Creator marketplace #paid has launched its Co-Creator Program, reversing the traditional creator marketing model by bringing creators into the brand marketing process from inception through long-term advocacy.

Instead of brands writing briefs and selecting creators to execute pre-defined ideas, creators join during the ideation phase as strategic partners. Creators help shape campaigns based on their audience insights and platform expertise before leading content production and continuing as persistent brand voices.

“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, in a press release. “When creators are brought in early and treated like partners, the work performs better.”

The program operates in three distinct phases. First, creators participate in strategic planning sessions with brands before campaign conception. Second, creators develop and produce content based on their platform expertise and audience understanding. Finally, creators become ongoing brand ambassadors, sharing content organically and evolving the partnership over time.

Internal research by #paid indicates 71% of consumers find branded content more credible when creators maintain long-term relationships with brands. These sustained partnerships drive a 7-point lift in brand consideration.

“Creators today are more than content producers. They’re idea experts, creative directors, audience gurus, and brand allies,” added Gold. This full-cycle relationship aims to drive performance metrics while building cultural credibility for brands.

Platform Expansion Across Social Channels

This program follows #paid’s recent platform expansions. In January 2025, the company partnered with Snap Inc. to connect Snapchat creators with brands across North America, targeting the platform’s 500 million monthly Spotlight users and 300 million daily AR users.

In May 2025, #paid introduced YouTube creator integration, enabling brands to manage organic and creator-led campaigns through a unified dashboard. The YouTube integration supports multiple content formats, including Shorts, integrated long-form segments, and dedicated videos.

The Co-Creator Program addresses consumer expectations by creating deeper partnerships that maintain continuity across campaigns. #paid has implemented this model with several leading brands, conducting creator strategy sessions before campaign development to generate content ideas and establish creative alignment from the outset.