All That Matters Consulting, founded in 2021 by Andy Hochbichler and Kathi Donaczi, is not just riding the influencer marketing wave but making an impact. Drawing from their extensive experience, the co-CEOs have set out to reshape how brands interact with creators. Their vision? To build what they call “creator ecosystems” – a holistic approach that goes beyond traditional influencer collaborations. With a data-driven methodology and a focus on efficient growth, All That Matters is challenging industry norms and delivering impressive results for clients. As the industry expands, this German startup is positioning itself at the forefront of the advancement in influencer marketing.

The duo, who previously worked together at HelloBody, a German beauty startup, founded their agency in late summer 2021. Andy brings a wealth of experience from his time at NYX Professional Makeup, where he spearheaded the brand’s digital presence in Germany. “I launched [the] Instagram account and built up to over 500k followers and was mainly responsible for the influencer activations, brand awareness to launch, to drive to retail,” he explains.

Kathi highlights the gap they identified in the market: “We always had issues that we faced or questions, business-related, growing issues… that at some point we needed to ask ourselves, ‘Is there maybe a sparring partner or a coach or even an agency that can help us to tackle these kinds of issues?’”

Their frustration with existing agencies led to the creation of All That Matters. Kathi notes, “We realized this is something that no one’s offering in Germany or the [DACH] market, but this is something that brands especially need… when they want to scale on social media and influencer marketing.”

The company provides tailored strategies for brands in the influencer market, focusing on efficient growth and lower cash burn rates. “Let’s offer tailor-made strategies within the influencer market and help them grow efficiently and also lower cash burn rates,” Kathi states, encapsulating the company’s mission.

Revamping Influencer Marketing Through Creator Ecosystems

All That Matters positions itself as an innovator in influencer marketing, aiming to set trends rather than follow them. The company’s approach centers on creating “creator ecosystems” for brands. Andy explains, “You must establish creator ecosystems because this is the future of scaling, growing your brand, and influencer marketing.” According to him, this holistic strategy integrates influencer marketing with other aspects of a brand’s digital presence.

Kathi highlights their unique perspective: “We’re coming from the brand side, which means we definitely know the pain points of fast-paced and very fast-growing startups [and] FMCG brands. We think like a brand. We don’t think like an agency.” This approach allows them to function more as an external marketing department for their clients.

The co-founders believe the company’s data-driven methodology sets them apart. “We optimize while the campaign is still running to meet the targets and optimize and even over-achieve targets,” Kathi states, emphasizing their proactive approach to campaign management.

All That Matters also focuses on providing value to influencers and their communities. Kathi notes, “If you want to dominate social media and win that competition between your competitors, you need to think of it as a whole and a 360-degree approach.”

The company conducts “health checks” with brands to assess their readiness for influencer partnerships. “If you have a shitty brand, the influencer cannot fix it. If your conversion rate is bad, the influencer will not fix that,” Kathi explains, adding that such a comprehensive approach ensures that brands are fully prepared to leverage influencer marketing effectively.

Comprehensive Services for Brands and Influencers

All That Matters offers a range of services tailored to the needs of brands in the influencer marketing space. Andy outlines their approach: “We have started with consulting companies and coaching them, giving them strategies to their specific needs and how they could efficiently scale up their business or grow their business.”

The company’s service model has expanded organically. “This boutique agency model has risen from this coaching and consulting field,” Andy explains. Their services now include acting as an external influencer marketing department, executing campaigns, and even taking interim team lead positions to optimize structures within client organizations.

While primarily focused on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), particularly in beauty, skincare, and supplements, All That Matters has successfully branched out into other sectors. Andy notes, “We also, of course, [can] perform in other fields. For instance, Kathi had consulted a dating app where the main KPI would be app downloads.”

The company maintains a vast network of influencers. “We have a network of more than 500 creators. We worked with every big creator in Germany,” Kathi states, noting that the extensive network allows them to match brands with appropriate influencers efficiently.

Andy clarifies their operational model: “We are hired by the brands, but we are the ones who are in touch with the influencers.” He positions All That Matters as an effective intermediary, ensuring optimal outcomes for brands and creators.

Driving Success in Influencer Marketing

All That Matters addresses key challenges creators and brands face in influencer marketing. Kathi highlights a critical issue: “Especially in Germany, we have a very critical audience out there.” The company helps influencers maintain their image by providing comprehensive brand information and ensuring compliance with German regulations.

Andy emphasizes the complexity of the German market: “A job in Germany is very bureaucratic. So there are a lot of different guidelines or regulations to follow compared to other countries.” The agency assists brands and creators in handling these complexities, including music usage rights and health insurance requirements for creators.

The company boasts impressive success stories. Andy recalls their work with Hello Body: “We were scaling up tremendously. High profitability… It was a €300 million exit to Henkel.” He also mentions their collaboration with Tanrevel, a Swedish beauty tech company: “After only three months of collaborating with them, we were able to increase the net revenue by 200%.”

Kathi shares another success story: “We had a DTC startup… that sends CBD products. I was involved for six months with them as a consultant, and we managed to increase profitability by 500%.” She says this case highlights the agency’s ability to navigate complex regulatory environments while driving significant growth.

All That Matters’ Data-Driven Approach 

The startup’s chiefs emphasize the critical role of data and analytics in their respective industries. “We are totally KPI driven,” says Kathi, highlighting their focus on measurable outcomes. The company prioritizes metrics such as net reach, engagement, and click-through rates over less meaningful indicators like follower counts.

Andy explains their nuanced approach to measuring engagement: “We want to watch to generate net reach and the engagement rate closely. Precise measurement of the engagement rate, not just like adding likes and comments, but saying a share or a save of content is worth more than a comment, which is worth more than a like.”

The agency’s approach extends beyond influencer-specific metrics. “We’re checking the entire funnel, of course, because we also want to look into what’s happening with the traffic we’re generating and how we can optimize that traffic into conversion,” Kathi notes.

She emphasizes the complexity of influencer marketing data, likening it to “a matrix… a lot of code that you need to decode and unlock.” The co-founder critiques brands that view influencer marketing as a gamble, stating, “Most of them still feel like it’s a gamble… That’s not how the game works.” 

Employing Holistic Strategies

Andy and Kathi envision a future where influencer marketing turns into creator ecosystems. “We need to think of it holistically,” says Kathi. This approach involves brands building deeper relationships with creators, including product collaborations and leveraging each other’s strengths.

Kathi explains, “Creators have built up a community… but maybe only a few are entrepreneurs. And there are great brands that build companies that have great products, but they need the reach. So why not join forces at this stage?”

Building a Strong, Open-Minded Community is All That Matters

For brands new to influencer marketing, Andy advises, “Be ready for it. And if you don’t know what it means, get support.” He stresses the importance of being open to change and understanding that influencer marketing involves working with people, not just buying media.

Kathi recommends building a strong community for up-and-coming creators rather than chasing virality. “If you want added value to the brand, it will be of much more value to build a community,” she states, explaining that it can lead to long-term brand relationships.

Andy adds a technical tip for creators: “If you do short videos on multiple platforms, make sure not to edit the video within one platform and use that video on others because the algorithm will recognize that and not give you any reach.”

All That Matters aims to help brands implement creator ecosystems to achieve their goals in influencer marketing. Andy invites brands to explore this concept: “We look forward to implementing those created ecosystems for you in case you want to grow in the area successfully.”

Kathi concludes by highlighting the company’s growth and readiness for future challenges: “We are growing very fast at the moment, building up a great team. And we are ready for everything that comes ahead and lies ahead.”