Inside the big business of the creator economy, with Ali Berman and Raina Penchansky
Summary
In a special episode recorded at Cannes Lions, Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel interviews Ali Behrman and Raina Penchansky, co-heads of UTA’s Creators Division. They discuss how top influencers evolve into multi-million-dollar media companies by diversifying beyond brand deals into product lines and live events. The conversation covers the nuanced roles of agents versus managers, the importance of platform-agnostic strategies to survive algorithm changes, and how UTA identifies talent based on singular voice and human connection rather than just metrics.
Topics discussed
Intro, sponsors, and episode overview
Guest backgrounds and the rise of the creator economy
Agency structure vs. traditional management
Ad break: Verizon, LinkedIn, and others
Platform dependency and audience ownership
Decision-making, intuition, and client strategy
Signing creators and building long-term value
Launching physical products and business models
Ad break: Quaker and Whole Foods
The shift from influencer to marketer
AI, deepfakes, and protecting creator likenesses
Future trends, live content, and closing remarks
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