Business Insider’s 2024 Top PR Pros in the Creator Economy
R&CPMK's Jennifer Cruz Santos; independent publicist Dave Kim; Persona PR's Jade Wiselogle; Brand Curators' Tiffany Knighten Jennifer Cruz Santos; Dave Kim; Jade Wiselogle; Erin Silber
For the fifth year, Business Insider highlights the leading PR pros in the creator economy.
These professionals help their clients manage media appearances and images.
The publicists work with top influencers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
In April, podcast star Alex Cooper gave Vogue an exclusive look inside her wedding weekend. The interview showed off intimate details from the event, taking her fans to the center of the celebration.
Cooper has been featured in dozens of publications like Vogue since her career took off. These media opportunities came thanks to the help of her publicist, Cait Bailey — who also works with other superstar creators, including Alix Earle, Remi Bader, and the D'Amelios, on shaping their image, making public appearances, and managing press inquiries.
Bailey is a publicist with Align Public Relations, a firm founded by Nicole Perez-Krueger, who's built most of the business on digital-first talent. In April, The New York Times profiled Bailey on her glamorous life working with the internet's top stars.
"Because we understand that the landscape is ever evolving, we know the value of not only understanding traditional PR but also how to use social media and the digital landscape to best promote clients and their projects," Perez-Krueger told Business Insider.
With the rise of influencers, a growing number of PR agencies like Align have formed to work with social-media stars in addition to Hollywood talent and often help their clients bridge the gap between the traditional and the new.
In our fifth annual power list, BI is spotlighting top publicists and PR pros who work with creators on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Read the full article here.
Brand Curators Creative Agency focuses on BIPOC creators in niches like travel and finance.
Tiffany Knighten. ERIN SILBER, PHOTOGRAPHY
Brand Curators was started in 2020 by Tiffany Knighten as a creative agency that amplifies diverse creators and voices. It works mainly with TikTok creators, podcasters, and YouTubers in the travel, finance, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle niches. Its services include branding, social media strategy, brand and creator partnerships, creative campaigns, and thought-leadership work.
The firm is based in New York and works with talent across the US, Canada, Europe, and Africa.
The agency has helped creators land features in outlets like USA Today, "Good Morning America," The Information, and Yahoo.
Before starting her agency, Knighten worked with companies including Viacom, MTV, VH1, and 5WPR.
She said one of her job's main challenges is tackling pay disparities in the industry since Black and brown creators tend to be overlooked for opportunities and paid less than their white counterparts.
"Give Black creators their flowers," she told BI. "They drive the culture and start the trends."
Clients include: finance creator and podcaster Kahlil Dumas, beauty and wellness creator Latoya Irabor, beauty influencer Sarita Nauth, and beauty influencer Eloho Erhieyovwe, among others.
