Gaming and entertainment platform IGN announced it has partnered with TikTok to bring forth an exciting collaboration known as the IGN Live Creator Experience. The event will be held at the esteemed Magic Box @ The Reef in Los Angeles. The three-day IGN Live stage show will deliver a fusion of gaming and entertainment content to in-person attendees and a global audience via IGN’s extensive network.  Scheduled to take place from June 7 to June 9, 2024, IGN Live will serve as the flagship in-person component of IGN’s highly acclaimed virtual event series, Summer of Gaming. According to the ..read more

Brown University’s Division of Athletics and Recreation, in collaboration with Teamworks Influencer, has announced the launch of the BRUNO Exchange, a platform designed to empower Brown University student-athletes to leverage their name, image, and likeness (NIL) for financial gain. The BRUNO Exchange is a student-athlete NIL business registry specifically tailored to connect businesses, donors, alumni, and other interested parties with Brown student-athletes seeking lucrative opportunities.  It operates within a safe and compliant environment, providing invaluable education on the evolv ..read more

The vibrant sweatsuits emblazoned with Poppi’s logo have become central to the beverage brand’s influencer marketing approach.  Poppi’s recent Coachella activation with TikTok mega-star Alix Earle exemplified this strategy. The brand designed custom neon green sweatsuits reading “Coachearlea” for Earle and her entourage to wear at the music festival.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Poppi (@drinkpoppi) Her posts showing off the “Casa Poppi” rental home generated 4.5 million engagements and 275 million total impressions for Poppi. However, the brand expects the sweats ..read more

A TikTok video that went unlabeled as a paid promotion has spurred the City of Wichita to tighten the regulations for influencer marketing campaigns.  The viral pothole repair clip from a local creator was sponsored content commissioned by the city, but the paid partnership was not properly disclosed as required by federal guidelines, Kansas City Public Radio (KCUR) reported. As a response, Wichita has now made it mandatory to have clear labels on any influencer posts and digital content that the municipal government financially compensates. This step aligns the city with recent Federal ..read more

Lawn and garden company Scotts Miracle-Gro is partnering with brand solutions provider Thece on a novel marketing activation called the Miracle-Gro Organic Challenge. The contest invites gamers to showcase their green thumbs by designing gardens virtually within popular farming simulation video games, GamesBeat confirmed. Participants have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between virtual and real-world gardening. By uploading verified videos displaying their in-game gardens, they can receive coupon codes redeemable for a free 1 cubic foot bag of Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed & Gard ..read more

A new analysis from the American Influencer Council (AIC), Canopy for Creators, and HypeAuditor sheds light on the current state of brand partnerships in the creator economy. The “Decoding Brand Deals” report is based on a survey of 567 full-time and part-time career creators conducted from February 20 to March 31, 2024. Here are the six key findings from the research: Social Media Marketplaces Lead Partnership Sourcing The report reveals that social media marketplaces are the primary mechanism for career creators to source brand partnerships. Analysts found that 54.5% of respondents primarily ..read more

The U.S. Senate passed a foreign aid package yesterday that included an ultimatum for TikTok, forcing it to sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. The legislation, approved by the House of Representatives last Saturday, gives TikTok up to one year to find a buyer for its U.S. business. President Joe Biden has said he intends to sign the bill into law on Wednesday. The move intensifies years of pressure from U.S. lawmakers who cite national security and data privacy concerns over TikTok’s Beijing-based owner, ByteDance. “Even as our social media platforms have fumbled in their resp ..read more

Bump, a wealth tech and financing platform for creators, announced it has raised $3 million in seed funding. The creator economy’s rapid ascent has created new financial needs. Entertainment lawyer James Jones saw an opportunity and launched Bump with a suite of tools tailored to creators’ unique circumstances. Jones drew inspiration from his father’s experiences as an engineering consultant who also performed at churches. “I often had creators complain about the lack of ownership over their creative assets and how painful it was to get loans, mortgages, or create generational wealth opportun ..read more

Digital commerce and creator engagement platform URLgenius has released the “Creator Day Lightning Survey” survey, which analyzes the essential aspects that influence the creator economy. Conducted from April 10-17, 2024, the survey included over 125 client creators, 62% of whom had 100K+ followers on their largest social platform. Among its key findings, 88% of influencers and creators believe changes in social media algorithms and platform features will significantly impact their business in the coming year. The survey shows that while about 39% felt optimistic about AI’s potential in conte ..read more

Ad agency Ogilvy is rolling out a new business line that taps into the world of online health influencers as a way to help pharmaceutical companies connect with consumers and counter bogus medical information circulating on social media, the Financial Times reports. The WPP-owned agency has assembled a division dedicated to vetting and deploying influencers – ranging from healthcare experts and physicians to “expert patients” with first-hand experience dealing with illnesses.  The influencers will collaborate with pharma brands to discuss conditions, share credible guidance, and relay per ..read more