Why more brands are rethinking influencer marketing with gamified micro-creator programs

“It reflects a broader shift from broadcast to build. The industry is moving beyond transactional moments of influence to programs that create real participation and credibility over time,” explains Joe Berean, svp of marketing at Express, which launched its own creator program, The Expressionists.

The company plans to expand The Expressionists in three areas: sales, integration and commerce, according to Berean.

Sephora, which launched its own storefront for makers last year, has one of the most developed internal creation ecosystemsintegrating shoppable content, affiliate commissions and year-round engagement.

“Many companies are asking: Should we have ShopMY, LTK or Amazon as a middleman, or can we just create an internal ecosystem like Sephora?” says Megan Vasquez, director of influencer strategy at influencer software company GRIN. “We can own this list of people and this network of people, we can nurture them, we can talk to them and have meaningful conversations with a very low barrier to entry.”

They can also solve some of the problems that have emerged as the influencer marketing industry has grown. “Affiliates don’t work on active deliverables… they have complete autonomy over what they post, where they post and how they post it,” Vasquez explains. But calls to action within creator programs can steer UGC in specific directions.

“Now you have a channel that is extremely difficult to control in terms of output, and now you manage the output in a really fun and engaging way,” she said.

In February, American Eagle launched AE Creator Community – a revamped, challenge-oriented version of its ambassador program. This marked a departure from the “traditional affiliate transaction program,” said Ashley Schapiro, vice president of marketing, media, performance and engagement at American Eagle. The brand wanted to differentiate its production in what Schapiro called a “flooded world,” with so many opportunities for makers and affiliates.

Schapiro told Digiday that the potential of brand-first programs to shape UGC is particularly compelling, especially as KPIs across the affiliate tree show there is no single approach.

“Everything is an ‘and’. You have to be on ShopMy and MagicLinks and be part of the entire celebrity creation economy down to the nano level, you have to work with platforms, you have to have your own community,” she explained. “But what’s cool is that with this kind of program, you have all these different, amazing people who are bringing your brand to life in different ways… the people who participate in this really love your brand.”

Creator programs also provide more fluidity. As Urban Outfitters head of brand marketing Cyntia Leo told Digiday, the recently launched Me@UO program will rely on creator feedback to shape future seasons and possibly even upcoming product releases. Schapiro said American Eagle’s makers could design challenges, or the program could be tied to its loyalty program.

Jennifer Quigley-Jones, CEO of influencer marketing agency Digital Voices, said the brands that execute these creator programs well will embrace fluidity, looking at what content, protection, cues and talking points have the most commercial impact and adapting accordingly. That’s all about ‘future-proofing’ the brand strategy.

“You want to have a one-on-one reciprocal relationship,” Schapiro said of the program.

The benefit for makers

For micro-creators who want to break into the industry, creator programs can act as a stepping stone. “It creates a level playing field, allowing emerging creators to shine,” says Leo.

Student Shanell Rollon told Digiday that working with creator rewards platform Kale provides more money for less work compared to her two part-time jobs on campus. Kale works with brands such as Cava, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Sephora and enlists micro-creators (often students or mothers) to participate in brand-related challenges on their platform.

“I usually spend six to seven hours a month creating Kale content,” says Roillon. “For my on-campus jobs, I usually work 48 to 60 hours.” Those jobs earn her about $1,800 per month, while her brand partnership (largely through Kale) earns her up to $1,200 per month.

“Kale gives me opportunities as a micro-influencer who doesn’t really know how to network with these big brands,” she said.

Creator programs launched by brands give micro-creators a taste of mega-creator life, such as Urban Outfitters’ promise to take the top 100 Me@UO creators on a brand journey this April. They can even lead to bigger deals with the brands themselves.

“Now you can collaborate with people and gain more exposure,” says Keith Bendes, Chief Strategy Officer at influencer marketing platform Linqia. “And if you’re in this program, let’s say in front of a Home Depot or a Lowe’s, and your content breaks it, what are they going to do? They’re going to pick up the phone and say, ‘Can we do bigger things together?'” he added.

Think of it as a paid internship in the creative economy.

Schapiro told Digiday that the company had 643 sign-ups to the AE Creator Community within 24 hours, and after just 24 days, had received nearly 4,000 sign-ups (candidates must be 18 years or older and have at least 1,000 followers on at least one social platform).

“I think it’s really cool for people coming up in the creative world, especially young people… it’s such an interesting kind of entry-level role for someone who’s learning about working and creating content, how competitive that is,” she said.

What’s the catch?

“You can’t do these programs one time. This is life cycle marketing on a massive scale,” Vasquez said. “You need to keep creators engaged, they need to have new launches under their belt, they need to know what’s out there – you need to continually nurture them in a way that we as influencer marketers typically don’t have to do.”

Brands may struggle to compete with hundreds of creators and the sheer volume of data they produce, while creators participating in multiple programs may experience burnout or a lack of ROI.

“If no one makes money, they will leave the loyalty program,” Bendes said. “A brand like Lowe has been working on this for a year with the entire internal team. This is a real investment from all sides. Everyone is trying to make it work.”

The scale and fatigue problem is where a content-focused company like Kale comes into play.

“We are the foundation that gets your brand building the hull – essentially their revamped ambassador programs,” says Isha Patel, CEO and co-founder of Kale.

For micro-creators looking to supplement their income while learning the ins and outs of content creation, Kale offers an accessible option to work with different brands, rather than individually signing up for different programs and creating content on different platforms.

But for those looking to jumpstart a potential career move, the “torso” part of the creator economy pyramid is appealing: creator programs where the brands are much more involved on a daily basis and the rewards can include cash, access, products or even brand trips.

For now, both parties seem poised to take advantage of this newer branch of affiliate marketing.

“You get the confidence to bring smaller makers into your program, and that’s a surprise and joy for them. Does it make them feel like they’re part of something bigger? Yes,” Vasquez said. “And those makers are often a little more convincing with their stories.”