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We're having a
hot girl summer.
hot girl summer.
Summer, the hottest season of the year and the hottest season for creators and brands alike, especially those in fashion and beauty. With various brand trips planned and upcoming events like BeautyCon, Streamys, and New York Fashion Week, there’s much to anticipate during these scorching months.
For creators, summer is the perfect time to experiment with long-form content. Vlogs and behind-the-scenes videos are increasingly popular for their ability to capture the essence of fun summer days. Audiences are seeking engaging storytelling and content that allows them to live vicariously through creators’ experiences.
For brands, leveraging the vibrant energy of summer and hosting in-person events and interactive brand activations is a golden opportunity to connect with their target audience. Everyone wants to embrace the “hot girl summer” mentality, making it more important than ever for brands to create unique and inclusive experiences (emphasis on the “inclusive”) that appeal to a diverse audience and foster that sense of community.
Between the Barbenheimer phenomenon, the release of threads, and everything else in between, this summer continues to be one of the busiest summer seasons we’ve had. Discover what summer 2023 has in store for DBA talent and fashion and beauty enthusiasts alike.
Team DBA
You asked, we answered.
Curious about how influencers skyrocket to fame or the inner workings of the creator economy? In this new segment of our newsletter, we're answering all the commonly asked questions you may have about the dynamic world of influencers and the creator economy. Whether you're an aspiring content creator, a curious enthusiast, or a brand looking to tap into influencer marketing, we've got you covered.
What makes for an ideal partnership between management and talent?
Management is a two-way street. Both the manager and the talent have to put in the work to have a good working relationship. Your manager should be your biggest advocate and you should be communicating your goals and ideas clearly. Communication is always key!
Besides an engaged audience, what do you look for when choosing talent?
Beyond the numbers game (followers, number of brand deals, engagement rate), it boils down to your content and the longevity of your business. Are you speaking on topics that other people aren't? Are there opportunities beyond just branded content down the line? Find that special thing that makes you stand out!
Does your talent roster include photographers / videographers?
Our UGC division works with photographers and videographers who specialize in product and lifestyle content. Head to our UGC page for more information!
When / where do you advertise the mentorship program?
Our mentorship program takes place in the spring and we post about it on our socials! Be sure to follow our Instagram to stay in the loop.
New Signs
Funmi Monet
Funmi Monet is a Dallas based beauty, fragrance, and lifestyle content creator. She has been sharing her favorite beauty, fragrance, skincare and style hacks since 2018. Over 580,000 cross platform followers and 68 million views later, Funmi Monet is one of the social media’s go-tos for beauty recommendations, delivered with her signature dry wit and down-to-earth charm, alongside a generous helping of glamour. Dubbed TikTok’s "fave fragrance auntie," Funmi has become an it-girl in the space and is arguably one of its most recognizable faces.
Marjan Tabibzada
Marjan Tabibzada, known online as Young Couture, is a highly skilled and experienced makeup artist and beauty creator with over 6 Million collective followers across platforms. Proud of her Afghan background, she hopes to represent for Afghan and Middle Eastern women in the landscape and continue to fight for the representation of all women in beauty and beyond. Marjan brings a unique blend of expertise, creativity, and unwavering dedication to every project.
Nia Kajumulo
Nia’s moto is “just girls helping girls” where she’s established herself with her audience as a hygiene and self-care expert. Growing up only surrounded by males, Nia found light in her own self-discovery of self-care and how it’s formed her into the confident woman that she has become. It’s important for Nia to be both relatable and vulnerable with her audience so that they can trust her to be the big sister she never had. As a 23-year-old Gen Z creator and soon to be mom, Nia influences millions of females globally.
Threads:
The App of 2023
The App of 2023
Threads is the latest social platform to hit the market and you probably already know what it’s all about by now. But between Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, BeReal, Twitter, and all the other apps in between, why should you care about another text-based app?
Well, Threads is the perfect medium between all the other social media platforms. It offers short-form content in a digestible format, specifically catered to your most loyal audience. It functions as a space for candid conversations, where creators can connect with their community on a more personal level. Not only is your target audience more likely to engage in a meaningful dialogue with you, but they also get to see a more authentic, unfiltered side of your personality that they wouldn’t normally see on the still ever-curated Instagram and other platforms.
On top of that, the seamless content sharing and Instagram integration also helps expand your reach and visibility. With Threads, you can effortlessly share your content across platforms, leveraging your existing presence on Instagram to engage with your audience in a more intimate way.
Take Chriselle Lim, for example. From a surface-level sweep of her Instagram, you’ll find fashion week shots, luxurious travel photos, and other related content, but do a deeper dive on her Threads and you’ll see an even more relatable and comedic side to her. While the fashion entrepreneur still promotes her fashion and fragrance business on the app, she also shares more of her personality, including snippets of her personal life, fun polls, Q&As, and relatable mom content. Threads allows influencers, creators, and brands alike to be more genuine, sharing their thoughts, experiences, and behind-the-scenes moments that make them relatable and *human*.
While we don’t know what the future of Threads is going hold (ad integration? Sponsored content? Creator program?), we’re loving this fun, chaotic, albeit a little unhinged, energy that the app is providing for the time being. Threads offers a fresh and exciting opportunity for creators and brands to connect with their audience in a more authentic and meaningful way.
Talent News
Brand Partnerships & Launches
As a tribute to her wedding, Mikayla Nogueira launched an exclusive and limited edition Marriage Material Lip Duo with e.l.f. Cosmetics! The makeup star teamed up with her dream brand and spent the last year perfecting the lip liner and lipstick combo for her wedding day. The lip kit was an instant hit and sold out within 18 minutes of releasing on the e.l.f. website.
Achieng Agutu and Xandra Pohl rocked the Sports Illustrated Miami Swim Week show! Achieng brought all the confidence and glam strutting down the runway as one of the seven finalists for the 2023 Swim Search and Xandra nailed her music set before surprising everyone with a runway appearance at the end.
Aysha Harun and Loren Asad have joined this year's Sephora Squad! The two beauty influencers will enter a yearlong partnership with Sephora where they will work with prestigious brands and other beauty creators, attend exclusive events, and gain valuable industry experience. The Sephora Squad program is a celebration of inclusivity, individuality, positivity, and is the perfect platform for fostering creativity and collaboration.
Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, home organization experts behind The Home Edit, are partnering with Taylor Morrison, America's Most Trusted® Home Builder, on a new video series, "New Home, New Zones," offering home-organization tips that make moving into a new home easier. As part of the multi-faceted partnership, Taylor Morrison will also serve as a homebuilder on The Home Edit's new take on hit home renovation series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," in development at ABC which Shearer and Teplin will host.
In their new podcast series, "Accidental Experts," Dani Klaric and Tay BeepBoop travel around the country to interview talented individuals who took an unconventional path to creativity and discuss their journey, along with the good and the bad of being in the industry. The series will also include Dani and Tay diving into their own unique stories and sharing more about their social media and design careers.
In “100 Ways to Change Your Life," the author, podcast host, and wellness expert shares 100 tips and tricks across multiple wellness categories and curates valuable insights from world class experts to give you approachable, actionable steps to take to change your life. Liz Moody's book is available for pre-order now and will be officially released in October.
Manny MUA was a lead panelist for YouTube's Fireside Chat around YouTube Shopping at Vidcon this year. Manny and his brand, Lunar Beauty, also participated in YouTube's Drop Shop activation at Vidcon, allowing fans to 'purchase' his products with their YouTube bucks.
Carly collaborated with Neely & Chloe on an exclusive collection of bags and accessories, adding a personal touch to her go-to pieces from the brand. The collection takes the pretty and practical pieces Neely & Chloe is known for and adds summer-ready stripes for a decidedly Carly twist.
Kennedy Lyons and Dae Hair have teamed up for an exciting long-term partnership. Kennedy is a huge fan of Dae, creating a natural connection between the two and making for captivating hair styling content. Dae Hair is owned by fellow DBA talent Amber Fillerup, adding to the excitement of this collaboration.
Lauren Wolfe and Brigette Pheloung of Acquired Style, along with their other BFFs, partnered with VICI to brunch together in style. The duo dressed in VICI for the occasion and celebrated National BFF day with a rooftop view and matching bracelets courtesy of the clothing brand.
Brigette Romanek announced the release of her debut book, “Livable Luxe,” a visual journey that features an impressive collection of the interior designer’s residential and commercial projects with essays and anecdotes throughout where she shares her unique approach to design. Brigette's book is available for pre-order now and will be hitting shelves on October 10th.
Whitney Port joined the ranks of the Amazon Ambassador league and was enlisted as one of the faces of the Amazon Influencer Program, which also includes DBA talent Marianna Hewitt, Tayshia Adams, Jacey Duprie, Lauren Wolfe, and Julia Berolzheimer. This is not the first long term partnership between the influencer and brand, who have a long standing relationship across multiple business units.
Golloria George is featured on a Times Square billboard for her partnership with CeraVe! The beauty influencer teamed up with the skincare brand for their "Cleanse Like A Derm" campaign, promoting their first-ever Cleanser Playland in New York City. The one-of-a-kind installation promises an immersive and interactive experience that teaches consumers the importance of proper cleansing.
Travel journalist Oneika Raymond’s “About the Journey” podcast, produced in partnership with Marriot Bonvoy, is out with another season! In season 3, the Emmy award-winning storyteller embarks on a journey to discover unique, under-the-radar neighborhoods in six iconic cities across the world and interviews BIPOC change-makers who are making a profound impact in their communities.
In the Press
An Expert’s Guide To Finding The Perfect Rug For Your Home
View on The Zoe Report
The Real Dads of New York: The Stereotype Busters
View on YouTube
Social Media Sensations Jarius and Terrell Joseph Talk Redefining Black Fatherhood in Their Own Way
View on Ebony
Plus-Sized Fashion Influencers You Should Be Following
View on Essence
TikTok Star Mikayla Nogueira Is Married! Inside the 'Classic' Wedding in Rhode Island (Exclusive)
View on People
Meet the Dads Blowing Up Social Media with Their Fatherly Advice
View on Today
UGC
The Digital Brand Architects User-Generated Content Division was launched in 2023 to meet the rising demand for diverse content and genuine product representation. User-generated content offers brands a unique opportunity to drive awareness, increase trust, and build positive sentiment, making it an essential component of their marketing strategy. While brands have historically been successful utilizing traditional social media marketing tactics, today’s consumers are looking for more diverse content and genuine product representation, making UGC the next evolution within the creator economy.
Get to know a few of our UGC creators:
Jo Barker
A content creator based in the Washington, D.C. area, Jo started her journey on social media as a way to connect with others who shared her same love for all things luxury. Combining her education in Marketing and her unique aesthetic style, Jo has built a strong presence in the luxury and beauty communities, known for content featuring unboxings, bag spills, and "What's in my Bag" reels. Jo is passionate about connecting brands to target audiences by creating content showcasing product benefits to help inform buyer decision-making.
Kahren Torosyan
Kahren Torosyan is a Los Angeles based digital creator and photographer. Kahren’s content is composed of both UGC content and influencer partnerships across the men’s fashion, lifestyle, travel and beauty/grooming avenues. Some examples of brands he has worked with include: Banana Republic, Aldo Shoes, Creed Fragrances, Dior Beauty, Level8 Luggage, Fable & Mane and more. As a former blogger, Kahren also has experience in writing, editing, and social strategizing. He loves learning about brands’ stories and enjoys being a part of their visual landscape.
Mimi Abidemi
Mimi Abidemi is a beauty, lifestyle, and food content creator with a passion for making stunning UGC content in LA. With an eye for detail in both video and photography, Mimi focuses on delivering high-quality and engaging products to any brand she works with. Her content is a mix of her personal interests and her ability to connect with a wide range of audiences makes her perfect for UGC creation.
Sweta Patel
Sweta is the founder and creative behind The Table of Spice. Although she has many titles, such as cookbook author, photographer, recipe developer, and more, she is most proud of her role as a home cook. Sweta started this blog as an outlet for her kitchen experiments after leaving the biomedical corporate world and missing her mom's cooking. Sweta knew that when she launched this blog in 2018, she had to share what she learned from her mom: how to have fun in the kitchen and make fuss-free, so-simple-it-hurts meals to share with people you love.
Industry News
Amazon is building a creator platform by mixing commerce with content
View on Fortune
What is Threads? Here’s what you need to know about the potential ‘Twitter Killer’
View on CNN
Reinventing Beautycon: the Super Bowl of Beauty
View on Vogue Business
Influencers Have Their Own Guidelines to Follow for the SAG Strike
View on Vanity Fair
Glossy Pop Newsletter: Threads is proving popular with beauty influencers
View on Glossy
Why Beauty Brands Want a Bigger Piece of the $1.5 Trillion Wellness Pie
View on Business of Fashion
PSA, Beauty Lovers — Sephoria Is Back For 2023
View on Bustle
How Brands Can Get Influencer Trips Right
View on Business of Fashion
The Future Of Influencer Marketing And The Expanding Creator Economy
View on Forbes
Brands, collabs, products, and platforms to watch.
This is Digital Brand Products' Monthly Roundup! This segment will provide valuable insight into emerging digital platforms, unique brand collabs, industry updates, and more that will keep you in the know about the ever-changing consumer landscape.
Most supermarket aisles aren’t organized with you in mind. They prioritize big brands that can pay top dollar for eye-level shelf placement, and neglect your interest in finding small ones in the process. Pop Up Grocer was started to do things differently. In their recently opened NYC store, you'll discover products that are hard to find or see elsewhere, and that support the growth of independent makers.
The retailer is partnering with Nordstrom this summer on an in-store pop-up activation that is a discovery destination specializing in curated assortments. Shoppers in select Nordstrom locations will have access to a variety of artisan-style snacks and drink products from emerging brands.
As a tribute to her wedding, Mikayla Nogueira launched an exclusive and limited edition Marriage Material Lip Duo with e.l.f Cosmetics! The makeup star teamed up with her dream brand and spent the last year perfecting the lip liner and lipstick combo for her wedding day. The lip kit was an instant hit and sold out within 18 minutes of releasing on the e.l.f website.
Consumers' expanding knowledge of skincare has resulted in a higher demand for "active" ingredients in products, and this has extended to the body care space. This shift is no longer specific to luxury cosmetics, with more drugstore brands offering these ingredients in similarly novel formulations or products. As personal care continues to be an important part of customers' routines, brands that prioritize affordable but effective ingredients will reach more consumers. Affordable skincare brands like Advanced Clinicals are infusing products with retinol. Their 'Anti-Aging Face & Body Cream' is an innovative skincare product designed to diminish signs of aging while concurrently replenishing the vital moisture barrier of the skin.
Immersive livestream shopping platform and influencer marketplace buywith is making the experience of shopping more social with its newly announced Next Gen Co-Browsing patent. This patent will allow "brands and retailers to have customers shop together directly on the e-commerce website, through hosted One-to-Many or One-to-One Live events, while automatically adjusting the browsing experience per each unique customer."
This innovative social shopping experience means that live shopping events hosted by an influencer or brand representative will allow fans to show up from around the world and experience the website in their own language.Additionally, their experience will be a unique one based on their relationship with the brand, and the device they're using to access the content.
Action Points
The Pop Up Grocer brand activation is a great example of a big retailer like Nordstrom embracing the value of curation as a service. Through partnering with an existing brand that is already offering this service, Nordstrom can experiment with the concept without a big upfront investment. This partnership addresses needs on all sides — those of the end consumer, those of the small brands working with Pop Up Grocer, and of course those of the partnering retailers. Curation is the future of differentiation and monetization across e-commerce and the creator economy, as consumers desire to save time, money, and energy.
New social commerce platforms like buywith offer lucrative opportunities for digital creators and brands. The platform's innovative technology redefines the way shoppers interact with brands and retailers during live shopping events. Users have the opportunity to shop alongside an influencer or any host of a live shopping event, which takes place directly on the retailer's website, gaining valuable insights and product discovery experience in real-time.
As personal care continues to be an important part of customers' routines, brands that prioritize affordable but effective ingredients will reach more consumers. Brands like Advanced Clinicals noted the rise in demand for retinol and created products that include the coveted ingredient but also have an accessible price point. The efficacious results and competitive pricing positions their products to be an optimal choice for individuals seeking to address visible signs of aging while maintaining a well-nourished skin barrier without breaking the bank.
Digital Golf Collective
Stay in the loop and get the latest updates from Digital Golf Collective (DGC), the leading marketing and talent management agency with a specialized focus in golf. Access exclusive insights and stay informed about new signs, news, and developments in the world of golf talent. Whether you're an avid golfer, a passionate follower of the sport, or an industry professional, check out DGC's endeavors and keep up to date on all things golf below.
New Signs
Lily Muni He is a professional athlete who has made her mark on the LPGA Tour. She was born in China but raised in Southern California and attended USC for one year to play golf before turning professional. Lily has quickly gained a captivating audience with her unique insights into the life of a professional athlete, as well as being a female athlete. As an LPGA Tour player, Lily embodies the dedication and skill required to compete at the highest level of women's golf. However, what sets Lily apart from her peers is her passion for sharing her journey, both on and off the course, through social media.
Beyond her golfing career, Lily has developed a notable interest in fashion, beauty, and travel, as she often tours the world for golf and leisure. As Lily continues to make her mark on the LPGA Tour and explores her passions off the course, her impact on the world of sports and social media is set to grow even further, helping to grow the women’s game. With her talent, charisma, and unique perspective, Lily is poised to inspire and entertain audiences for years to come.
DGC News
Digital Golf Collective worked with TravisMathew to strategize and execute a full campaign to highlight TravisMathew’s presence at the American Century Championship, an annual celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, CA. The campaign also featured a sweepstakes with MasterCraft Boats led by talent Coach Rusty, Alissa Kacar and more.
Talent News
2K collaborated with Coach Rusty to unveil the new PGA TOUR 2K23 “Tiger Woods Edition”. Coach Rusty artistically delivered a custom painting of the cover to celebrate and honor Tiger’s incomparable legacy, influence, and generational impact on the golf industry.
Golf Digest featured Hayden Sylte and her fragrance brand, On and Off the Course, in a story on the fusion of golf and fragrance, focusing on her signature scent "Dublin Rum". The unisex fragrance, from the scent to the bottle design, embodies the many facets of the sport and its intersection with fashion.
Dear Media Shows & Highlights
Coco Berthmann became internet-famous by sharing her story of surviving sex trafficking as a young child growing up in Germany. She was sheltered and supported by families in Utah, where her faith and fame intertwined. But in 2022, Coco was arrested for raising money for a fake cancer diagnosis, and people began to doubt everything that she had ever said. Is her life story truly one big elaborate lie? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sara Ganim and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning showrunner Karen Given investigate in Dear Media’s first true crime podcast.
Welcome to the party! Listen in as I, Morgan B Cohen, a 24-year-old, bicoastal tik toker, discuss my life experience in dating, sex, and the overall complications of young adulthood. Up until I was 22, I didn't feel like I had a voice or anyone really cared for what I had to say. You know that feeling when you want to throw a party but you don't know if anyone will show up? Well, this is the party and I'm glad you're all here.
Take a bite out of The Toast, weekdays with Jackie & Claudia Oshry. The Morning Toast takes the listener on a riotous run through the latest pop culture news. Every weekday morning, the duo tackles five stories from the celeb world.