YouTube launches Open Call to make it easier for brands to connect with creators

YouTube is launching a tool to help brands more easily identify, connect with and partner creators.
Open Call will allow brands to place an open request to creators for sponsored content. The request can also be narrowed to a select group of creators based on the brand’s target audience.
Interested creators can proactively answer the brief by developing sponsored content for the brand, which can then review and approve or decline.
Currently, creators must be part of YouTube’s Partnership Program to qualify for inclusion.
The announcement was unveiled in Cannes this morning by YouTube Ads director of product management Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, who explained that YouTube is investing in product development “to help advertisers collaborate with even more creators”.
She added: “We know that with the thriving creator economy and so many talented and unique creators in the YouTube Partner Program, there’s endless ways they can collaborate.
“But we’ve also heard from brands historically that it’s kind of tough. There’s so many [creators], they might not always know who is a good fit for them. And they’re always interested in discovering new and growing creators.”
The tool is currently being tested by select brands and creators before a wider roll-out next year. It’s part of a suite of tools, BrandConnect, aimed at improving brand-creator relations.
“We want to be the home of creators,” said Pedro Pina, vice-president of YouTube EMEA, who declared that creators are “becoming the new Hollywood” as they professionalise and grow into major media figures with large production outfits.
YouTube’s effort is part of a wider push by platforms to make it easier for marketers to collaborate with the creator economy.
Last month, Amazon Ads launched a similar set of sponsorship solutions to streamline the process of identifying and working with relevant creators without the need to interact with an influencer talent agency.
Sean Downey, YouTube’s president of the Americas and global partners, added that brands are increasingly wanting to reach incremental audiences on YouTube, thus finding new creators to work with who can speak about their brand in an “authentic” way is key to their success on the platform.
“It’s not just the story,” he said. “It’s how it’s told.”