gen.video CEO Jessica Thorpe is riding high after her company won two silver recognitions at the U.S. Partnership Awards for innovative influencer marketing campaigns. The company earned the silver “Best Influencer Marketing Partnership” award for inspiring creativity for Lenovo and Microsoft’s premium laptops across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The “Best Content Partnership” award highlighted gen.video’s work engaging diverse creators through the “Sam Kolder x World Lens Challenge” campaign.

“gen.video sits at the intersection of influencer and affiliate and commerce,” Jessica says. “So the U.S. Partnership Awards are a great platform for us to showcase the breadth of work we do for customers – the commitment to delivering results and outcomes, not just searching for that next viral video.”

The awarded campaigns highlighted gen.video’s expertise in the consumer electronics space. “We do a lot of work across consumer electronics —these higher-ticket items are not impulse-bought after a TikTok video,” Jessica explains. What’s exciting is the creativity-progress campaign we did with Lenovo and Microsoft allows us to engage diverse creators and let their stories shine. And through our measurement tools and retail distribution, we can see online and in-store sales impact.”

She continues, “This multi-platform, omni-channel approach allows us to reach specific audiences with relevant messages. YouTube was educational, teaching people to use new tech creatively. TikTok and Instagram had shorter slices of life, showing how laptops inspire creativity on the go. And the content on Walmart was designed to give that nudge to add to cart and buy.”

The Creative Vision Behind gen.video’s Award-Winning Work

For the “Creativity as Progress Campaign” with Lenovo and Microsoft, gen.video took a unique approach to creator selection and content direction. “We were not looking for the traditional unboxing or product review,” explains Jessica. “We really wanted to lean into creators’ passions and allow them to develop something endemic to their channel—natural and aligned with their creative interests.”

The full-funnel campaign included organic posts, paid media, and content syndicated to retailers. “We thought about how to ensure customers looking for brand info could find it through this creative, influencer-led content,” Jessica says. “Our objective was showcasing how Lenovo’s premium, lightweight laptops fueled creativity, and Microsoft’s built-in tools took things to the next level – ultimately driving interest for both product lines.”

As the company’s CEO reveals, the creative vision came from gen.video’s experienced account team. “Finding influencers trying to educate and share their passion was foundational. We looked one level deeper for creators pushing bounds, using AI tools to enhance their creativity while giving back through tips and educational content.”

“A lot of the YouTube content guides using the product for work while sharing peer advice,” Jessica adds. The sense of community was important – the team identified influencers with that educational, community-driven approach that let the content resonate.”

By tapping into creators’ enthusiasm and ability to inspire, gen.video crafted an innovative, multi-platform campaign showcasing how Lenovo and Microsoft empower the creative process from start to finish.

The Key to Truly Engaging Content

“It starts with being truthful and authentic. You can’t really deep-fake true human experiences,” states Jessica. 

She believes the beauty of working with creators lies in finding partners who are genuinely interested in and able to speak truthfully about a brand in a way that feels authentic to their channel and voice. “Never compromise on that,” the entrepreneur advises. When you don’t, it’s really easy to meet people where they’re at—whether you’re changing their perception, making them laugh, or getting them to make a purchase.”

According to Jessica, impactful content stems from powerful storytelling paired with the right creator-brand fit. “It starts with great storytelling and finding the right partner in the creator for the brand. Seeing that come to life is really powerful,” the gen.video chief explains. “Being able to do that day in and day out for our clients is what really excites me.”

She makes a strong case that in the increasingly AI-driven world of content, there is no substitute for the raw authenticity and relatable human experiences that skilled creators can deliver when they genuinely connect with a brand’s story and mission.