The market is up 56%. Our roster isn't.
190 repeat creators, 0% median rate change, while open-market Mid rates inflated 56%.
Eliot Intelligence · 5 min read
Relationship pricing is not a soft benefit. It is a measurable discount that a single-campaign engagement cannot manufacture from scratch.
536 creators have worked on our campaigns. 190 of them — 35% — have worked with us across two or more. That roster is where our pricing leverage actually lives.
0%
Median rate change across repeat collaborations
54% of repeat creators held or lowered their per-post rate on later deals. Across all repeat collaborations the median rate change is flat — during a period when open-market Mid-tier rates rose 56%.
Why creators trade the increase
- We pay on receipt, not Net-30 or Net-60.
- Briefs are clean, specific, and don't churn through five rounds of revision.
- Proven performers get rebooked across multiple brand campaigns.
A creator who knows the next deal is coming doesn't reprice the current one.
Two opposite trend lines
| Tier | Era 1 | Era 2 | Era 3 | Era 4 (current) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid | $1,125 | $1,200 | $1,350 | $1,750 |
| Macro | $1,750 | $3,000 | $2,125 | $2,750 |
| Mega | $3,500 | $7,750 | $5,000 | $4,025 |
Mid-tier rates — the volume market — are inflating fastest. Our Mega medians moved the other way, from a $7,750 peak down to $4,025, and our Mega cost per 1,000 expected views improved from $12.21 to $6.95. That's not market deflation. That's selection and bundling discipline compounding.
We negotiate every creator deal against benchmark data on 926 signed contracts.
FAQ
- Why do agencies get better influencer rates?
- Repeat relationships. Across 190 creators who have worked with us on two or more campaigns, the median rate change is zero, during a period when open-market mid-tier rates rose 56 percent.
- What is relationship pricing in influencer marketing?
- The measurable discount a creator extends when they know the next deal is coming, payment is prompt, and briefs are clean. It cannot be manufactured in a single engagement.