Ep 43 - The Value of Creator Partnerships With Avinash Gandhi at Patreon

In the last decade, we have seen the perception of value of creators shift dramatically. As brands and companies begin to understand the power and influence creators have in culture and with their audiences, navigating how to establish lasting partnerships has never been more important.

In this episode, Avinash Gandhi, Founder at Partner with Creators, and former Head of Creator Partnerships at Patreon, sits down with Ruckus’ Sr. Director of Marketing, Kayci Baldwin to discuss how brands and creators alike can leverage partnerships and create meaningful impact. We discuss the biggest changes and challenges in the industry, why brands and creators need to vet who they work with to get better value from their partnerships, and the importance of creators focusing on building an audience that cares. 

Here’s What We Discussed

• [00:38] Avinash on the biggest changes he’s seen in the industry in the last decade 
• [03:43] How mental health and over-saturation are the biggest challenges looking forward
• [05:29] How the metaverse will impact creators and digital spaces  
• [07:55] What are the biggest factors when partnering with creators on Patreon? 
• [10:39] As the market becomes more competitive, are audiences holding creators to a higher standard as they become more discriminating? 
• [12:32] Brands need to vet their partnerships carefully and choose creators that love their brand
• [15:56] Why agencies and companies should assess mutual interest before proposing a deal to creators 
• [18:35] Advice for aspiring creators: Focus on building an audience that cares 
• [20:09] When is it “too early” to start a Patreon? 

About Avinash

Avi Gandhi leads the Creator Partnerships team at Patreon. An experienced Go-To-Market leader, Avi has spent the last 15 years leading partnerships, marketing, and content creation teams at the intersection of tech and entertainment – a space now known as the Creator Economy.

Before joining Patreon, Avi launched and managed Wheelhouse DNA, the award-winning digital and audio content division of Jimmy Kimmel and Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse. Previously, he was one of the first digital media talent agents at WME, where he was recognized by Forbes as 30 Under 30 and Variety as one of Hollywood’s New Leaders for being one of the first Hollywood agents to represent digital creators, pioneering new D2C content models and helping to launch WME’s podcast and gaming businesses. He started his career while an undergrad at Yale, leading a team of content writers for the venture-backed startup Wikinvest.

About Our Host

Kayci Baldwin has been building and growing communities for impactful brands for nearly a decade. She was a co-founder of Six Things, a brand and digital creative agency dedicated to working with underrepresented founders.

Quotes

“One of the biggest things that’s changed is the overall perception of value… No one really understood [influencer’s] power. It took brands, platforms, entertainment companies, and media companies a long time to realize the power and the influence that creators have with their audiences and in culture.” –  Avinash Gandhi 

“The concept of the Metaverse is very much a Silicon Valley tech buzzword that doesn't necessarily translate to the mass market. But I think that creators are already there, they're just not necessarily thinking about it as the metaverse, but there's a whole ecosystem of creators who make a lot of money producing content within [it].” – Avinash Gandhi 

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