Hi,

Influence is big business: Rather than spend millions for a single athlete endorsement, brands are spreading their budgets across an emerging crop of YouTube and Instagram influencers. This adds up to big money for niche internet celebrities.

Some influencers, especially in the gaming space with the right following, can make up to a quarter of a million dollars for a single endorsement.

How is this marketing strategy working out for brands? At Code Commerce, we’ll talk to two people at the center of it: Tara Walpert Levy, Google’s vice president of agency and brand solutions, and celebrity choreographer Kyle Hanagami.

Walpert Levy runs Google’s third-party advertising business, which means she works with brands to understand the emerging influencer economy, decide which creators make sense for their business, and navigate a major cultural shift away from million-dollar celebrity deals and toward influencer-driven communities. Walpert Levy will be joined onstage by one such star: YouTube’s most popular choreographer, Hanagami. He’ll weigh in on what makes brand-influencer partnerships successful, how he built his 4-million-plus following, and what makes for a successful ad.