*This article is composed and edited based on an interview with Ashley Rudder, Global Chief Creator Officer of Whalar.
I never imagined that I would become an executive.
In September 2021, I joined creator commerce company Whalar as Head of Creator Partnerships North America.
Ashley Rudder has been appointed as Whalar’s Global Chief Creator Officer.
Whaterer started as an influencer marketing agency, but now works with brands, creators and social platforms to help them create culturally relevant content through content and beyond.
At Whaler, I was a team of five professionals helping creators build businesses and grow their reach. Although I was able to produce some results, I had the idea that I could do more work if I did this.
The creator economy is a $105 billion (approximately 13.6 trillion yen, $1 = 130 yen) industry. It made sense for me to be in a management position where I could help content creators.
He then discussed with his mentors and superiors how he could do more in the creative realm, such as creating a dedicated team for creators and increasing the budget for initiatives such as financial education tools.
At a later date, I was informed by upper management that they had created a role for senior management to deal with such issues, and from December 2022, I was appointed as the company’s first global Chief Creator Officer (CCO). I was surprised because I never thought that my proposal would lead to such a promotion.
He now leads a team of 30 people responsible for all global creator sourcing, discovery and execution, including negotiation, contracting and creative consulting for creator-led campaigns. In order to meet the needs of creators, processing power is also necessary.
Leverage your experience as a creator
A Chief Creative Officer is very different from a Chief Creative Officer. The chief creator officer is responsible for understanding the way content creators think and how affiliate marketing works from the creator’s point of view. It is also a bridge between brands and creators, and it is a job that people who have accumulated such experience are most good at.
I was able to join Whaler because of my experience as a creator, and without that experience I wouldn’t be here.
Over the last few years, I’ve been a beauty and lifestyle creator sharing fashion trends and motivational quotes with my 38,000 followers on Instagram. I’ve been thinking about how I can get closer to my community and what kind of content people want, and applying that knowledge to my full-time job.
Whaler is probably the first company to establish the position of chief creator officer in the creator field, but I would like other companies to review whether their management executives are allocating sufficient manpower to foster creators. there is
I hope that the number of Chief Creator Officers will increase in the future. The industry is changing, and creators and brands are playing a bigger role in the global marketplace.
One option would be to hire the creators themselves as executives, as Whaler did. Whaler is launching a program that sends content creators to serve as creative directors for various companies. I hope Whaler can set the tone for the next generation of leadership in the creator economy.
Bringing diversity and inclusion to the world of creators
My team and myself are in transition, but we have already created new processes, defined responsibilities and stress tested them.
One of my main priorities is to make the creator space more diverse and inclusive. At Whaler, we strive to ensure that 60% of the creators participating in our brand initiatives and partnerships are diverse. So our brand is already quite diversified, but we want to increase this number even further.
We also work with our legal team to ensure that creators of color are paid fairly, and to ensure brands understand how certain clauses can make their contracts more inclusive. I support them.
For example, when shooting for a campaign featuring creators from diverse backgrounds, brands need to use different lighting techniques to ensure a beautiful finish. As far as I know, there is no written contract with such details, so we are working on changing these points.
I’m in the public eye, but I’m still always on the lookout. I ask creators to send me a direct message if they have any questions, so I’ve learned a lot about what they need right now. Based on that information, I hope to develop long-term strategies and guide creators into a new era of leadership.
Finally, I’ve been saying this here and there for years, but let’s stop putting creators on mood boards and bring them into the boardroom.
[original text]
(Edited by Ayuko Tokiwa)
Source: BusinessInsider
Emma Warren is a well-known author and market analyst who writes for 24 news breaker. She is an expert in her field and her articles provide readers with insightful and informative analysis on the latest market trends and developments. With a keen understanding of the economy and a talent for explaining complex issues in an easy-to-understand manner, Emma’s writing is a must-read for anyone interested in staying up-to-date on the latest market news.