--- title: 'The Brand Deal Desk: The Brand Deal Universe' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=DSM5uHof9lQ' video_id: 'DSM5uHof9lQ' date: 2026-08-01 duration_sec: 536 --- # The Brand Deal Desk: The Brand Deal Universe > Source: [The Brand Deal Desk: The Brand Deal Universe](https://youtube.com/watch?v=DSM5uHof9lQ) ## Summary This video from YouTube's Creator series breaks down the 'brand deal universe' — the ecosystem of agencies, managers, platforms, and in-house teams that connect creators with brands. Hosts Erin White, Grace Andrews, and Max Fosh are joined by creator Talia Mar and Arcade CEO Jordan to share strategies for landing authentic partnerships, plus practical advice for setting up YouTube Creator Partnerships. ### Key Points - **First brand deals can be small** [01:00] — Erin's first brand deal came two years after she started creating content — a dating app offered a mini tour, a reminder that deals start modestly. - **Brand deals are becoming partnerships** [01:14] — Max observes that deals have shifted from a transactional 'execute and deliver' model to brands bringing creators in early for bigger, more collaborative partnerships. - **Creator side: agents, managers, MCNs** [01:52] — Talent agencies focus on contracts; management companies plan the creator's broader career; multi-channel networks (MCNs) support channels at scale. Creators may work with one or several. - **Brand side: agencies, platforms, in-house teams** [02:35] — Influencer marketing agencies pitch brands with creator data; influencer platforms are software marketplaces; in-house brand teams manage influencer work internally. YouTube Creator Partnerships is the newest native player. - **YouTube Creator Partnerships is a native matchmaking tool** [03:04] — Built into YouTube Studio, it lets brands discover creators using channel analytics and connect directly — a streamlined bridge between the two sides. - **Talia: know yourself before picking brands** [03:48] — Talia says self-knowledge is the most important part of brand selection: if you don't know your morals and identity, you'll accept unfit deals and lose your audience's trust. - **Lower views can still be a brand win** [04:20] — Talia notes that videos with fewer views can outperform for a brand if they hit the right audience — relevance and engagement matter more than raw views. - **Grace: breadcrumb brands before pitching** [05:18] — Grace advises using and tagging target products in content well before any pitch, so brands start noticing you and your audience gets on board ahead of a partnership. - **Jordan: creator value is audience + consistency** [06:02] — As CEO of Arcade (managing Sidemen), Jordan explains that a creator's worth to brands lies in audience reach, regular engagement, and a specific audience that matches the brand's target. - **Set up your creator partnerships admin** [07:47] — In YouTube Creator Partnerships, add your business email, set separate rates for long-form and Shorts, share channel insights like average views, and be selective about which opportunities to accept. ### Conclusion The key to a great brand deal is knowing your own value and audience, building genuine relationships early, and using tools like YouTube Creator Partnerships to make the process smoother. Start with the right fit, not just the biggest offer. ## Transcript What's up, beautiful people? I'm in London  and I am so excited because we are talking   all things brand deals. I'm going to spill  some real tea on what actually matters when   it comes to working with brands successfully,  which is actually funny because I'm partnering   with YouTube on this series right now. And  trust me, what I want you to know is that   you are not alone. Every creator has been  through wondering, 'Wait, how do I do this?'   Am I doing this right?' You don't have to  navigate this by yourself. Let's get it. I'm Erin White and I'm a business YouTuber. I'm   Max Fosh and I'm a YouTuber and comedian. I'm  Grace Andrews and I'm a creator entrepreneur. I'm here with my co-hosts Grace and Max.  Grace, who's the world's best creator,   and Max, who shredded a yellow  card in front of 90,000 people. Okay. So, do you remember your first  brand deal? I was creating content for   ages before I did a brand deal. Two years after  I started making content, a dating app said,   'Hey, do you want to do a mini tour?' And  I was like, 'This is unbelievable.' Like,   this is the life. I'm a big shot now. Yeah. I  want to ask how brand deals have changed since you   started. Yeah, I think initially it was very  much here's the brief, execute, deliver, done,   transactions. And what I'm seeing a lot more now  of is the brand wants to get you in early. They   want to be part of this much bigger collaboration  and it feels much more like a partnership. Okay,   Why are we here? Let's get to step one. Yes, I  think step one is probably the brand universe. I   think I can take the explainer on this one, guys.  Um, because I do like to get crafty. Over to you,   Max. Take it away. So, you are a creator and you  want to make a little bit of money. Welcome to   the brand deal universe. This is how it works.  There's you, the creator, and the brand. So,   let's start with the creator side. You have talent  agencies. You might have heard of talent agencies.   by a talent agency. There is also management  companies. An agent is very much more let's work   out the contract. Whereas management companies  look at you broader scope. What's the plan in   5 years time? Some creators have both talent  agencies and management companies. Some just   have one or the other. And then the third part  on the creator side are MCN's, multi-channel   networks. They're essentially big networks that  support YouTube channels. Now, the brand side.   First is influencer marketing agencies. They are  companies that go to a brand and say, 'Hey, you   want to work with a creator? We know all of their  numbers.' You've also got influencer platforms.   These are more software. I'll go onto these  platforms as a creator and go who is in the   market for a brand deal and that's when you can  connect. And then the third one in-house brand   teams. These will be individuals who are hired by  the brand themselves to just work on influencer   we have a new player which is very exciting  which is YouTube Creator Partnerships. Now,   this is a native tool that sits within YouTube  Studio. It allows brands to discover and then   connect with the creator because it's got all  of the good analytics that they need to decide which   creator is best for the brand. So, YouTube  Creator Partnerships, big thumbs up from me. I'm just on my way to go and grab Talia Mar.  She is so qualified to talk about brand creator   partnerships. So, we're going to go grab her and  chat all things creator. We are so excited to be   sitting here with you, Talia. Okay. How well do  you feel like you need to know yourself in order   to make partnerships that just feel right?  I feel like it's the most important part of   picking a brand to work with because if you don't  know yourself, you're just going to say yes to   one trusts you. First and foremost, know what you  like outside of creating. What are your morals as   a person? I've heard on the grapevine that you  actually manage yourself, which is quite rare.   Is that right? Yeah, I've had managements before  that have tried to push me into brands that have   been not for me, but right now I have an assistant  and then I also work with agencies. It just means   that I have a little bit more control over like  my brand identity, I guess. How are you getting   to know your audience better and what they want?  Are you in the analytics? I love data. I could   spend hours in there, but I think sometimes the  videos that do lower views actually do better for   a brand because it's reach the right audience.  If all the comments are like, 'Oh my god,   the mark. I think that goes to show how deeply  you care about your audience and how you always   kind of have to keep them top of mind. Talking to  a creator who's just getting started, what advice   are you going to give them? Have an idea and try  and stand by it as much as possible. Because I   think when you're new, you forget the reason  you've been approached. And it's like you've   been approached because you're clearly doing  something right. Amen. That was it right there. Okay, Grace, what's your take on landing  the perfect deal? You've got to lure them   in. You've got to breadcrumb way before that  conversation ever happens. It's not a case of   just like pitching the brand, like tag them in  stuff. Use the product. Not only you getting   your audience on side for when the brand partner  does deliver, but the brand starts to get you in   their zeitgeist. I know the brands that I want to  work with next year and I am seeding them now.   Yes, I am luring them in. I 100% agree.  And people are so smart now. They can   sniff a brand deal. They can sniff a planted  mention. So the more creative and like less   curated you can be with it, the better.  Literally that, integrate it. Integrate it. Jordan, for people who don't know you, who are you  and why are you so well versed to talk about this   topic? I'm Jordan, CEO and co-founder of Arcade.  So we've been working as the management company   behind the sidemen. We've got six businesses.  A VC fund upside which is a $30 million fund   fried chicken restaurant chain sides, through  to XX Vodka, a vodka brand, cereal brand, trading   cards, production company, obviously inside done  four charity matches together for one recently   whole world being built around you. How would  you advise creators who want to work with brands   start working with brands? Brands are busy. They  like intermediaries that help them. So the key   as a creator is how do I then get in touch really  with the intermediaries to help me get more brand   deals. Can you in like its simplest terms break  down the sort of main things that a brand wants to   reach. The value that you provide as a creator is  in your audience. It's in the reach that you   have and the consistency that you are able to  engage that audience on a regular basis. You   need specificity in your audience in relation  to the audience that brands want in order   to be valuable to them. Thank you so much for  your insight. Thank you so much for having me. Now, let's rewind and break down how you'll get  the ball rolling on YouTube. Aka, it's strategy   time. Once you're in the YouTube Partner Programme, what  do you actually need to do next? First of all,   congratulations. You're in the YouTube Partner  Programme, which makes it official. You can   start early on YouTube and unlock extra tools  like creator partnerships. Think of creator   partnerships as basically your brand deal toolbox.  A space where brands can find you and reach out   if they want to work together and also a space  where you can find the tools to pitch yourself   to brands too. Through YouTube Creator Partnerships  on their side via Google Ad and then reaching out   to the ones that feel like the right fit for what  they're trying to do. Get the boring but beautiful   admin sorted. Add your business email. Pop in  your rates for long-form and Shorts. Remember,   those should be two different rates. It saves  you time. It makes you look organised and also   means that brands can find you and then reach you.  Share your channel insights and performance such as   as average views. That's how brands can see who  your audience is and work out if you're a good fit   for them. And the last thing, be selective. Every  opportunity is not your opportunity. Just because   a brand reaches out, that doesn't automatically  mean that it's a fit. The best partnerships make   sense for you and feel natural to your audience.  That said, even if the enquiry doesn't meet your   expectations, it is worth responding just to see  whether the brand is flexible. Well, guys, thank   you very much for your input. This would have  been very, very useful to know when I got started.   It would have saved me a lot of time. Me, too.  And I think we kind of made admin fun. Did we? Coming up, we get into the pitch  from both sides of the desk.