How Obviously Built a 200,000+ Creator Network (Backed by WPP)
May 24, 2025
Welcome to S3E012 of IMpulse, the Influencer Marketing Podcast — brought to you by Phyllo.
👀 See what you can build with Phyllo: https://www.getphyllo.com/?utm_source...
In this episode, we’re joined by Mae Karwowski, Founder & CEO of Obviously — one of the most tech-forward influencer marketing agencies globally, now backed by WPP. Mae has scaled Obviously from a bootstrap startup to a global agency that runs campaigns with over 200,000 creators for top brands like Google, Amazon, Ulta Beauty, and Facebook.
We dive into how Mae built an AI-driven engine to vet creators at scale, how Obviously balances brand safety with creative freedom, and what brands must know to navigate creator partnerships in 2025. From building tech in-house to pioneering performance-driven influencer strategies, Mae unpacks what scalable influence really looks like today.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. How Obviously scaled to 200K+ creators & runs global campaigns
2. Why influencer vetting is the new hygiene factor
3. How to define “brand-safe” creators in 2025
4. What brands get wrong about creator risk & censorship
5. The “tightrope” of aligning creator authenticity with brand compliance
6. Why AI + humans is the future of influencer background checks
7. Vetting performance vs personality — where to draw the line
8. Micro-influencers vs Celebrities: Who drives more trust?
9. How creators can future-proof their brand partnerships
10. What’s next for influencer marketing compliance
Welcome to S3E012 of IMpulse, the Influencer Marketing Podcast — brought to you by Phyllo.
👀 See what you can build with Phyllo: https://www.getphyllo.com/?utm_source...
In this episode, we’re joined by Mae Karwowski, Founder & CEO of Obviously — one of the most tech-forward influencer marketing agencies globally, now backed by WPP. Mae has scaled Obviously from a bootstrap startup to a global agency that runs campaigns with over 200,000 creators for top brands like Google, Amazon, Ulta Beauty, and Facebook.
We dive into how Mae built an AI-driven engine to vet creators at scale, how Obviously balances brand safety with creative freedom, and what brands must know to navigate creator partnerships in 2025. From building tech in-house to pioneering performance-driven influencer strategies, Mae unpacks what scalable influence really looks like today.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. How Obviously scaled to 200K+ creators & runs global campaigns
2. Why influencer vetting is the new hygiene factor
3. How to define “brand-safe” creators in 2025
4. What brands get wrong about creator risk & censorship
5. The “tightrope” of aligning creator authenticity with brand compliance
6. Why AI + humans is the future of influencer background checks
7. Vetting performance vs personality — where to draw the line
8. Micro-influencers vs Celebrities: Who drives more trust?
9. How creators can future-proof their brand partnerships
10. What’s next for influencer marketing compliance
👀 See what you can build with Phyllo: https://www.getphyllo.com/?utm_source...
In this episode, we’re joined by Mae Karwowski, Founder & CEO of Obviously — one of the most tech-forward influencer marketing agencies globally, now backed by WPP. Mae has scaled Obviously from a bootstrap startup to a global agency that runs campaigns with over 200,000 creators for top brands like Google, Amazon, Ulta Beauty, and Facebook.
We dive into how Mae built an AI-driven engine to vet creators at scale, how Obviously balances brand safety with creative freedom, and what brands must know to navigate creator partnerships in 2025. From building tech in-house to pioneering performance-driven influencer strategies, Mae unpacks what scalable influence really looks like today.
🎯 Key Topics Discussed:
1. How Obviously scaled to 200K+ creators & runs global campaigns
2. Why influencer vetting is the new hygiene factor
3. How to define “brand-safe” creators in 2025
4. What brands get wrong about creator risk & censorship
5. The “tightrope” of aligning creator authenticity with brand compliance
6. Why AI + humans is the future of influencer background checks
7. Vetting performance vs personality — where to draw the line
8. Micro-influencers vs Celebrities: Who drives more trust?
9. How creators can future-proof their brand partnerships
10. What’s next for influencer marketing compliance
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
If you are interested in being a guest on IMpulse: The Influencer Marketing Podcast, please complete this form: fame.so/phl-guest
Connect with us on a deeper level here: https://beacons.ai/getphyllo
Check out what you can do with Phyllo here: https://www.getphyllo.com
Want to get in touch with Phyllo?
contact@getphyllo.com
Connect with us on a deeper level here: https://beacons.ai/getphyllo
Check out what you can do with Phyllo here: https://www.getphyllo.com
Want to get in touch with Phyllo?
contact@getphyllo.com