Welcome to S3E012 of IMpulse, the Influencer Marketing Podcast — brought to you by Phyllo.
👀 See what you can build with Phyllo: https://www.getphyllo.com/?utm_source...
In this episode, we’re joined by Mae Karwowski, Founder & CEO of Obviously — one of the most tech-forward influencer marketing agencies globally, now backed by WPP. Mae has scaled Obviously from a bootstrap startup to a global agency that runs campaigns with over 200,000 creators for top brands like Google, Amazon, Ulta Beauty, and Facebook.
We dive into how Mae built an AI-driven engine to vet creators at scale, how Obviously balances brand safety with creative freedom, and what brands must know to navigate creator partnerships in 2025. From building tech in-house to pioneering performance-driven influencer strategies, Mae unpacks what scalable influence really looks like today.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. How Obviously scaled to 200K+ creators & runs global campaigns
2. Why influencer vetting is the new hygiene factor
3. How to define “brand-safe” creators in 2025
4. What brands get wrong about creator risk & censorship
5. The “tightrope” of aligning creator authenticity with brand compliance
6. Why AI + humans is the future of influencer background checks
7. Vetting performance vs personality — where to draw the line
8. Micro-influencers vs Celebrities: Who drives more trust?
9. How creators can future-proof their brand partnerships
10. What’s next for influencer marketing compliance
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
- Exploring the Evolving Landscape of Influencer Marketing with Aaron King
- Exploring the Growth of Influencer Marketing in the Age of Web 3.0 with Scott Guthrie
- The Rise of Influencer Marketing and its Impact on Digital Marketing with Oliver Lewis
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