The New Golden Ticket: Why Creators Belong at the Centre of Your Sponsorship Strategy

There was a time in the early 2000s when being invited to a brand’s HQ was the pinnacle of affiliate and fan appreciation. Those golden tickets offered a grand tour, a bit of face time, and the opportunity to soak up the magic behind the brand’s curtain.

Today those are but fond memories of a simpler time. The new golden ticket isn’t about bringing fans and affiliates to you, but to invite them to your major sponsored events and take them to the action.

Most brands are now starting to include creators in their events strategy, which is a great start. Unfortunately, many still treat them as a soft PR opportunity rather than a full-fledged marketing one.

There are some brands that are leading the charge though. They’re showing how combining creators with sponsorships can create a powerful marketing and media channel that is able to drive brand and sales metrics.

The rise of the creator media campaign

Brands like YouTube, TikTok, and Meta have turned their creator invitations into powerful marketing opportunities for themselves and other brands. They’re building creator community hubs at their key sponsorships, including the Olympics, Cannes, and Coachella.

They’re not just inviting creators to these events though. They’re building unique experiences and brand partnerships within each event for those creators, ensuring their brands are at the heart of the creator experience.

A recent standout example was at the Paris Olympics, where the Olympics Creator Program and the NBCUniversal Creator Program partnered with YouTube and other brands to give creators unique access to the Games.

Their goal was to place YouTube at the very heart of the action, both on and off the field. They achieved this by creating bespoke locations and experiences that delivered ‘money can’t buy moments’ for creators. This ensured that our creators were not only engaged but also producing standout content that cut through the noise.

Image: Xpedition partnered with YouTube to host the Creator Collective at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This isn’t just for social giants

Social platforms may have pioneered this model, but you don’t need big tech budgets to follow suit. Any brand with a creator and a sponsorship program can take advantage of this trend.

The first moves? 

• Start by breaking down the silos between your Sponsorship and Influencer Marketing teams. Traditionally these teams operated separately, but smart brands are bringing them together to maximise investments.
• Next, evaluate which events matter the most to your audience. Use viewing data and content consumption trends across your key demographics to guide your selection.
• Then, map out your existing creator partnerships against both the event and your target audience. Ask yourself: who would be the best fit for this moment and the audience in search of it?
• Finally, design a unique experience within the event itself. This needs to be ownable and original to your brand as this is what will inspire creators to develop one-of-a-kind content that is exclusive, entertaining, and naturally desirable. This is the moment that will turn your event into a marketing campaign.
  

You may think, “We’re already doing this.” But, in our experience, when we audit these programmes we often find that there is confusion around inviting creators to an experience and creating an experience for creators.

The Payoff: Less media spend, more impact

Approach creators and sponsorships as you would any strategic marketing campaign and you’ll reduce reliance on paid media while boosting organic reach. Studies show creators can significantly impact key brand metrics, such as trust, authenticity, awareness, and preference.

In fact 92% of people trust influencers compared to only 33% who trust traditional ads (Nielsen, 2023).

Why? Because when creators feel invested, they want to share their experience authentically and that kind of engagement stands out from the endless “paid to say this” content.

So roll out the red carpet but make sure it leads to a strategically designed experience built to land in the feeds of your audience.

Looking to audit your own sponsorship programmes, events, activations or creator programmes? Reach out to our team who will be happy to help.