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DBA newsletter
Follow the future with us.
We're back
and better than ever!
and better than ever!
We’re back and we’re absolutely thrilled to welcome you to a bigger and better newsletter!
We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, curating an even better newsletter experience for you. While we’ve been gone, we introduced the new iteration of DBA that reflects who we are as a company — dynamic, modern, colorful, and innovative. We also launched an entirely new UGC division to help creators monetize and meet the rising demand for diverse content and genuine product representation. Last but not least, we also welcomed 11 rising Black creators to our annual mentorship program geared toward providing them with the tools they need to succeed in the industry.
Our refreshed newsletter will include familiar elements like new signs, talent news, and Dear Media podcasts, but you’ll now also receive additional content including UGC updates, curated industry news, and exclusive trend insights shared by our product team, Digital Brand Products.
With the introduction of these new categories, we hope to provide you with a resource full of valuable intel about the ever-evolving landscape of the creator economy.
Whether you’re a long-time subscriber or new to the community, we invite you to dive into this updated edition of our newsletter and hope you find something along the way that inspires you.
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 is UGC?
UGC, or user-generated content, is any form of brand-specific content — text, videos, images, reviews, etc. — that is created and shared by users on online platforms. It is a type of earned media that becomes highly valuable to a brand for building out its authentic content portfolio.
Why is UGC important?
For brands: UGC has become increasingly popular in recent years with the heightened influence of social media on consumer trends. With more people looking to social media as a source of information, having UGC is a way for brands to better engage their community and develop a more authentic and genuine feel.
For creators: UGC was originally a way for users to express their own opinions online, but now it’s also turned into a great opportunity for creators to actively participate in a brand's growth, develop brand relationships, and earn additional revenue at the same time!
What's the difference between a UGC creator and an influencer?
Influencers can be content creators, but not all content creators are influencers. Content creation is a skillset, whereas influencing also involves a front-facing personality.
How do I get started in UGC?
The best way to start is just to START creating UGC content! Before you get brand deals, you'll have to build out your own portfolio to show brands the kind of quality content you can create.
An easy way to do this? Find products around your house and create a few examples using those. Take high-quality product photos and create engaging videos to cater to different brand and platform needs.
How do I price out my UGC content?
Before you agree to UGC work, price out what it's going to take to create said video or photo to make sure you're getting fairly compensated: what materials do I need? How long will editing take? Will I need to ask a friend for help? While it may be exciting to get that first UGC paycheck, do not undersell yourself in order to secure a job.
I'm a brand or creator interested in joining DBA’s UGC network — how do I get involved?
Reach out to us at ugc@thedigitalbrandarchitects.com.
New Signs
Celebrating Pride.
Pride Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the LGBTQIA+ community, honoring their history, struggles, achievements, and ongoing fight for equality and it should go without saying that diversity and inclusion should be at the forefront of every brand’s values and actions year-round.
Queer voices deserve recognition and support beyond the 30 days in June, and given the recent alarming rise in hate crimes and discriminatory attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s more important than ever to give unwavering support and genuine allyship to foster a more inclusive space.
It is essential that we amplify the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ creators. While rainbow logos and statements in solidarity may raise awareness, it's crucial for brands to back their visual support with tangible actions that create lasting impact (like equal opportunities and fair compensation). It's not just about surface-level gestures; it's about championing queer creators year-round and actively working towards a more inclusive world.
This Pride Month, and every month of the year, let's celebrate the achievements and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead. Let's foster a more inclusive industry, where diversity thrives, voices are heard, and everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves.
LGBTQ+-Owned Businesses to Support:
Talent News
Brand Partnerships & Launches
Brilliant Earth and Stephanie Suganami Shepherd are ready to celebrate. The jeweler, which specializes in designs crafted with ethically-sourced diamonds and Shepherd, co-founder of non-profit "climate club" Future Earth, launched the Future is Brilliant campaign, in celebration of Earth Day.
Olivia Perez stars in the new Diet Coke commercial “A Recipe for Magic,” alongside Gigi Hadid. The commercial will air across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, Japan and other key markets. Coca-Cola’s new campaign centers food as a vehicle for making interpersonal connections, integrating the soda into special moments around the dinner table.
Rachael DeVaux of Rachael's Good Eats, a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, celebrated the release of her book, “Rachael’s Good Eats”, with a beautiful event hosted in partnership with Zwilling. It was also announced that she became an instant New York Times Bestseller!
For their 5th annual Brow Search, Benefit invited Mikayla Nogueira, Manny MUA, and Patrick Starrr on as Brow Coaches to help beauty finalists as they compete for the grand prize of $50,000. The DBA makeup powerhouses spent three days in the Jersey Shore coaching and looking for the baddest, boldest, and best brows on the boardwalk. The DBA makeup powerhouses spent three days in the Jersey Shore coaching and looking for the baddest, boldest, and best brows on the boardwalk!
Team2Moms launched a podcast! Join Ebony and Denise every Monday as they delve into their lives and the things they’ve learned along the way. From parenting to content creation to marriage and everything in between, the podcast will provide a closer look at the family all while shedding a positive light on life after 30.
Olivia Ponton teamed up with American Eagle to create an impactful and inclusive collection that showcases what Pride means to her! As part of the initiative, American Eagle is also directly supporting the LGBTQ+ community by donating $100,000 to It Gets Better and providing customers with the chance to donate as well.
Kristina Zias collaborated with Amazon and The Drop to curate a selection of her favorite pieces. She carefully handpicked summer and spring items from Amazon’s extensive collection, bringing together a stunning assortment. In addition, she created captivating imagery and video content to accompany the launch of this curated collection.
Jeff Jenkins’ new travel series, “Never Say Never,” is premiering next month! The show will follow Jeff as he travels the world experiencing different cultures and testing the limits of his physical abilities. Whether it’s climbing 70 foot mountain faces, rafting class 5 rapids, or sailing in windstorms, Jeff embraces the challenge and brings us along on an epic journey of self-discovery and adventure. Don’t miss the premiere of “Never Say Never” on Sunday, July 9 at 10/9c on National Geographic.
Luxury hospitality brand, Inspirato Only, partnered with artist and best-selling author Jamie Beck on their Burgundy & Provence River Cruise 2023. During the experience, Jamie helped immerse guests in the region’s culture, history, food, and wine, and served as an ambassador and special guest. Jamie collaborated on the experience for guests and had her photography work featured on board. She also participated in a number of activities, including a Q&A about her book, "An American In Provence".
Hannah Harrell worked with thredUp to showcase her picks for festival season. The fashion influencer used her impeccable fashion taste to curate a captivating landing page that served as a one-stop destination for all their festival fashion needs.
Meredith Hayden, AKA Wishbone Kitchen, teamed up with Cava to create the Spicy Lamb Bowl of your dreams! The private chef and food creator's collaboration item packed some serious heat, with spicy lamb meatballs, skhug and garlic dressing, and — Meredith’s favorite — Crazy Feta.
Antoni Bumba is the latest face of NARS' Face Anything campaign for Pride Month. In the campaign, Antoni shares what resilience and being authentically yourself looks like to her and shares a message to her younger self: “You’re doing great, you’re doing great, you’re doing so great!”.
In the Press
Get to Know 2023 Swim Search Finalist Achieng Agutu
View on Sports Illustrated
The Home Edit to Host ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Reboot
View on Variety
Exclusive: See the First Photos of Bravo Star Courtney Kerr's Destination Wedding
View on The Knot
How Your Favorite Queer Creators Use Fashion and Beauty to Tell the World Who They Are
View on Cosmopolitan
Chriselle Lim in Culture Conversations: AANHPI Heritage Month
View on ABC News
Fashion Influencer Catie Li Is Giving Us a Peek Inside Her Bedroom…and It’s Basically a 5-Star Hotel
View on Cosmopolitan
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:
Barbara Brigido
Barbara Brigido is a Brazilian UGC creator based in Southern California. When she's not in California, Barbara is traveling and creating fashion and lifestyle content overseas. Barbara brings a unique perspective to her posts, blending her love for travel with all things stylish and chic. Her feed is a perfect blend of curated fashion and beauty content, as well as glimpses into her personal life, where she shares her experiences and travels with her followers.
Jadyn Hailey
Jadyn Hailey is a UGC creator based in Los Angeles, CA. Her content specializes in all things wellness, fashion, and beauty, although she really enjoys creating content across a variety of categories. She creates very clean, simple, and minimalist content to highlight the product, as well as catch the viewer's attention. Whether you're looking for the content to be shot in a clean, neutral space or prefer to have a colorful, bright space, she's happy to provide to your preference!
Jameelat Bakare
Jameelat Bakare is a 29-year-old Jamaican, Nigerian-American modest fashion and beauty content creator raised in Queens, New York City. She's been creating content since 2018 as a creative outlet to express herself. She has cultivated a community of amazing millennial and Gen-Z Black women and girls who feel empowered to be their authentic selves and live their truth unapologetically. Jameelat's mission in life is to add meaningful value to all spaces and people she encounters.
Landon McGregor
Landon McGregor is a Los Angeles-based creative and entrepreneur working in content and social media for over 10+ years. Landon loves the color pink, architecture, interior design, skincare, vintage shopping, and fashion. He also enjoys playing tennis, hiking, camping, skiing, driving, and trying to do pretty much anything himself first if possible. Landon's content ranges from skincare reviews to fashion styling and showcases his unique creative style.
Industry News
Black Creators Drive Higher Media Value for Marketers, Study Finds
View on AdAge
The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027
View on Goldman Sachs
The Secret To Acquiring New Customers In 2023? User-Generated Content
View on Forbes
YouTube stars like MrBeast and Adam Waheed are using A.I. to speak different languages and ‘supercharge’ audience growth
View on Fortune
How generative AI will affect the creator economy
View on Mashable
Let's Talk About the Influencer Pay Gap in the Beauty Industry
View on POPSUGAR
Brands, collabs, products, and platforms to watch.
Introducing 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.
Character is a next gen home improvement brand that thinks the fundamentals of creating a space you love should be accessible to everyone. But they also know that taking on home improvement and DIY projects can sometimes feel overwhelming and intimidating, like entering an exclusive club designed for the stereotypical ‘handy’ person. Character is changing that by building the most helpful home improvement brand on the planet. By combining digestible education for everyone regardless of skill level, genuinely helpful support from on-call experts, and a hardware store of meticulously manufactured and selected products, it’s now seamless to make your space your own.
Julia Berolzheimer, a renowned fashion influencer and founder of the popular blog and brand “Gal Meets Glam,” partnered with Hermoza, a luxury swimwear and resort-wear brand known for its elegant and timeless designs. This collaboration brought together Julia’s sophisticated and feminine aesthetic with Hermoza’s commitment to creating stylish, high-quality pieces. The 41-piece collection is a celebration of classic silhouettes, fun prints, and mood-boosting colors. There’s also matching styles for kids that make for adorable Mommy & Me looks.
As consumers continue to prioritize sleep as a part of their beauty regimen, brands are creating sleep-promoting beauty products. Supplement brand Bed Babe created a drink that promotes rejuvenating rest, utilizing only clean, skin-loving ingredients. A blend of ceramides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, melatonin, magnesium, vitamin B6, l-theanine, and GABA work together to support restful sleep and nourish your skin. Their Beauty Sleep Powder Drink Mix helps you sleep soundly while helping improve skin hydration, texture, and elasticity.
The 'RTRO' social networking app has been developed as a new kind of online platform targeted towards helping creators, brands and fans alike interact in a positive way. The app is focused on human connections and communities rather than the usual interface of social platforms, which is driven by an algorithm to deliver relevant content. RTRO isn't driven by an algorithm and works by having users keep their network divided into different circles. Users can thus keep friends and family in one circle with companies and brands delegated to another. The 'RTRO' social networking app also features impressive content moderation features to keep bullying and toxicity at bay, while also offering access to ChatGPT.
Dear Media Shows & Highlights
From Q&A’s and break up tips to simply navigating every stage of life, influencer-turned-entrepreneur Payton Sartain brings you the sisterly advice you didn’t know you needed and honest conversations you’ve always wanted. Whether it’s Payton alone or a conversation with a friend, Note to Self is a space to get grounded, explore new perspectives, and ultimately, empower yourself and others. Grab some wine or a mocktail and enjoy the conversation!
Everything is the Best is an expert guide to simply- not feeling so alone. Host Pia Baroncini, Creative Director of LPA asks her guests, “how did you go from 0 to yacht” in an attempt to get real, get vulnerable, and find those common denominators that connect us all. The goal of this show is to inspire YOU, the listener, by talking to guests of all backgrounds; which hopefully, evens the playing field and inspires you to go after your dreams and never look back! Recurring guests include Pia's husband, Davide Baroncini and her mother Margit, who will help answer all your weekly relationship questions - how cute it that?!
I'm Whitney Port, and a lot has happened since you last saw me on The Hills. For starters, I'm a mom, I got married to the love of my life, Timmy, I run a business outside of fashion - it's time we finally catch up. There are so many facets that make up my life: relationships, parenthood, entrepreneurship, beauty, fashion, health, wellness and much more. Join me each week as we meet and discuss all these topics and more with trusted experts and favorite people on earth. Hopefully, we can embark on this new journey together with openness, honesty and a little bit of Whit.