Kimberly Storin

Ask what the brand's business actually needs before pitching, read recent earnings reports to find the pressure the buyer is under this year, and know whether you are selling broad mental availability or credible reach inside one micro-segment. The question she says creators keep bringing her is how to go from a $30K deal to a $300K one, and her answer is that a bigger following alone does not get you there.

She points to Zoom's own partnerships as the pattern: Nayeema Raza on Smart Girl Dumb Questions for credibility and extended reach, and the Zoombassadors program for named audiences across CX, marketing, and SMB.

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Granger's advice was to treat creators and podcasters like salespeople you have hired, give them room to work (his phrase, repeated by creators, was 'let us cook'), and start with as much freedom as possible before adding restrictions. He also suggested spending enough to move the baseline and measuring with a 'how did you hear about us' survey that asks which show, using predictive text for show-by-show visibility.

Granger's case that B2B works with comedy, news, and sports because decision-makers have lives and interests outside work. Storin later returns to his test for a host, that they use the thing and they mean it, as the standard behind a Zoom sponsorship.

She first reports the courage argument as a guest's view after an internal session, then applies Granger's test herself when explaining how a sponsorship was chosen.

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Her model has two parts: being found, through a sponsor read that puts the brand in front of listeners, and being present, through the product appearing inside a conversation the brand does not control. She notes in one case that the show was already using the product before the sponsorship existed.

Zoom Replay in World Series Game 3: a replay review showed a runner's foot touched the bag before the throw, the forceout call was overturned, the inning stayed alive, and an eight-run two-out rally followed in a 10-1 Brewers win. Storin ties the sponsorship to that reversal and to the historic team stats around it, arguing sports sponsorships earn their place when attached to moments fans remember.

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She pairs that with two business outcomes the work still has to deliver: a shift in what people think the company is and does, and sustainable long-term revenue growth. Her method is to build the campaign as a sequence and route every comedic beat through a real product capability.

The Zoom Ahead campaign: one ad built on the idea that workers prefer the product and would stand on their desks in support of it, the next showing why, with Kate McKinnon and Colin Jost in a behind-the-scenes film. In the 30-second spot each of the character's schemes runs through something the product now does, including customer support, note-taking, and automatic follow-ups, which she calls the breadth of the portfolio in one ad.

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Her advice is to stop walking in defending past spend and instead bring three things: one chart that puts brand perception, pipeline, and revenue on a single timeline to show whether brand moves pipeline and where demand spend is working; market insights about where buyers move before they ever talk to the company, including the dark funnel and the AI answers shaping their shortlist; and explicit trade-offs, since every big bet is funded by something that was stopped.

She traces the habit to growing up with a father who was a CFO: every receipt went into a box in a closet, and she reconciled them each month and defended them to him, which she calls the first of many budget reviews.

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The trap, in her telling, is that the specialty which earned a first promotion is also what keeps someone there, because people hire for what they have already seen you do. Her method is to go deep in one leg for a few years, deliberately move to a second knowing you will be a beginner again, and keep a running record of what transfers between domains so the connections become a career narrative.

She cites her own career, where the strategy skills she built as a chief of staff and in outside marketing moved her further than the brand and positioning expertise she developed in-house. Sideways moves she names include an integrated marketing role that forces cross-functional work, a leadership role outside your niche or industry, and a stint as chief of staff.

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The series is organized around tensions the audience recognizes, and she ties her own interest in the subject to being a small business owner herself.

Zoom's Solopreneur 50 drew nearly 3,000 applications from 48 states across 12 industries and became a docuseries made with John Henion and the team behind Welcome to Wrexham, Chef's Table, and The Testimony of Vince Young. She describes it as no scripts and no brand narrative, just real kitchens, workshops, and home offices, built around freedom versus stability, ambition versus burnout, and purpose versus profit.

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Start here for a direct, practical view of how Storin evaluates creator partnerships.

Storin argues that creators often lead with personality and relationships, but brands need to hear how a partnership will solve a business problem.

• She advises creators to read earnings reports, understand what the brand is under pressure to deliver, and know whether they are selling broad mental availability or credible reach in a specific segment.
• She points to Zoom's partnerships with Nayeema Raza on Smart Girl Dumb Questions and the Zoombassadors program as examples of matching the partnership to the business need.

For brands planning a campaign

For a creator platform, this post shows the exact questions to build into a partnership brief or pitch template: what business outcome does the brand need, and which type of reach does the creator deliver? It also gives a concrete example of a brand leader using creators for credibility (Smart Girl Dumb Questions) and niche reach (Zoombassadors).

Start here for a candid argument about courage and measurement in creator partnerships.

Storin shares lessons from Daniel Granger, founder of Oxford Road, who told her team that marketers who prioritize risk mitigation have already sabotaged the campaign.

• Granger's advice: treat creators and podcasters like salespeople you've hired, give them freedom to "let us cook," and add restrictions only later.
• He also recommends spending enough to move the baseline, using a "how did you hear about us" survey with predictive text, and looking beyond obvious shows—B2B can work with comedy, news, and sports because decision-makers have lives outside work.

For brands planning a campaign

Useful for a conference talk or advisory session on overcoming brand risk aversion. It provides a specific framework (freedom first, restrictions later) and a measurement approach (show-by-show survey) that a platform could turn into a workshop.

Start here for a concrete case study of a creator partnership that combines paid placement with organic product use.

Storin describes Zoom's presenting sponsorship of the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler.

• The strategy has two parts: a sponsor read at the top ("Be Found") and Zoom appearing naturally inside the conversation ("Be Present").
• She notes that Good Hang was already using Zoom before the sponsorship, and ties it to Daniel Granger's test for a host: they use the thing and they mean it.

For brands planning a campaign

A platform could use this as a model for evaluating podcast or creator sponsorships: does the creator already use the product?

• Can the brand be present inside the content, not just adjacent to it?
• This is a template for authenticity checks.

Start here for an example of a creator relationship built on testing, feedback, and co-development.

Storin announces that Jay Schwedelson is becoming a Zoom Ambassador and Partner, with Zoom as title sponsor of Eventastic.

• She highlights two reasons: Schwedelson tested and compared Zoom himself, and she trusts him to give product feedback.
• The partnership includes co-development, not just promotion.

For brands planning a campaign

For a creator marketplace, this shows the value of creators who test products and provide feedback. It suggests a partnership tier beyond sponsorship: ambassador programs that include product input and public building.

Start here for a clear, memorable framework for career development in marketing.

Storin describes a career path to CMO as an "M" shape: two deep legs of specialization connected by a broad base of generalist knowledge and strategic judgment.

• She warns that the specialty that earned your first promotion can also trap you there, and recommends deliberate sideways moves—like an integrated marketing role, a leadership role outside your niche, or a chief of staff stint—to build the bridge.
• She cites her own experience: strategy skills from being a chief of staff and outside marketing moved her forward more than brand and positioning expertise.

For brands planning a campaign

Relevant for an advisory session on marketing leadership. It gives a specific, repeatable model (two legs, one bridge) that a platform could use in content or events for senior brand leaders.

Start here for a practical view of how marketing leaders make the case for investment.

Storin explains that the modern CMO is a capital allocator and that planning season is when that role is tested.

• She describes walking into budget reviews with one chart showing brand perception, pipeline, and revenue on the same timeline; market insights about where buyers move before contacting sales; and explicit trade-offs—every big bet is funded by stopping something else.
• She connects this to her childhood habit of reconciling receipts with her father, a CFO.

For brands planning a campaign

For a creator platform, this post shows the kind of business-case thinking that senior brand leaders use. It suggests that creator partnership pitches should be framed as capital allocation decisions: what will this partnership move, and what will it replace?

She advises reading recent earnings reports to find the pressure the buyer is under, and deciding whether the deal is selling broad mental availability or credible reach inside one micro-segment.

• She applies the same test when buying: Oxford Road's Daniel Granger told her team that a host has to use the product and mean it, and that brands should start with as much creative freedom as possible and add restrictions later.
• She points to Zoom's own creator deals as examples — Nayeema Raza's Smart Girl Dumb Questions for credibility and reach, and the Zoombassadors program for named audiences across CX, marketing, and SMB.

Classify the buy first (mental availability or micro-segment reach), then ask what the brand is under pressure to deliver this year, and check whether the creator genuinely uses the product before adding constraints.

For brands planning a campaign

This is the clearest angle for a conference talk or advisory session with a creator marketing platform: how a senior buyer reframes a creator pitch around the buyer's business pressure, and what evidence a creator should bring to move from a $30K deal to a $300K one.

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She describes Zoom Replay's role in a World Series replay reversal that kept an inning alive and preceded an eight-run rally, and argues sports sponsorships earn their place when tied to moments fans remember.

• She makes a related case for Good Hang, where Zoom is presenting sponsor of the show's best-episodes catalog: a sponsor read from the host puts the brand in front of listeners, and the product also appears inside a conversation the brand does not control.
• The Jay Schwedelson Eventastic title sponsorship is framed the same way, as a public build-along with a partner who tested and compared before committing.

The sports and podcast examples are platform sponsorships rather than creator deals, so they show how Storin reasons about placement value, not how she prices individual creators.

For brands planning a campaign

A session can use these examples to show how a CMO decides where a sponsorship belongs in the mix — by locating the moment worth owning, not by buying the largest audience.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

The 30-second spot routes each of the character's schemes through a product capability — customer support, note-taking, automatic follow-ups — which she calls the breadth of the portfolio in one ad. Her stated aim is to make B2B marketing emotional, resonant, and fun while still delivering two business outcomes: a shift in what people think the company is and does, and long-term revenue growth.

Use a sequence of ads, give the audience a reason to enjoy the work, and tie every comedic beat back to a product capability and a measurable business outcome.

For brands planning a campaign

For a creator marketing audience, this is a worked example of how a senior brand leader defends humor and emotion in B2B by attaching them to revenue outcomes rather than treating them as a risk.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

Her advice is to stop defending past spend and instead bring three things: one chart that puts brand perception, pipeline, and revenue on a single timeline; market insights about where buyers move before they contact the company, including the dark funnel and the AI answers shaping their shortlist; and explicit trade-offs, since every big bet is funded by something that was stopped.

One timeline chart, buyer movement before first contact, and a named trade-off behind each proposed bet.

For brands planning a campaign

Creator spending has to survive a planning conversation against other functions. A talk or advisory session can show creators and platforms how to present a partnership as the next dollar with a measurable path to pipeline rather than as a renewal of existing spend.

Examples: Source 1

The trap, in her telling, is that the specialty which earned a first promotion is also what keeps someone there, because people hire for what they have already seen you do.

• She recommends going deep in one leg for a few years, deliberately moving to a second, keeping a record of what transfers between domains, and using sideways moves such as an integrated marketing role or a chief of staff stint to build the bridge.
• She cites her own career, where strategy skills from a chief of staff role and outside marketing moved her further than in-house brand and positioning work.

For brands planning a campaign

This gives a creator marketing platform a second, non-partnership topic for a session: how senior marketers build cross-functional credibility, which is often what determines whether a creator budget survives at the leadership table.

Examples: Source 1

She frames the series as unscripted — real kitchens, workshops, and home offices — and organizes it around tensions such as freedom versus stability, ambition versus burnout, and purpose versus profit. She also notes her own position as a small business owner as the reason the subject matters to her.

For brands planning a campaign

A useful model for a platform audience: how to source a creator or customer cohort from applications, then turn the strongest stories into owned episodic content rather than one-off testimonials.

Examples: Source 1

She applies that distinction to product positioning, arguing the market does not need more AI that summarizes meetings but AI that understands the full context behind them, and points to Zoom's Unified Context Layer linking conversations, chat, documents, and third-party apps so people and agents work from the same understanding.

For brands planning a campaign

For a creator marketing platform, this shows how Storin turns a live event and a borrowed framework into a product argument — a pattern worth borrowing when a session needs to connect an abstract capability to a buyer's real decisions.

Examples: Source 1

Storin refers to "our Zoom marketing team," to "how we've built strategic creator partnerships at Zoom," and to launching Zoom programs such as Solopreneur 50, while also describing themself as a CMO. Zoom's campaigns, sponsorships and creator partnerships are the working context for nearly every post.

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Storin describes the arrangement as two things happening in the same episode: a sponsor read from host Amy Poehler at the top, and Zoom appearing inside the show's opening Zoom call.

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Jay Schwedelson is joining as a Zoom Ambassador and Partner, and GURU Media Hub is described as building on Zoom going forward.

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The post covers the overturned call in Game 3 that preceded Milwaukee's eight-run rally.

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Storin reports his argument that marketing's biggest problem is a lack of courage and returns to his test for podcast hosts — that they use the product and mean it — when explaining Zoom's Good Hang sponsorship. This is a guest-speaker mention, not a sponsorship or client relationship.

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Both explain why short-term performance metrics and one-off deal structures miss what makes a partnership work, and both argue for longer-term collaborations.

Brown argues the creator's side of the deal — what rights, credit, and structure a creator should expect — while Storin writes as the brand leader deciding where the money goes and what a creator pitch has to prove to earn it.

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Both treat creator spending as a business outcome that needs one owner and comparable performance data.

Gutfreund surveys the wider market with industry figures, platform maps, and interviews with commerce executives, and runs conference sessions on it. Storin works inside one company's marketing organization and explains the decisions she made there.

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Both describe marketing choices in terms of the buyer's stage of consideration.

Moylan works as a fractional growth leader for DTC and startup clients, so the posts read as hands-on execution results and an argument against niching down in a career. Storin is a senior in-house brand leader at a large software company, and her posts are about allocating budget and choosing partners at that scale.

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Their posts take a position a creator audience can carry into a negotiation: judging a single post against click-through, CPM, or short-term conversion thresholds misses what produces durable results — audience trust, message alignment, consistent visibility, repetition, and storytelling that compounds.

• The second post sharpens the usage-rights conversation: if a brand sees enough value in creator content to put advertising spend behind it, that reinforces why those rights have value, so exposure is a benefit and paid usage is a separate commercial asset.
• For a track about moving from smaller deals to larger ones, that is the vocabulary creators need when a brand offers reach instead of a rights fee.

Brown's material argues how creator work should be judged; it does not walk through the buyer's internal decision process.

• A creator audience gets a principle to argue from, but not who approves the budget, which trade-offs get funded, or how a marketing leader builds the case internally.
• If the brief is 'help me win the bigger deal with a stronger argument', Brown sharpens it.
• If the brief is 'show the buyer's side of how the decision actually gets made', the Storin material is closer.

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Their posts describe fragmentation directly: brands split affiliate, social, paid media, PR, and ecommerce across teams so nobody owns the outcome, illustrated by a brand that mistook its own paid creator campaign for organic enthusiasm and offered the same creator free products.

• The post cites affiliate marketing at an estimated $241 billion in U.S. commerce, with affiliate spending growing 11.3% against 6.7% ecommerce growth, and quotes LTK's Amber Venz Box and WPP Media's Patricia Marangé on why a single owner with enough seniority matters.
• They also run a conference session on creator commerce and publish a side-by-side market map of the platforms in the category, which maps closely onto a platform planning its own event track and wanting speakers who already draw that audience.

The lens is ecosystem and organizational design — affiliate, social commerce, retail — not one creator's pitch or one brand's deal evaluation.

• A creator audience would get market context and a strong case for owning an outcome, but not a practical route to a larger partnership.
• Gutfreund is also a conference speaker and curator rather than a brand-side buyer, so if the platform wants someone describing decisions from inside one company, this is a step further out.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2

Their posts describe a fractional growth engagement for a financial services company where website traffic grew 21% month over month (430% overall) to more than 6,500 users and 8,300 sessions, the founder's LinkedIn impressions rose 1,650%, and 47 qualified leads came in, alongside a claim of ranking first on Google for all brand terms.

• The second post argues that premium DTC brands are testing LinkedIn for the consideration stage, citing 59% of B2B buyers consuming creator content on LinkedIn more than on any other platform and 94% of B2B marketers saying LinkedIn influencer marketing drives direct sales.
• That is useful material for a track about where creator budgets are moving next.

Moylan's evidence is hands-on channel and growth execution across DTC and B2B, not CMO-level funding decisions or creator-deal evaluation, and the performance numbers are self-reported in one post without independent verification. A creator audience asking how to land a bigger brand partnership is one step removed: they get how growth work is planned, measured, and reported, and where LinkedIn fits in that, but not how a marketing leader decides which creator partnership to fund.

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