Clark Influence, an agency founded in Montreal seven years ago by Nicolas Bon and Vincent Bronner, connects brands with social media creators to craft authentic, data-driven campaigns. 

The company has quickly expanded to Paris and Toronto, serving clients in the food, travel, and finance sectors, among other sectors. Its operations go beyond matchmaking, employing creative strategists who work directly with influencers to develop compelling content.

At the helm of this expansion is Marie-Josée Cadorette, General Manager and Partner at the Toronto office.

With two decades of traditional advertising experience across three continents, Marie-Josée pivoted to digital marketing in her 40s after becoming concerned about the increasingly uncertain future of traditional advertising.

This concern led her to join Clark Influence. The agency is capitalizing on the growing influencer marketing sector through a human-centric approach. 

“We’re not automated,” Marie-Josée explains. “Our role goes beyond connecting brands and talents.”

Clark Influence launched Canada’s first Code of Ethics for creators and marketers last year. The code addresses burning transparency and sustainability issues in a sector often criticized for lacking regulation.

This code, which creators can pledge to follow, is overseen by a committee of brand representatives, agency professionals, and creators. The goal is to reinforce the document as the industry changes.

Marie-Josée notes that many harmful practices are being covered, but many beautiful things are happening that are not. “I feel that this code of ethics is going to contribute in its way to help [address] that,” she adds.

In an in-depth conversation, Marie-Josée explains how Clark Influence leverages data without compromising identity, nurtures creator relationships, and predicts the future of influencer marketing.

Data’s Role in Clark Influence’s Approach to Creator Campaigns

Clark Influence offers a range of services centered on influencer marketing and the creator economy. 

“We have a small in-house studio where we create content for our clients,” Marie-Josée explains. “We also do many UGC campaigns and hold events with influencers.”

Data plays a crucial role in Clark Influence’s operations. 

“We leverage data at absolutely every stage of the campaign to ensure that it’s effective,” Marie-Josée notes. 

This data-heavy approach informs influencer selection, performance measurement, and strategy refinement. However, the agency balances analytics with the content’s authentic flavor. 

“We also balance it with a commitment to authentic storytelling by empowering influencers and creators to create content in their voice,” Marie-Josée reveals.

Vincent Bronner, Marie-Josée Cadorette, and Nicolas Bon

When aligning influencers with brand values, Clark Influence promotes creative freedom and encourages creators to interpret the brief they receive in their own way. 

According to Marie-Josée, this helps maintain the creator’s unique style while delivering the client’s message.

“We’re choosing creators not only for their data and stats but also because of their creative style,” she says, adding that the strategy ensures campaigns resonate with audiences while achieving objectives.

Nurturing Creator Relationships

Clark Influence prioritizes building solid and enduring relationships with creators beyond professional engagements. 

“We often do after-work events where we invite creators to come to the office and talk about specific topics,” Marie-Josée elaborates. 

The agency also hosts gatherings where niche influencers are invited to showcase their skills.

Clark’s team regularly monitors creators’ profiles to stay informed about their lives because, as Marie-Josée says, “it’s going to impact their content.” 

The agency also maintains close relationships with talent agents to ensure they offer partnerships aligned with creators’ current situations.

A standout campaign exemplifying Clark’s approach targeted Gen Z for belairdirect, an insurance company. Recognizing the challenge of engaging young adults with insurance, Clark created a TikTok campaign featuring a branded effect inspired by retro video games.

“We created this game where they need to drive a car, and there are obstacles on the road,” Marie-Josée explains. “The more insured you manage to get along the way as you drive, the easiest the game becomes.”

Image: belairdirect campaign

The campaign, involving 14 creators, garnered over 827 million views on TikTok. Marie-Josée attributes its success to “a powerful insight of what is going to talk to them, what’s going to help them understand the importance.”

Education, Innovation, and the Future of Creator Campaigns

To stay ahead of industry trends, Clark Influence employs a team of creative strategists who regularly update the agency on emerging platforms and content styles. 

“Every month, they put together a large deck of emerging trends, all the things that you should know about social media, and they present that to us,” Marie-Josée tells us.

Addressing common misconceptions, the exec highlights two main issues: brand safety concerns and underestimating the cost of creator content. 

“There’s a lot of education to be done,” she notes, highlighting the need to explain background checks and fair compensation for creators.

For brands looking to stand out, Marie-Josée advises focusing on the right social media platform for their needs. 

“TikTok is an entertainment platform,” she says. “Depending on the message, you need to make sure that you use the tone and codes of that platform to deliver your message.”

Looking to the future, Marie-Josée sees several trends shaping influencer marketing. Beyond AI, she points to advanced analytics informing creator selection and campaign measurement. 

She also notes increasing collaboration between creators and traditional media: “It’s giving more reach and legitimacy to influencers, but it also provides traditional media with some fresh influx of talents and creativity.”

Lastly, Marie-Josée points out the growing importance of social commerce and shoppable content, predicting these features will become “very prominent” in influencer marketing.

As for Clark Influence, the agency has set its sights on two key areas for future growth and development: doubling down on promoting responsible influencer marketing practices and building upon its existing code of ethics. 

Marie-Josée reveals they aim to amplify communication and raise awareness around these ethical standards within the industry. 

Simultaneously, Clark Influence is growing in the U.S. market. With increasing North American clients turning to their services, the agency is considering opening a fourth office in the coming years to support this expansion.