The top 17 influencer marketers at brands like Bumble and Chipotle who plan innovative campaigns and partner effectively with creators

From left to right: Michael Ramirez, Tyler MacDonald, Christina Hardy, Merryck Tann-Dickerson, Amy Verhey Nnaji
Disney Parks and Experiences; Pacsun; Bumble; Amazon The Drop; Eat Just; Anna Kim/Insider
  • In our second annual list, Insider is spotlighting the top 16 influencer-marketing execs at brands.
  • They've led impactful and innovative campaigns for brands like Bumble, Pacsun, and Amazon's The Drop. 
  • They work with creators on several platforms, with many recognizing the power of short-form video.

Even in the turbulent economy of the past few months, marketers haven't stopped spending on influencers. Influencer marketing spending is projected to grow an estimated 12% to $4 billion in 2022.

"When the economy is booming, brands spend money to capitalize on the climate, and influencer marketing sees an upswing," said Mike Mikho, chief marketing officer of the ad agency Laundry Service. "In an economic downturn, influencers become an efficiency play — you get content, distribution, and a valuable co-sign on your product through a single investment."

As the creator economy matures, brands have also begun building in-house teams to create influencer campaigns and taken a more data-driven approach to measuring their impact.

Behind the most successful influencer marketing are the execs who are executing these campaigns.

They include Bumble director of talent and influencer Christina Hardy, who worked on a campaign to promote 50 collegiate women athletes in honor of the 50th anniversary of legislation prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, and Amazon's The Drop's Merryck Tann-Dickerson, who recently joined as head of talent partnerships from Target and already launched several designer collaborations with key influencers.

What a successful influencer marketing campaign looks like

As partnerships between brands and creators become mainstream, marketers are learning what makes a successful campaign.

Marketers, managers, and creators agree that the best campaigns are the ones that don't feel forced. The rise of TikTok, which has popularized content that is not necessarily polished or staged, heightens the need for partnerships that appear genuine.

"I think [a successful campaign] needs to be very real and raw and organic," said Tyler MacDonald, who leads Pacsun's influencer marketing. "The connection between the influencer and the brand needs to really be there, because Gen Z in particular is very smart. They can tell when an influencer is coming on to a brand for a paycheck versus because they really love and believe in the brand."

(Ironically, one of Pacsun's current influencers of choice is virtual influencer Miquela, an AI-generated character that MacDonald said ties in with Pacsun's interest in the metaverse and web3.)

It's also important to approach sponsorship deals as true partnerships, industry insiders said.

Molly Tracy, founder of talent management firm Vrai, said the top-performing campaigns her clients work on are the ones where they were free to speak to their audience on their own terms.

"Creative freedom is so important," Tracy said. "We've just found that the campaigns that are a little bit too rigid in terms of key messaging or what the content needs to look like just haven't performed as well, because you're asking the creator to step out of their own wheelhouse."

In its second annual list, Insider is recognizing 16 influencer marketing execs at brands who have built some of the most creative and impactful campaigns over the past year.

For this list, we relied on a mix of our own reporting, nominations from readers, and industry experts. We chose people who are building the most successful partnerships with influencers across social media; planning the most creative campaigns; and impacting the influencer space broadly. Follow figures below are accurate as of Sept. 8, 2022.

The influencer marketing executives are listed in alphabetical order by brand below:

Aerie: Stacey McCormick

Stacey McCormick, Aerie
Stacey McCormick. Aerie

TikTok designated McCormick a "culture driver" for her work showcasing body positivity and inclusivity through Aerie's influencer partnerships.

McCormick joined the clothing company in 1996 but has led marketing since 2014, the year Aerie said it would stop Photoshopping models in its ad campaigns.

The SVP of marketing leads Aerie's social media strategy, which has adapted to new platforms like TikTok while maintaining its diverse customers. Its body positivity messaging has also helped Aerie stand apart from its competitors like Victoria's Secret, which for years was accused of body shaming.

McCormick has also leaned on a diverse roster of micro-influencers on TikTok, who have helped bring authenticity to the brand and, according to the Observer, drive revenue.

Creators worked with: The NaeNae Twins, Shayné and Zhané Stanley (2.8 million TikTok followers); Vi Luong (993,000 TikTok followers);  The Rollettes, a wheelchair dance group made up of Chelsie Hill, Samantha Lopez, Steph Aiello, Maria Rabaino, Conner Lundius, and Natalie Fung (191,100 TikTok followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: TikTok, Instagram

2021/2022 campaigns: TikTok named McCormick a culture driver for her partnership with TikTok creator Vi Luong last year. Luong hosted Aerie's first TikTok Live event, "Love the Swim You're In", where she and other creators showed off swimwear with no filters or retouching tools, drawing 49 million views.

Aerie also awarded $20,000 last year to 23 influencers who are making positive change in their communities like Alesha Thomas, who runs the Adaptive Parent Project supporting parents with disabilities.

Amazon's The Drop: Merryck Tann-Dickerson

Merryck Tann-Dickerson.
Merryck Tann-Dickerson. Amazon The Drop.

Tann-Dickerson joined Amazon's street-style inspired fashion brand The Drop in April from Target, and she's already forged designer collaborations that resulted in exclusive collections and style curations for the brand.

The head of talent partnerships prioritizes working with diverse and emerging macro-creators, who she says increases brand affinity and relevance with The Drop's target audiences. At Target, she led multicultural influencer partnerships for initiatives like Black Beyond Measure, highlighting products from black-owned businesses during Black History Month, and Mas Que, spotlighting Latino-owned brands for Latino Heritage Month.

Creators worked with: Yayis Cantu (140,000 Instagram followers),  Hermela (204,000 Instagram followers), Aimee Kelly (113,000 Instagram followers), Karsen Kimball (106,000 Instagram followers); Vanessa Chen (2.3 TikTok followers).

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram, Youtube, TikTok

2021/2022 campaigns: Tann-Dickerson's first two releases for The Drop dropped in August. She formed a partnership with LA designer Amy Roiland to release her first fashion collection with The Drop, a colorful mix of retro and modern styles. The second was an end-of-summer collection from Gen Z lifestyle influencer Karsen Kimball.

She's gearing up for The Drop's celebration of Hispanic Heritage month and lined up a roster of Latinx fashion influencers for collections including Frankie Tavares, Yayis Villareal, and Aimee Kelly.

Athletic Greens: Jon Corne

Jon Corne, CRO of supplement company Athletic Greens.
Jon Corne. Athletic Greens.

Corne is the Chief Revenue Officer at supplement company Athletic Greens.

Established in 2010, Athletic Greens is mainly known for its nutritional beverage, AG1, which contains vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients. 

Building long-term relationships with creators has been key to the company's growth, Corne told Insider.

Corne joined Athletic Greens in 2017, and under him, the company has partnered with thousands of creators who are users of the product and who can speak to their experience with it. 

Creators worked with: Shawn Johnson (3.6 million Instagram followers), Eamon and Bec (1.1 million YouTube subscribers), TurnipVegan (323,000 Instagram followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Podcasts, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, newsletters, Twitch.

2021/2022 campaigns: Between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, the network of creators that work with Athletic Greens drove over 1 billion impressions, according to the company.

One of the most successful and ongoing partnerships is that with former artistic gymnast and Olympian Shawn Johnson East, which started in 2020. 

She was brought on to share her personal experience taking AG1 on Instagram, and the relationship has grown into a podcast sponsorship, with Athletic Greens joining Johnson East and her husband on their podcast tour. Johnson East has also become an investor in the company.

Bumble: Christina Hardy

Christina Hardy.
Christina Hardy. Bumble.

Hardy joined dating app Bumble as director of talent and influencer in August 2021 after more than a decade working in talent relations, experiential and integrated marketing.

She's been overseeing multiple celebrity and content creator marketing initiatives, with a focus on threading diversity into all campaigns. 

In the summer of 2022, Hardy spearheaded Bumble's 50for50 campaign, a program sponsoring 50 collegiate women athletes with NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.

The athletes represent a variety of conferences, teams, and schools, and each athlete receives a one-year sponsorship deal.

Creators worked with: Mike Johnson (564,000 Instagram followers), New York Nico (1 million Instagram followers), Madison Bailey (6.6 million Instagram followers), Teyana Taylor (15.3 million Instagram followers), Lori Harvey (4.7 million Instagram followers), plus 50 collegiate women athletes for the 50for50 Campaign, among others.

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

2021/2022 campaigns: In addition to the 50for50 campaign, Hardy also oversaw the Luv2SeeIt campaign, a YouTube series that started this summer featuring creators, artists, actors, entrepreneurs, and Bumble users of color discussing the Black dating experience.

The first episode, which interviewed entrepreneur and model Lori Harvey on her dating experience, received half a million views and nearly 2,000 comments, and became a top 10 trending video on YouTube. On the day of the launch, Lori Harvey was also a trending topic on Twitter. 

Chipotle: Candice Beck

Candice Beck, director, social and influencer at Chipotle
Candice Beck. Chipotle.

As Chipotle's director of social, influencer, and Web3, Beck has been targeting Gen Z audiences with content tailored to platforms that are popular with them, like TikTok and Discord.

She pushed Chipotle to get on TikTok back in March 2019, which she believes helped make it the first restaurant to surpass 1 million followers in August 2020. 

Beck created Chipotle's Creator Class last year, inviting top Gen Z creators to brainstorm with the company on how best to build the brand and creator economy. 

She's responsible for forming partnerships with some of the biggest influencers and celebrities including Addison Rae, Diplo, Miley Cyrus, Chance the Rapper, Timothy Chalamet, James Corden, and Kacey Musgraves.

But Beck says her top criteria for influencers she works with is that they're actual Chipotle fans.

Creators worked with: Addison Rae (88.7 million TikTok followers), Brittany Broski (1.15 million YouTube followers), Eva Gutowski (7.1 million TikTok followers), Kim Chi (1.9 million Instagram followers), Jayo (2.1 million TikTok followers), Maddie Goetz (1.4 million TikTok followers), Tyler Oakley (6.88 million YouTube followers), Zahra (3.2 million TikTok followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Discord, Roblox, BeReal

2021/2022 campaigns: Beck is behind Chipotle's top performing social post of all time: a viral video showing Tariq "Corn Kid," in what was his first brand partnership, going down the line in a Chipotle restaurant. The TikTok generated more than 28 million views and 4.9 million likes and the Instagram Reel got 17.1 million views and 1.2 million likes.

She also jumped on a viral video of Korean supergroup BTS trying Chipotle for the first time with singer Jungkook mispronouncing the name as "Chicotle," changing the brand's Twitter name and cover photo to "Chicotle" and turning the moment into a giveaway moment for fans. The campaign generated 115,000 Twitter posts and 366 media mentions totaling 947 million impressions.

Disney Parks and Experiences: Michael Ramirez

Michael Ramirez.
Michael Ramirez. Disney Parks and Experiences.

Ramirez has cultivated partnerships with literally boatloads of influencers, inviting them to Disney's theme parks, resorts, and cruises to promote new attractions.

Disney Parks' director of public relations and influencer communications recently brought 70 diverse influencers to Walt Disney World to board a cruise ship for its flagship spring influencer event. Influencers reviewed the ship's accessibility and its amenities, creating more than 1,700 social media posts that generated 6 million engagements and reached 30 million-plus followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Ramirez, a former Edelman exec, began managing PR for Disney Parks in 2013 and has since added oversight for influencer responsibilities and the influencer communications team for Disney Parks, experiences and products. He also started the Disney Creators Lab, a three-month program to help 20 diverse, micro-influencers boost their profiles. Participants reported as much as 20% follower growth following the workshop.

Creators worked with: Merrick Hanna (29.2 million TikTok followers), Juju Green (3.1 million TikTok followers), Female Peter Parker (844,900 TikTok followers), Khleo Thomas (880,700 TikTok followers), Brooklyn and Bailey (6.4 million TikTok followers), Chelsea Bear (203,100 TikTok followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram

2021/2022 campaigns: Disney Parks hosted 25 creators like Juju Green (@straw_hat_goofy) to experience the launch of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. They FaceTimed with LucasFilm reps, toured the Halcyon Starcruiser, and got access to exclusive activations. The campaign generated 557 social posts, a reach of 13 million, and 2.8 million engagements.

Ramirez also invited 19 creators to try out the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind rollercoaster when it opened in Disney World's Epcot in May, giving influencers like Merrick Hanna and Khleo Thomas free time in the park after testing out the new coaster. The event received 235 social points, 18 million impressions, and 2 million engagements.

El Pollo Loco: Patrick Benson

Patrick Benson.
Patrick Benson. El Pollo Loco.

Benson is the director of digital, social and PR for Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant El Pollo Loco. Since joining the chain in early 2020, Benson has grown its TikTok account to over 140,000 followers and led its first foray into influencer partnerships.

He previously worked as a social media manager in entertainment, for studios including NBC, FOX, and most recently CBS' Entertainment Tonight.

Creators worked with: LA Foodie Guy (about 900,000 TikTok followers), Oscar Perez (1.8 million TikTok followers), TrinhDoesThings (about 960,000 TikTok followers), BadBishLily (2.4 million TikTok followers), FeastOnThese (about 940,000 TikTok followers), among others.

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, with a focus on TikTok and Instagram.

2021/2022 campaigns: El Pollo Loco has worked with over 50 creators over the past 12 months, and totalled over 120 million impressions, Benson said.

To launch a new menu item, Mexican Shredded Beef Birria, this past spring, Benson oversaw a partnership with 10 TikTok creators for a campaign that led to almost 24 million impressions and became a trend on TikTok's For You page. Sales mix jumped from 1%  to 8.5% from influencer marketing alone.

Under Benson, El Pollo Loco brought on a "head abuela in charge" — "abuela" is "grandma" in Spanish — who took over the company's TikTok profile, tapping into familial dynamics, and heightening brand awareness.

Eos: Carley Caldas

Carley Caldas, EOS
Carley Caldas. Eos

As TikTok continues to explode in popularity, brands are increasingly hopping onto the platform to reach young consumers, but most are still just trying to gain a footing there. 

Caldas, VP of brand marketing and media, had the sense to recognize early on that TikTok was going to be a big deal. Eos, the lip balm and skincare company, was one of the first brands to get on the platform and start partnering with its influencers in 2019.

Her efforts paid off. Eos has 919,500 TikTok followers and works with creators like Carly Joy (@killljoyy), who made the viral "Bless Your F*cking Cooch" video last year.

Caldas has been with Eos since 2018 and leads all marketing, including social media and paid advertising, and influencer marketing strategy. She's helped expand its products and set the brand's young, fresh tone. 

Caldas has also developed goals around prioritizing DEI within Eos' influencer partnerships — at least 50% of the creators the brand works with must be from diverse groups.

Creators worked with: Dylan Mulvaney (7.1 million TikTok followers), Kirsten Titus (7.9 million TikTok followers), Nia Sioux (8.3 million TikTok followers), LeendaDong (17.8 million TikTok followers), Hayley Morris (3.4 million TikTok followers),  Leilani Green (7.6 million TikTok followers), Brooklyn Queen (6 million TikTok followers), Carly Joy (1.8 million TikTok followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snap

2021/2022 campaigns: "Bless Your F*ing Cooch" started with a video last year from Carla Joy, a fan of Eos' shaving cream who told her followers to do just that — use the shaving cream and "bless your f*ing cooch."

Caldas saw the video and quickly jumped into the conversation by creating the limited edition "cooch blessing cream" product and starting a formal partnership with Jo. The campaign got more than 700 million earned impressions, and Eos sold 150,000 shaving creams across retailers in one week. It's also linked to a 25x order increase of the shaving cream on the brand's website and a 450x increase in website visits for shaving products.

Caldas built off the "Bless Your F*ing Cooch" momentum with "Vagnastics," an influencer campaign that sparked an unfiltered conversation on vaginal shaving and garnered more than 100 million impressions. The campaign also featured a partnership and integration with Brat TV, a Gen Z-focused digital media group that produces scripted content for YouTube, and works with creators like Mad Lewis and Indiana Massara.

Equilibria: Kelly Price

Kelly Price, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Equilibria.
Kelly Price. Equilibria.

Kelly Price is the strategic partnerships manager at Equilibria, a CBD-focused wellness company for women that also offers personalized, 1:1 support.

Price started her career on the influencer side of influencer marketing. She ran a lifestyle blog before moving to the brand side in 2018, and joined Equilibria in 2020. Now she focuses on the brand's top creator partnerships.

"Having a blog has really helped me be able to connect with the women that we work with on a very personal level," Price said. "I know what it's like to be in their shoes."

Equilibria relies heavily on influencer marketing, as many social media platforms have strict rules against running ads for ingestible products that contain CBD.

Molly Tracy, founder of talent management firm Vrai, who has four clients currently working with the company, said the strength of Equilibria's strategy is in the creative freedom they grant creators and the collaborative nature of their partnerships.

"They really believe a thoughtful and successful campaign starts with tapping into their partners' expertise with their own audience," Tracy said. "It's one of those rare brands that actually asks us, 'What type of content are you interested in creating? What's been resonating with your audience?'"

Creators worked with: Dani Austin (1.3 million Instagram followers), Ashley Stark (1.2 million Instagram followers), StylinByAylin (1.2 million Instagram followers), Caralyn Mirand (381,000 Instagram followers), and Lauren McBride (332,000 Instagram followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram,TikTok, Youtube, live-shopping platform Livescale

2021/2022 campaigns: For the holiday season in 2021, Equilibria partnered with blogger and creator Lauren McBride on a customized holiday box. McBride worked closely with Price and the Equilibria team to craft a box of her favorite products, aiming to give her audience a well-rounded experience of the brand.

The project brought great conversion, the company said, and it was soon replicated with other creators.

In the summer of 2022, the company also launched an Instagram campaign with the theme "chill girl summer," a play on the popular phrase "hot girl summer." Equilibria partnered with influencers for the campaign, which also featured a line of sold-out merch.

Just Egg: Amy Verhey Nnaji

Amy Verhey Nnaji.
Amy Verhey Nnaji. Eat Just, Inc.

Amy Verhey Nnaji is the director of marketing partnerships at Eat Just, Inc., a food technology company known primarily for its plant-based egg alternative made from mung beans, Just Egg.

Verhey Nnaji has been working in influencer marketing since 2015, with roles at public relations firm Edelman and dairy products brand Tillamook County Creamery. She joined Eat Just in August 2021.

Over the past year, she's worked on creating partnerships that measurably drive brand awareness and engagement.

Creators worked with: Baddiewinkle (3.3 million Instagram followers), The Korean Vegan (672,000 Instagram followers), JB Smoove (331,000 Instagram followers), Ling & Lamb (3.3 million TikTok followers), Chris Paul (11.5 million Instagram followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube

2021/2022 campaigns: Verhey Nnaji has partnered with high-profile personalities, such as 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams and alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn. The partnership with Williams — in the form of an Instagram Reel — amassed over 1.7 million views.

Other campaigns include collaborations with food creators, such as a long-term partnership with Joanne Lee Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan.

In one of her recent Reels, Molinaro celebrated AAPI month by preparing a traditional Korean dish using Just Egg. The Reel had a reach of over 255,000 and garnered over 48,500 likes between Just Egg and The Korean Vegan Instagram accounts

King Arthur Baking: Kim Stellavato and Ben Rapson

Kim Stellavato (left) and Ben Rapson (right).
Kim Stellavato (left) and Ben Rapson (right). King Arthur Baking.

Brand director Kim Stellavato and social media marketing manager Ben Rapson spearhead the influencer marketing efforts at King Arthur Baking.

Stellavato leads a team of marketers who work to drive brand strategy and support brand messaging. Rapson oversees social strategy, and his team includes one editor and three digital engagement specialists. 

"We have a saying here: Every baker is welcome in our kitchen," Rapson told Insider in an email. "We want that to include influencers and contributors of all experience levels, backgrounds, and identities. It's integral to staying in tune with our audiences."

Creators worked with: TurkuazKitchen (5.5 million Instagram followers), Chelsweets (1.3 million Instagram followers), Feelgoodfoodie (3.5 million Instagram followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok

2021/2022 campaigns: Last year, Rapson led the annual Recipe of the Year campaign, which encouraged creators to put a creative spin on the company's "perfectly pillowy cinnamon rolls" recipe. 

For this campaign, King Arthur partnered with food creator Betül Tunç from TurkuazKitchen for an Instagram post that drove over 53,000 impressions with 11% engagement. The partnership expanded into a long-term commitment that is ongoing. 

"​​King Arthur stood out as they did not dictate to me how to do the integration; instead just sent me the products to promote," Tunç told Insider in an email. "I have been allowed to create and make recipes that I had been wanting to show my audience for a long time."

A collab with Yumna Jawad of FeelGoodFoodie and Chelsey White of Chelsweets — this one saw the influencers posting about baking with yeast — garnered more than 5 million impressions over a combined 11 posts on TikTok and Instagram.

Kobrand Wine and Spirits: Elizabeth Gillespie

Elizabeth Gillespie.
Elizabeth Gillespie. Elizabeth Gillespie.

Gillespie is the director of social media and influencer marketing at Kobrand Wine and Spirits, a fine wine and spirits importer.

Gillespie created the influencer marketing department at Kobrand in 2015 and has expanded the program to cover 15 of the brands that Kobrand works with, including wine labels Cakebread Cellars, Champagne Taittinger, and Louis Jadot. 

"Influencer marketing in the alcohol industry is tricky," Gillespie told Insider in an email. "There is no Instagram shopping for alcohol. You have to use imagery and video to create an appealing, aspirational lifestyle the consumer can see themselves in — a lifestyle they want, and a lifestyle that wine or spirit will give them."

Gillespie focuses on macro and micro influencers and bloggers across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. In an email to Insider, she wrote that she believes the untapped micro influencer can be more influential than the multi-million-dollar celebrity endorsement.

Creators worked with: StrollerInTheCity (192,000 Instagram followers), Asiliglamcooks (154,000 Instagram followers), Colleen Travels (393,000 Instagram followers), Jeniraitz (114,000 Instagram followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, blogs

2021/2022 campaigns: In 2021, she oversaw a total of 670 sponsored posts — Instagram Reels, IG lives, in-feed posts, Pinterest pins, blog posts — and 17 in-person events. All of the efforts combined reached over 14 million consumers and generated 2 million engagements.

One of her goals last year was to introduce wine label Cakebread Cellars to millennials. She oversaw a campaign themed "Celebrate with Cakebread," during which creators in the food and lifestyle space were invited to celebrate small and big moments in their lives with the wine.

Another successful campaign was for champagne brand Taittinger, which was themed "The instant when." The effort focused on in-person events — creators were invited to host meet- ups in their cities, invite their fellow influencer friends, and taste the product in person, while posting content on their social media feeds.

Pacsun: Tyler MacDonald

Tyler Macdonald.
Tyler MacDonald. Pacsun.

MacDonald joined Pacsun in 2019, having started his career as an assistant store merchandiser at Urban Outfitters, and later working there as social media manager.

As the manager of influencers and social media at the California clothing brand, he has worked to strengthen Pacsun's presence on social media and to cater to a Gen Z audience, while also empowering store associates to become everyday "influencers" for the brand.

Pacsun has more than 2 million TikTok followers and a network of sales associates who create content across platforms for the company to repurpose on its social channels.   

"I think the next step is definitely going to be turning it back to the community," Macdonald told Insider. "Our audience and our community is the next wave of influencers, that is the most relatable, raw, organic approach to the influencer strategy."

Creators worked with: Emma Chamberlain (11.8 million YouTube subscribers), Miquela (3.6 million TikTok followers), Willow Smith (10.4 million Instagram followers), Jules LeBlanc (9.8 million Instagram followers), Anna Sitar (12.1 million TikTok followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Discord, Snapchat, Pinterest

2021/2022 campaigns: For the 2021 spring/summer collection, MacDonald was responsible for Pacsun's partnership with influencer and celebrity Emma Chamberlain. The campaign brought in 56.2 million views on TikTok and 9 million impressions on Instagram.

MacDonald also spearheaded the August 2022 collaboration with virtual influencer Miquela.

SeatGeek: Ian Borthwick and Greg Hempenius

Ian Borthwick (left) and Greg Hempenius (right).
Ian Borthwick (left) and Greg Hempenius (right). Seatgeek.

Borthwick and Hempenius work together on creator strategy at ticket-selling service SeatGeek. Borthwick is vice president of influencer marketing, while Hempenius is a manager of influencer partnerships.

Borthwick, who has been with the company since 2015, helps lead and manage all initiatives related to influencer marketing. And Hempenius, who has been at SeatGeek since 2017, leads the company's influencer, audio, and affiliate channels, and runs campaigns with some of the top creators in the world. 

The number of creator partnerships that SeatGeek has executed has increased 134% year-over-year since 2021, and creator-driven revenue is up 230% year-over-year, according to the company.

Creators worked with: Cody Ko and Noel Miller (combined 8.5 million YouTube subscribers), MrBeast, Emma Chamberlain (11.8 million YouTube subscribers), Casey Neistat (12.4 million YouTube subscribers), Pat McAfee (2.5 million Twitter followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, podcasts

2021/2022 campaigns: One of SeatGeek's most successful campaigns this year was around Coachella. SeatGeek sent more than 50 influencers to the music festival to celebrate the return of live events, and creators shared over 100 pieces of branded content.

Another campaign emerged during the NFL Draft in 2021. Borthwick saw that "The Pat McAfee Show," a sports commentary podcast, was averaging a live audience of 130,000. He called up and spontaneously brokered an ad deal with McAfee, promising to give away two tickets to an NFL game in exchange for a shoutout on the show. That night, SeatGeek was a trending topic on Twitter.

Shopify: Magda Kuzminski

Magda Kuzminski.
Magda Kuzminski. Magda Kuzminski.

Kuzminski has been a partnerships marketer for Shopify since January 2021. Since joining, she's helped the ecommerce platform's TikTok channel garner more than 39 million views.

Her specialty is working with small business creators on TikTok to amplify their voices and give tutorials on unique business propositions. Kuzminski manages all of Shopify's TikTok creator partnerships, and has increased the brand's own TikTok following to 112,400 followers.

Creators worked with: Simji (5.9 million TikTok followers), Tahlia Stanton (1.4 million TikTok followers), Brownie God (513,800 TikTok followers), Our Future Stories (212,500 TikTok followers), Slime Obsidian (1.7 million TikTok followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: TikTok, Youtube, Instagram

2021/2022 campaigns: Kuzminski launched Shopify's "Slime School" TikTok campaign that had slime creators like Slime Obsidian discuss how to run a slime business. The campaign generated more than 15 million views with Obsidian's viral video.

Sweetgreen: Nathaniel Ru

Nathaniel Ru, Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen's cofounder and chief brand officer Ru has been behind a big TikTok push to woo Gen Z customers.

Ru has formed partnerships with celebrity athletes like tennis champ Naomi Osaka and NBA star Devin Booker, creating custom bowls for them, and has hired TikTok food creators to direct and star in TikTok campaigns like its "Create Your Own" ad.

Ru, one of Insider's most innovative CMOs of 2022, leads Sweetgreen's brand marketing and internal advertising team to promote the brand as a healthy alternative to fast food. He's been focused on crafting creator-led videos around breaking down the ingredients in custom bowls, as he said 65% of Sweetgreen customers personalize their salads.

Creators worked with: Devin Booker (3.5 million Instagram followers), Naomi Osaka (2.7 million Instagram followers), Owen Han (3 million TikTok followers), Valkyrae (3.72 million YouTube followers)

Platforms the brand runs campaigns on: Meta, Snap, TikTok, Google, Twitter

2021/2022 campaigns: Sweetgreen's "Create Your Own" campaign played into its customers' desire to make their own salads. Sweetgreen created custom bowls for Osaka and Booker, with the athletes breaking down the ingredients in their bowls in a series of social ads directed by TikTok food content creator Owen Han. The campaign got a click-through-rate of 24% from users aged 13 to 17, higher than that of any of Sweetgreen's other campaigns.

Sweetgreen also partnered with YouTube star Rachell Hofstetter (a.k.a. "Valkyrae") to do a YouTube live tutorial on how to build its Elote Bowl, a customer favorite, which got more than 286,700 views.

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