Don’t miss Creator Economy Live West this January 13 - 14 in Las Vegas! Connect directly with industry leading brands, get actionable insights from influencer marketing leads, affiliate pros, and future-proof your influencer marketing game.

 

Stop what you’re doing—this might be the wake-up call your brand needs. Think influencer marketing is just a fad? Think again. Michelle Miller, CMO of Vegamore, is here to change your mind—and trust us, you’ll want to listen.

Picture this: a room buzzing with energy. Michelle steps up—the Beauty CMO who didn’t just join the creator economy, she helped build it. Back in 2013, while others clung to traditional ads, she was already growing brands like Too Faced and K18 on Instagram and YouTube while today, she’s fuelling the success of Vegamore.

 

Michelle Miller CELE25

 

What Makes a Brand Unstoppable?

Michelle’s non-negotiables for building breakout brands are easy to adopt—yet most companies still miss the mark:

  • Having a product with a compelling story – crafted to spark conversations and to ease organic sharing and promotion.
  • Working with a highly competitive team and a visionary CEO - relentless in solving problems and bold enough to create some ripples.
  • Building a fast-moving, agile team structure - designed to thrive in the ever-changing world of social media.

 

You NEED Internal Buy In!

Still battling your leadership team over why social matters? Michelle’s advice is clear: Speak their language by aligning your messaging with what truly matters in today's digital landscape. Focus on authentic connection and lasting brand equity. Move beyond short-term sales to highlight creator-driven metrics like Earned Media Value (EMV) and Share of Voice—key indicators of brand momentum, trust, and cultural relevance.

Top-performing brands use these tools to stay ahead. Highlight how these insights fuel growth and spark loyal communities—you are not just selling; you're starting a whole brand shift that will re-align the company to what the consumer REALLY wants. Show how this data can turn a brand into a household name.

Pro tip: Stop obsessing over follower counts; start tracking what actually moves the needle

  • EMV (Earned Media Value) – The north star for startups and scale-ups alike.
  • Engagement & Share of Voice – Are people talking about you and your brand?
  • CAC, LTV, AOV – For performance and growth. (Brush up on those acronyms!)
  • Content Performance – Is creator content lifting your paid AND organic efforts?

 

If you can’t measure it, you can’t sell it to your board.

"Let’s make this video go viral” said every CEO, ever Remember K18’s 25 billion TikTok views? That wasn't luck. It was a clear executed marketing plan in planned virality, leveraging TikTok’s now-legendary hashtag challenges and partnering with over 100 creators. When was the last time your marketing felt that intentional?

Lesson: Virality is rarely an accident. It’s engineered, scaled, and measured.

 

Culture Moves Fast—Move Faster or Get Out of the Way

Brands keep tripping over themselves trying to “do culture.” Michelle’s golden rules:

  • If you’re slow, sit it out. Latecomers look desperate.
  • Don’t jump on every trend. If it doesn’t fit your brand, skip it.
  • Prioritize authenticity. Audiences can smell a fake from a mile away.

Is your team chronically online and emotionally intelligent? If not, why are they running your social?

 

Building An Authentic Community: The New Growth Hack

Forget “influencer mailers” vs. “customer mailers.” In today’s world, they’re the same thing. Michelle’s team knows their creators’ birthdays, big life moments, and even where their couch is (not in a creepy way, we promise). Human relationships win. Automated DMs? Trash.

Remember – your creator community is full of REAL people, so the personal touches will go a long way to maintaining long-lasting relationships with the influencer community.

 

What You MUST Do Right Now

We get it, that was ALOT of information. But – if you take anything from this blog, it’s:

  1. Prioritize influencer marketing and social when trying to grow your brand. It’s a labour of love, but it’s WORTH IT!
  2. Speak the metrics language your leadership understands. Differentiate between brand and performance (and tell them how it’s going to make them money!)
  3. Invest in community - real human connections require you to invest in building the relationship.
  4. Move at the speed of culture. If you can’t, hire someone who can.