A new model for brands and creators to build together — from campaign inception to always-on advocacy

#paid, the creator marketing platform trusted by Fortune 500 brands, announced the launch of its Co-Creator Program, a new offering designed to help brands unlock higher-performing campaigns by including creators in every stage of the marketing process, from strategy through to execution and long-term partnership.

In traditional creator campaigns, brands write a brief stating what they’re looking for, select creators that they feel are a good fit, and ask them to deliver based on their pre-existing idea. The Co-Creator Program flips this model, bringing creators into the fold during the ideation process and treating them as creative partners. This way, creators help to shape the campaign based on their own understanding of their audience and platform trends.

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The collaboration doesn’t stop there: Once aligned, creators take the lead on content production, bring the campaign to life through storytelling, and then continue to work with the brand as long-term ambassadors. They share their content organically, acting as persistent voices for the brand, and evolving the partnership over time. It’s a full-cycle relationship designed to drive results and build cultural credibility.

“This program was built to reflect how the best creator relationships already work: deep, strategic, and ongoing,” said Bryan Gold, Founder and CEO at #paid. “Creators today are more than content producers. They’re idea experts, creative directors, audience gurus, and brand allies. When they’re brought in early and treated like partners, the work performs better.”

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This approach responds directly to shifting consumer expectations. Internal research conducted by #paid reveals that 71 percent of consumers say branded content is more credible when creators have long-term relationships with the brands they represent, and that familiarity drives a 7-point lift in brand consideration.

With this new model, creators don’t just plug into a campaign; they integrate into the brand’s marketing ecosystem and offer the kind of insight and agility traditional agencies can’t.

#paid has already executed this model with several leading brands, running live creator strategy sessions before a campaign is even scoped. These pre-sale collaborations have helped brands generate dozens of content ideas, align early on creative themes, and build stronger creator relationships from day one. This proactive approach shortens the path to production while also deepening partnership and driving more effective, culturally relevant storytelling.