activations, intentional PR send-outs, and easy-to-access, central event spaces.
- Real Example: A brand hosted multiple styling events from creators’ homes, meeting them in their areas.
- Real Example: During lockdown and after, brands hosted private masterclasses with industry professionals.
- Real Example: Public TikTok and Instagram Lives with creators and their broader communities also allowed everyone to follow along from wherever they were located.
The takeaway: It’s taboo because it’s not in your brand or agency’s culture.
Saying Black or Brown shouldn’t make you cringe, sigh with exhaustion, or guard your words – there are plenty of creators of colour who generously share their content and experiences around race.
It is time to actively search for them and include them in the decisions that directly impact their space in the industry.
Check out: Niti Nadarajahon LinkedIn
4. Be Super Clear About Your Guidelines on Deliverables And Usage (Especially Around Story Sets)
Semantics in marketing might be the end of us all.
Story sets mean different things to different people.
Is it a video story set? Is it the original 30-second story slide, or is it the 60-second story slide? Are there links included?
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of common language here with a lot of deliverables and expectations from brands and creators, so let’s do our best to meet in the middle and overcommunicate when it comes to deliverables.
What brands, talent agencies, and PR agencies can do:
Have a list in the office that specifies the specific deliverables you’re after for all types of content that’s nice and easy to copy and paste.
See how the below are all pretty different? The last example might even incur different briefs for each slide, making it almost x3 videos worth of work.
- Story post: x1 static slide w/ x1 link slide
- Story set: x3 static slides w/ x1 link slide
- Story set: x3 video slides (30s each)
- Story set: x3 video slides (60s each) w/ link
Honestly, maybe that last point was just for me, selfishly.
The takeaway: Assume people aren’t on the same page about definitions – and specify deliverables in seconds to be extra safe.
What Did I Miss?
Let me know, either below in the comments anonymously or via DM.
Don’t worry, I won’t tell your boss.
Think there should be a bit more heat on creators? We chat to marketers all the time about what creators can do to get their act together.
Check out our top hits here:
- Read: Are You Doing These Things Brand Managers & Marketers Hate?
- Read: The Way You’re Emailing Is Making You Look Unprofessional. Here’s What you Need to Know
- Read: How to: Approach and Discuss Paid Work with Brands
- Read: 6 Black Beauty Creators in Australia You Should Follow Immediately
- Read: 6 Asian-Australian Beauty Creators Who Make Content You Need to See
Note: This is an opinion piece, meaning it may not directly reflect all of White Rabbit Social’s views.
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