In a digital world where influencer marketing often gravitates towards mega-stars and coastal elites, one Chicago-based agency is zigging while others zag. VRAI Digital, the brainchild of industry maverick Molly Tracy, is turning heads by supporting mid-tier creators from America’s heartland with its data-obsessed approach. From transforming newsletters into growth engines to creating a venture fund that could upend traditional payment models, VRAI Digital is writing a new playbook for the virtual age. In this interview, Molly peels back the curtain on her contrarian strategies and offers a glimpse into a future where creators aren’t just campaign faces but creative forces shaping brands from the inside out.

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Molly’s journey in the industry began on the brand side, where she spent eight years developing strategic influencer marketing campaigns for lifestyle brands. Then, a need for change appeared. “I felt like working with women on the talent side, my job just became meaningful,” Molly explains. “If I can make these women [she worked with] money directly and pay for their mortgage and their kids’ college fund… that adds meaning to what we’re doing in this marketing space.”

In 2018, she switched to talent management, founding VRAI with a mission to empower creators and add meaning to her work in marketing. With 12 years of experience in influencer marketing, she’s focused on mid-tier creators, particularly those based outside the coastal hubs of Los Angeles and New York.

VRAI primarily represents female creators, with Molly noting, “We do have one token male on the roster.” The agency aims to expand creators’ digital footprints and grow their businesses while allowing them to focus on content creation and community building.

Despite the challenges of scaling a commission-based business, Molly remains committed to strategic growth. She emphasizes the importance of personality fit when bringing on new talent, stating, “We do a lot of vibe checks [when] we’re bringing in new talent.”

How VRAI Digital Handles Talent Management

VRAI Digital stands out through its boutique approach and personalized management style in influencer marketing. Molly personally manages all talent and fosters close relationships with her clients.

“We are highly ingrained in our clients’ businesses,” she explains. “I know their families. I’ve gone to their home for dinner and their kids’ birthday parties… we are very sort of like tight-knit roster here.”

This intimate approach allows VRAI to offer tailored management services that larger agencies may struggle to provide. Molly emphasizes the importance of kindness in her business strategy, stating, “I try to operate my business from a real place of kindness. I think strategy and kindness in this industry can and should be melded together.”

According to Molly, VRAI’s proactive pitching strategy secures about 80% of its clients’ businesses, representing another key differentiator. She attributes her ability to craft compelling pitches to her experience in brand-side marketing. 

Molly cites a recent collaboration with Dove as an example of successfully landing a dream partnership for a body positivity influencer client.

VRAI’s Data-Driven Approach to Influencer Campaigns

Under Molly’s leadership, VRAI Digital employs a data-centric strategy in managing influencer campaigns, from initial engagement to execution and analysis. The campaign process begins with careful client engagement. Molly advocates allowing the initial brand-influencer connection to occur organically. “I always like my clients to be the first point of contact when a brand reaches out,” she explains. “If a brand is reaching out to your client, you as an agent should allow that connection to happen.”

Once the initial contact is made, VRAI takes over the logistics, handling negotiations, contract reviews, and content approvals. “Our clients are not on email threads. A lot of what we do is honestly copying, pasting back and forth quite a bit,” Molly notes, adding that this approach allows creators to focus on content creation and community building rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks.

VRAI places significant emphasis on data and analytics throughout the campaign process. Molly states, “We pitch a lot from [a] data standpoint. Campaign wrap-up reports are super important.” The agency focuses on conversion metrics, particularly for direct-to-consumer brands, measuring success through sales data and return on ad spend (ROAS).

“We work on many very conversion-focused campaigns,” Molly explains. “We’re measuring sales. We’re measuring performance.” With tangible results, VRAI can provide clear value to both brands and creators.

The agency’s data-driven approach extends to influencer selection as well. Molly describes their pitching strategy as follows: “We sort of pitch from three different data points. We always share organic mentions… We always share insights from those posts… And then lastly, we always send affiliate data when we pitch.”

The CEO believes such a data package allows brands to make informed decisions about partnerships, stating, “The fact that we can showcase that not only [are audiences] familiar with their brand, but they’re already purchasing from your brand with our affiliate data, just makes it that much easier for them to say, ‘Okay, this feels like a worthy risk for us to engage this new creator.’”

AI and Influencers: Embracing New Tools in Content Creation

Molly offers insights into the shifting influencer marketing and her vision for its future. With over a decade of experience, the industry vet has witnessed significant shifts in the creator economy and is positioning her agency to adapt to emerging trends.

One key trend Molly highlights is diversifying platforms and content types. “We work a lot with our clients on what’s trending and the new platforms popping up,” she explains. Molly also reveals the value of owned channels, noting, “I’ve always advocated for owned channels. I think creating content on just borrowed space is just a risky game.”

She expresses particular enthusiasm for Substack as a growing platform for creators. “We have a lot of clients that have moved their newsletter over to Substack,” she says. “I love it because it’s growing a newsletter following… you have your community, but you also have a built-in discovery tool there.”

Regarding the role of AI in the industry, Molly sees potential benefits for creators despite initial hesitancy. “I think that creators are slightly scared to lean into AI. And I think you can use some really valuable tools for your content strategy,” she states, citing examples like using AI to optimize social bios for casting opportunities.

Looking to the future, Molly anticipates a shift in the relationship between creators and brands. “I think you’re going to see creators become creative directors for brands,” she predicts. “You’re going to see them have a say in product rollout and company policies.”

The entrepreneur also calls for changes within the industry, particularly in streamlining the content creation process. She critiques overly lengthy brand briefs and excessive pre-production requirements for influencer content. “We’re not pricing it to give you a full script ahead of time. We’re pricing it as if we were giving you a concept, and you’re approving it,” she explains.

Ultimately, Molly advocates for greater trust between brands and creators. “Everyone is going to tell you just to put more trust in creators and let them kind of bring this to life,” she says. “No one wants to do bad work.”

VRAI’s Future: Growth, Impact, and Venture Funding

Molly outlines ambitious plans for VRAI Digital’s future, balancing growth with the agency’s boutique identity. She aims to expand the roster by about five more creators, focusing on those “doing really interesting things” and “have something to say.” The founder emphasizes working with influencers who use their platforms to address meaningful issues.

Looking beyond traditional influencer management, Molly reveals plans to launch a venture fund for the agency. Drawing from her experience as an angel investor, she sees this as a natural evolution in the creator economy. “I see that as the future of the creator economy is creators exchanging content for equity versus just flat fee payments,” Molly concludes.