#brand-partnerships

#brand-partnerships

"Sydney Sweeney's recent participation in an American Eagle commercial sparked a bizarre controversy, connecting her brand partnerships to heated cultural debates and social media frenzy."

Steph Ross, vp of social and influencer for the social media agency Born Social, said that influencer rates had "doubled" from 2024, but that her clients were largely unconcerned about the increases because they have also ramped up their influencer marketing spend. She said that influencers' increased rates were simply a result of that growing demand.

"We're moving away from traditional influencer partnerships toward authentic, relatable moments that truly resonate," said Lea Huruglica, emphasizing the shift brands are making in their promotional strategies.

"Last year we started to test doing more work with creators - that worked and we were able to secure more funding for this year," said Matthew Dacey, Tripadvisor's CMO.

Golf creators are capitalizing on the sport's new cultural relevance, attracting more brand deals than ever, due to the influx of fans and modern content.

"Our audience is always looking for an opportunity to drive savings and get affordable things, but also get messages that are personalized and relevant for them."

A powerful way to reach and engage new audiences is through innovative brand partnerships, which can substantially drive business growth even for smaller brands.

Cartwright mentioned that brands are moving to shorter-term partnerships as a strategy to cope with economic uncertainty and new tariffs impacting their budgets.

"From my perspective, whilst the risk of a potential recession will naturally have an impact on brands' marketing budgets, influencers shouldn't be disproportionately affected within the cuts. If anything, brands should be leaning on them more."