How can you resolve creative differences between a brand and influencer in content creation?

We try to be upfront with our expectations with creators so that they know what is required before committing to a campaign. Our platform allows for clear and direct instructions from the start to that there is transparency about all elements from content to drafts to payments at the beginning. Given that our platform allows us to pay creators once campaigns are executed regardless of when the brand pays, creators are inclined to hit the expectations as long as they have someone to communicate with.

In my experience, the conflict sources are often a mismatch of expectations, values, language, or style. I will always align them clearly before initiating a collaboration, and make the call if I will proceed with this influencer or not. This will prevent dissatisfaction from both the brand and the influencer, and avoid jeopardizing the authenticity and effectivenesss of the content. For example, an influencer may feel restricted by the brand’s guidelines and unable to express their creativity or personality. Meanwhile, a brand may feel that the influencer’s content missed the mark to achieve their goals or reach their target audience. Building trust, rapport, mutual value, and aligning expecations before the content creation is a must.

Understanding objectives of a brand is essential for any successful influencer marketing campaign. What are the brand's objectives, budget and timeline? In my experience, then you look into the brand's, competitors and industry data to see how to can achieve the KPIs for the brand. From awareness to conversion, discussing this and setting clear deliverables remove room for error and conflict. Influencers can be briefed correctly, the brand will understand the outcome of the campaign and the successful data metrics to analyse afterwards. And if all goes well, something might go viral along the way too!

From my past experience, the most common source for creative differences comes from a lack of guidance or expectations set in the initial plan. Either the brand or the influencer don't fully grasp what the other is hoping to achieve and it results in mixed outcomes if not addressed early. Working in depth with the brand early on to fully understand and communicate the scope of the project to the influencer to minimize confusion is a key part of ensuring the end result is effective in both generating brand recognition and sales, but also coming across as genuine and not simply another ad on the audience's feed. Doing extra work to ensure all sides are aligned before starting on the campaign can save a huge amount of time later on.

Primero tenemos que tener en cuenta que ambas se completan según el nicho que se está trabajando, una vez que realices tu estudio de mercado es mucho más fácil poder determinar y disernir entre la marca y el influencer como embajador de la marca ahí está resuelta la primera incógnita.

Having a well thought through brief with dos and don'ts as well as brand guidelines to follow, is essential. This is always especially important in more regulated industries such as finance and healthcare. However, influencers are there to provide their spin and creativity via tone of voice, interpretation of the brief, to curate the content and ensure complete authenticity for their followers. If that is stifled then the influencer won't be as invested and engaged and in turn, that will not resonate with their followers. Also, finding influencers who can become brand ambassadors is a great way for the brand to build trust with them and allow them to have more creative input.

Content creation is creative and sometimes subjective! The best thing to remember with influencers is that they know how to communicate with their audience. Communication is key from the brand, agency and influencer. A great brief, allowing creators to have creative freedom will mean everyone is happy from the collaboration! Win-win!

Effective resolution hinges on respectful communication. Replace assumptions with active listening, express gratitude for the influencer's efforts, and offer clear explanations for your viewpoint. Use positive feedback and constructive dialogue to foster collaboration, steering clear of blame or criticism. Embrace compromise, seeking win-win solutions that honor both the brand's objectives and the influencer's creative input. In cultivating an open and appreciative dialogue, you build a foundation for successful collaboration and resolution of creative differences.

ll est vraiment crucial de bien communiquer avec l'influenceur pour résoudre les divergences créatives. Il est important d'éviter les suppositions et les accusations, préconisant plutôt une approche respectueuse. L'idée, c'est d'écouter attentivement leur point de vue, expliquer notre raisonnement et montrer de l'appréciation pour leur travail. En mettant l'accent sur des retours positifs et constructifs, tout en évitant les critiques, on favorise une atmosphère propice à la négociation et au compromis. L'objectif final, c'est de parvenir à une solution gagnant-gagnant qui satisfait les deux parties.

In addition to defining the project scope, consider creating a collaborative space where team members can contribute their insights. It's like setting up a shared canvas for everyone to paint on. Encourage open discussions about expectations and deliverables, ensuring that each team member's perspective is heard. Beyond the formalities of deadlines and roles, tap into the creative energy by fostering an environment where ideas can flow freely. This not only enhances collaboration but also sparks innovative thinking. Remember, it's not just about a project plan; it's about creating a dynamic space where everyone feels empowered to shape the project's narrative.

In my experience setting guidelines and expectations helps ensure all parties involved understand the agreement. One thing that has worked for me in the past is having a set date to review deliverables before they’re due and making that date in advance with enough anticipation to allow time for revisions.

Success for a influencer marketing campaign is made from - Clear set deliverables, a strong and robust timeline with clear set milestones, as well as, establishing the metrics for success in advance!

Precision in project scope and guidelines is pivotal. Define realistic expectations, deadlines, and metrics, establishing clear roles and responsibilities for both the brand and influencer. A written agreement serves as a roadmap, minimizing the risk of confusion or misalignment. Clarity ensures a shared understanding, fostering a smoother collaboration where each party can effectively contribute and meet expectations.

Exactly. In addition, the selection of the influencer must be aligned with the brand's purpose. That's why I'd say that there are 3 mandatory steps: 1- influencers must be selected not just on the basis of numbers, and certainly not on the basis of personal taste. They must be aligned with the language, tone and values of the brand in its usual communication. 2- influencers must know the brand beforehand. Explaining the purpose of the content and the benefits of the product/service they're going to promote is mandatory so that they can guide their communication. 3- finally, analysing and giving feedback is how you maintain a good relationship and guarantee the continuous improvement of the partnership.

It's always important to respect the influencer's creativity and expertise for multiple reasons. I've heard many horror stories and burnt bridges because brands have forced influencers to read copy or deliver messages in the brand voice. Not only does it undermine the creativity of the influencer, it's also not received genuinely. There have been multiple reports of those particular segments underdelivering in comparison to other campaigns that gave the influencer full creative ability. We choose the influencers we want to collab with because of their voice so most, if not all, creative control should be given to the influencer. Brands should just provide the blueprint.

Definitely. When brands or agencies consider involving influencers or content creators in their campaigns, they have conducted thorough research and chosen individuals with strong communities or values that align with the brand. Whatever the motivation, influencers appreciate partnerships where they can maintain their identity and feel secure in expressing their personal taste. Of course, there should be dos and don'ts, but these should complement, not interfere with, the influencer's "branding."

This is so important. As I have mentioned before, in influencer marketing we must remember that creators understand how to communicate with their audience. That is how they became influencers in the first place! A robust and detailed brief in advance of launching any campaign is really important for success. This not only allows creators to be creative and flourish but gives brands the safety and structure of what might be needed by advertising guidelines for their products.

Sometimes the brand starts pressurizing the creators for the random changes or on the concept of the scripts but they should understand the expertise and creativity of the creator to come up with the best content as per their audience base.

It's essential to foster open communication with the influencer. Encourage them to share their ideas, insights, and concerns about the creative process. Actively listen to their input and be open to constructive feedback. This collaborative approach strengthens the relationship and enables a better understanding of each other's perspectives. Recognize that creativity is subjective, and there may be different ways to achieve the desired outcome. By valuing and incorporating the influencer's expertise, you create a mutually beneficial environment that allows for innovative and impactful content creation.

Reviewing content is a collaborative checkpoint. Ensure alignment with standards and goals, offering timely, specific, and objective feedback to the influencer. Prioritize constructive suggestions over criticism, focusing on content, not individuals. Encourage an open dialogue, valuing the influencer's perspective. This mutual exchange not only refines the content but fortifies the partnership through transparent communication and shared commitment to excellence.

The value of influencers is primarily in their reach and tone of voice. They have to be a good fit for the brand in the first place through their tone of voice and principles to reduce the chances of conflict. In the event that there is no meeting of minds between brand and creator it is important that the brand gives clear feedback on the reasons why. The brand may guide the direction of content in the initial brief or a subsequent updated brief but it is key that they do not completely take away creative freedom. Creators need to take feedback positively and be able to turn around a new idea or an updated idea for execution. It's okay to walk away from a contract where there is complete misalignment.

In my experience, working with a platform and tech really provides brand's with the safety to be able to review, provide feedback and most importantly approve content before it goes live. Always remembering that this is not to restrict influencer content and creativity.. but to ensure objective brand safety!

Providing proper feedback to the influencer will help them to understand better about the campaign and they will be able to show the creativity at the best . So genuine feedback is too important for the influencer.

Sometimes the content performs too well even though some of the branded content goes viral in the audience due to the creativity and experience of the creator . We must celebrate with the influencer on the success and understand the reason behind the vitality and if the content doesn't do well must learn from the experience and apply the experience in upcoming campaigns.

Cap off the resolution by celebrating achievements. Express gratitude for the influencer's efforts and spotlight positive outcomes. Share results and feedback, emphasizing the collaboration's success. Extract valuable lessons from challenges, using them to enhance future collaborations. This reflective approach not only concludes the current project on a positive note but also contributes to continuous improvement and strengthened partnerships in future endeavors.

I don't see enough people talking about the benefits of using an agent or third party in conflict resolution for influencer marketing or any field for that matter. In most cases emails / texts / messages are how brands and creators try and resolve conflicts, but oftentimes that can cause a myriad of additional issues. Tone of voice, facial expressions and the like aren't translated in text. An agent / agency / third-party can soften harsh messages and relay crucial points. A good agent can resolve issues without either side even knowing there was an issue in the first place!

Most of the conflicts I have dealt with in creative differences occurred due to the brand wanting too much control over the influencers content which was misaligned. The misaligned mainly occurred due to the wrong influencer being sourced for the desired outcome. Sourcing the correct influencer for the desired outcome is the most crucial part in any collaboration to avoid future creative differences. If the brand already loves a creators existing content, it’s better to expect something similar for the brand collab than sending them down a completely different rabbit hole.

Just add a influencer and a brand in a group or slack community so that both of them can share their problems easily and resolve easily without any conflict. This also help brand to share resources with influencers so that they can create meaningful content for them and promote it.