The Partnership Economy

The lines between creators, affiliates, influencers, and advocates are blurring fast. But for modern brands, that’s not a challenge — it’s an opportunity to build a smarter growth engine.In this episode, Todd Crawford sits down with Jordan Carter of SharkNinja to explore how one of today’s most recognizable consumer product companies is rethinking creator commerce, affiliate marketing, and social-first partnerships. Jordan shares how SharkNinja’s affiliate program has grown across North America, why creators are now central to the brand’s product launches, and how platforms like TikTok Shop, YouTube Shopping, LTK, and ShopMy are changing the way brands evaluate performance. Together, Todd and Jordan unpack why micro-creators can drive more authentic engagement than massive influencers, and how brands can build stronger bridges between paid social, retail affiliate, and influencer marketing teams.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Search is evolving, AI is reshaping discovery, and consumers are relying on creators more than ever to guide their decisions. So how do the BEST brands make the most of this shift? In this episode, Dave Yovanno sits down with Seth Hagerty, Senior Director of Performance Marketing at Best Buy, to explore how one of retail’s most iconic brands is adapting to a new era of customer discovery. Seth shares how Best Buy is approaching creators, affiliates, AI, attribution, retail media, and more — and why partnerships are no longer just a lower-funnel tactic, but a foundational part of the modern marketing mix. Seth explains why today’s most effective brands are shifting from control to influence, learning to let trusted partners help tell their story in more authentic ways. He also breaks down how Best Buy thinks about measurement, incrementality, and customer acquisition in a world where the path to purchase is more fragmented than ever.Discover why leading brands stay ahead by evolving with their customers and redefining when and where discovery happens.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Generative AI is quietly reshaping how people shop — 39% of consumers have already used it, from chatbots to visual search, and 53% more plan to join them this year. As product discovery moves from search bars to AI conversations, marketing teams have one urgent question to answer: How do we get AI to pick us?In this Season 7 premiere, Dave Yovanno sits down with Brian Stempeck, CEO and Co-Founder of Evertune, a company focused on helping brands understand how they appear in AI-powered discovery. Together, Dave and Brian explore the realities brands must confront—from a growing loss of narrative control to the rise of personalized, context-aware AI search that is reshaping how consumers discover products. They unpack what determines brand mentions inside LLMs and why creator-, community-, and affiliate-driven content now play an outsized role in AI visibility.So, if you’re wondering how your commerce brand will compete as AI becomes the new front door to the internet, this episode is your starting point.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

Once upon a time, ad agencies ruled with glossy spreads and TV spots. Then came social, creators, and platforms rewrote the rules. So what can you learn from this dramatic evolution?In this episode, Dave Yovanno sits down with Sam Kimmel, Senior Director of Co-Marketing Partnerships at Hello Sunshine, for a conversation on the evolution of advertising and what it means for the future of partnerships. With a career that started in the agency world and later took her to Pinterest and TikTok, Sam offers a firsthand look at how these platforms operated, the metrics that mattered, and what it took to make content resonate. Now at Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s mission-driven media company, she shares their unique approach to brand partnerships, where experiential marketing comes into play, and why creating a sense of belonging is a brand’s best practice. Tune in for insights on today's top platforms, the underrated social metric that matters more than likes, and why the most impactful partnerships are the ones built to last.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

AI this, AI that… but what about the creator economy!? With all the buzz around artificial intelligence, it’s time to connect the dots to creator marketing. In this episode of The Partnership Economy, Todd is joined by Brian Klais, Founder of URLgenius, to explore how AI is transforming the creator landscape. Brian kicks things off with a holistic view of the industry, reflecting on the trends he’s observed across his 20+ years in digital marketing. He shares how those trends helped shape the mission behind URLgenius and how their mobile-first approach to commerce set the stage for the company’s breakout success. From there, the conversation turns to AI. While many creators are embracing automation for administrative tasks, Brian highlights the very real concerns around using AI for content creation. Still, he shares the huge potential: from brand-creator matching to optimizing campaign structures and even enabling dynamic commission models based on performance. If you're ready to blend trends, tech, and the creator economy, this one's for you! Mentioned in the episode: Creators Tap AI Superpowers to Thrive in a Changing Economy, Finds New URLgenius SurveyWhat Brand Marketers Look for When Partnering with Creators

In the agency world, your ability to drive success for a brand is make or break. The best in the business have sifted through various options to land on the perfect formula for a winning brand strategy. One of those pros is Amanda Mount, Director of Affiliate Marketing at Monks. In this episode, Todd Crawford is on a mission to learn how Amanda does it, balancing brand authenticity, content strategy, cost-effective partnerships, and the perfect ratio of influencers to affiliates among a myriad of other tactics! They cover a wide range of topics, from the cost-efficiency and built-in trust of nano and micro influencers to the unique value agencies bring through quickly testing and refining strategies for clients. Finally, they explore the foundational values that define standout programs: trust and relationship-building, emphasizing that when it comes to partnerships, that’s what it’s all about! This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

When it comes to trust, it can take years to build and seconds to break. While this might feel like common sense when it comes to consumer-brand relationships, it's possible to overlook how crucial trust is in the brand-creator relationship. With a passion for this topic backed by a deep understanding, Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim, joins Dave to share her take on building brand-creator trust and how it’s shaping the broader creator economy. As someone who’s worked on the brand, agency, and creator side, she provides a unique perspective on the dynamic between these groups. The conversation begins with a look at content saturation and how promotional overload has amplified the need for authenticity. Dave and Brianna unpack the evolving balance of control in these partnerships as more brands begin to loosen their grip. They also explore how this shift in control is influencing compensation models, with creators now leveraging content control as a bargaining chip. With trust and control so tightly linked to performance, Brianna emphasizes the importance of aligning on KPIs before a campaign begins and why choosing a primary and secondary success metric is a great call. Finally, they close the loop with language. Brianna shares why the words we use can signal how much a brand truly respects its partners and why that distinction matters more than ever.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

A one-dimensional partnership program won’t cut it anymore. In this episode, Todd sits down with Stephanie Harris, CEO of PartnerCentric, to explore how brands can build a stronger, more diverse partnership strategy by integrating affiliates, creators, and customer advocates. They discuss the opportunities of converging creators with affiliates, the impact of different commission models, and why your most authentic brand advocates might already be your customers. They also discuss how agencies can help optimize and scale these partnerships and why accurate attribution is key to proving ROI across different partner types. Tune in to learn how a diversified, well-attributed partnership mix can maximize growth!To read the survey created URLgenius & impact.com click HERE. This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

It’s time to kick off Season 6! In this episode, Dave and Todd sit down together for the first time ever to rewind and reflect on the standout themes from Season 5, after speaking with nine highly accomplished industry titans. Get ready to hear their biggest takeaways from Season 5 and dive into all the essential learnings from an action-packed season! Dave and Todd recap their most compelling conversations on the rise of the creator economy and the growing significance of B2B partnerships. They dive into which platforms are calling the shots and how brands may be losing the narrative control they once dominated so easily. Tackling some of the hottest issues in the partnership world, Dave and Todd also explore insights on creator compensation models and where brands need a clear road map to succeed. Finally, they reflect on the inspiring career journeys of their Season 5 guests, sharing their own valuable lessons for anyone looking to break into the industry. Want the best of the best from Season 5? Tune in for a recap that covers all the right topics! This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode of the Partnership Economy podcast, Dave Yovanno interviews Jackie Pimentel, Senior Global Director of Core Ads Product Marketing at Meta, about her extensive 14-year career with the company. Jackie shares her journey from an entry-level position to leading a global team, along with tips for advancing your career. The conversation covers her involvement in the launch of Threads, the evolution of Meta’s advertising model, and the critical role partnerships play in building and scaling platforms. Jackie emphasizes the importance of adaptability, humility, and accountability in her career growth and discusses how Meta’s partnership strategies have evolved to engage creators and businesses in meaningful ways.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode, host Dave Yovanno sits down with Vana Han, manager of global partnerships (SMB) at TikTok. As someone who has played a pivotal role in building TikTok’s monetization arm from the ground up, Vana offers unique insight into the strategic business planning behind the mega-successful social media app that we all know and love. TikTok for Business is focused on getting brands and advertisers to use the platform, and Vana’s main focus right now is on growing strategic partnerships at the company. She explains how partnerships with agencies, creators and strategic partners have proved to be most effective, whereas traditional partners don’t quite fit the TikTok model. Vana also shares her greatest takeaways and challenges from working at a company that has experienced rapid growth and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down soon.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.

In this episode, host Dave Yovanno sits down with Dan Armstrong, the EVP of Distributed Commerce at Ticketmaster. An expert on partnerships and eCommerce strategy, Dan has been driving real innovation in the live ticketing industry for a decade. He’s passionate about the importance of storytelling and uncovering the shared purpose that keeps his team, as well as his partnerships, aligned. Together, Dave and Dan discuss tips to level up within an organization, how to manage a diverse partnership program from affiliates to B2B partners, and where a thriving partnership program sits within a company’s broader marketing mix. Dan also shares the secrets of the live ticketing industry, which can be mystifying to say the least.This podcast episode was produced by Quill.