Manchester entrepreneur Chlöe Gibbions is leaving her mark on influencer marketing with her Ours Agency. The 27-year-old founded Ours in early 2022 after working in fashion and as an influencer herself, giving her a unique perspective from both the brand and creator sides. Ours represents a curated roster of creators Chlöe calls “unapologetically themselves” and partners them with major brands for authentic content campaigns. But she is driving further disruption by launching an extended network of thoroughly vetted creators who pitch themselves directly to brands rather than the other way around.

Bridging Brands and Creators at Ours Agency

For Chlöe, a keen understanding of influencer marketing from brand and creator perspectives laid the groundwork for her talent management firm. “I started in the industry in 2018 working in fashion,” she says. “Alongside that, I also grew a following on social media and did brand campaigns myself, so I saw everything from both sides.”

That dual experience gave Chlöe unique insights that shaped her approach when she launched Ours Agency with her partner Darren Brown in February 2022. “I understood how an influencer wants to be treated and the expectations from brands,” the influencer marketing expert explains. “It really made me understand that building relationships is important because this whole industry is built on connection.”

At its core, Ours Agency aims “to represent a diverse range of creators that are unapologetic in who they are and then partner them with the biggest and best brands to deliver great content,” Chlöe states. Her highly curated roster sets Ours apart. “The talent we manage are all super skilled in fostering communities, engaging audiences, and creating killer content for brand partnerships. They’re very cool and very savvy as well.”

With an entrepreneurial family background, launching her own venture was natural for Chlöe. Her firm offers brands an inside track to the creator economy while giving authentic voices the marketing might to cut through the noise.

Overcoming Skepticism Through Personal Branding

“The challenge was initially getting people to trust you,” Chlöe says of launching Ours Agency. “There are so many different agencies popping up every day.” To cut through the noise, she took a personal brand approach. “My personal brand on LinkedIn was probably the reason we are where we are now. People wanted to see who I was behind the scenes and know that they’re working directly with me rather than someone who hides behind a screen.”

For brands and creators, standing out on increasingly saturated social platforms is a significant hurdle. Chlöe advises partnering on “ads that don’t feel like ads” by giving creators more freedom. “Let the creator lead with creative direction and avoid overly strict briefs because they don’t feel authentic. The creator knows their audience better than anyone and understands what will perform well.”

When measuring influencer marketing success, common goals are exposure and brand awareness. “If that’s the case, look at video reach, impressions, maybe shares,” Chlöe recommends. “Shares are really important to see how many people are reacting and passing content around.” She also stresses tracking tangible business impacts like website traffic, sales, or app downloads. “It’s not just about impressions and going viral. It’s about how that affects the business as well.”

Creator Economy Transcends Social Media, Chlöe says

According to Chlöe, the creator economy is transcending social media as influencers parlay their followings into opportunities across industries. “It’s not just about getting a million followers and working with brands on social anymore. Creators want to prolong that career outside of social—whether going to fashion weeks, being the face of a campaign, or presenting on TV and film.”

She points to examples like creators presenting at red carpet premieres and sitting front row at Fashion Week. “It’s about how creators can use their community and what they’ve built on social to work across all media.”

For brands aiming to leverage influencer marketing effectively, Chlöe again emphasizes letting creators take the lead creatively. “They understand what their audience wants and what will perform well. Social is what they’ve leveraged to build that audience. Brands need to allow creators freedom with the content because you don’t want an ad that feels like an ad – people just skip past those.”

While some forward-thinking brands grasp this need for authenticity, Chlöe believes others are still catching up. “The early adopters of influencer marketing are aware that the creators really know their audiences,” the entrepreneur states. “Some big brands just starting to work with creators don’t understand yet—it’s not a model situation where you’re just looking for the face of the brand. They don’t realize it’s so much more about what that creator can offer and how they built their audience.”

Ours Agency Launches Innovative Influencer Network

Ours Agency is driving innovation with the launch of a new service offering: an extended network of on-brand creators available for streamlined, low-cost influencer marketing campaigns. “Over the past two years, we’ve built this extended network of creators who fit the Ours Agency vibe,” Chlöe explains. “The service offering runs campaigns for clients that align with the aesthetic or creators we have on board.”

Rather than brands dictating terms, the agency’s founder reveals creators in the network pitch themselves for relevant partnership opportunities. “We’re letting the creators pitch themselves to work with the brand, not the other way around,” says Chlöe. “That way, you’re tapping into people who already align with and are fans of the brand. The content will be authentic because they want to work with that partner.”

By carefully vetting clients and creators, Ours Agency ensures ideal matches for campaigns utilizing their new network model. “We’re only working with clients that align with that network of creators,” Chlöe notes.

As for what sets her young, dynamic team apart, she cites their nontraditional approach and constant pulse on trends. But most importantly, “Relationships are crucial to what we’ve built. We want to work with good people—whether clients or the influencers we represent. We expect that from everyone, too,” Chlöe says.

The new service unlocks seamless access to a highly relevant pool of creators for brands while providing steady opportunities for influencers pre-vetted as ideal fits for Ours Agency’s cultivated clientele.