In influencer advertising, standing out requires extra than simply leaping on tendencies – it’s about delivering one thing that cuts by way of the noise and captures consideration. Enter DAH! Artisan Yogurts, a model within the crowded well being and wellness house was decided to make its mark. Regardless of having an in-house influencer program, they couldn’t fairly crack the code for creating the extent of buzz wanted to rise above the competitors.
That’s the place Get Hyped got here in. They didn’t simply hit the bottom operating—they first took a deep dive into DAH!’s current influencer methods, pinpointing gaps and areas for enchancment. Then, Get Hyped crafted a viral marketing campaign that didn’t simply contain influencers; it partnered with the influencers.
The consequence? A marketing campaign that blew up on-line with a 9.7% engagement charge and over 100 movies and pictures that had the social media world buzzing. It was a first-rate instance of how influencer advertising, when accomplished proper, doesn’t simply increase engagement—it drives huge model consciousness, positioning DAH! Artisan Yogurts as a real participant within the wellness recreation.
And this marketing campaign? It didn’t simply showcase the facility of influencer advertising—it highlighted the kind of strategic brilliance that the highest SF influencer advertising businesses convey to the desk. These businesses are led by leaders who’re redefining the panorama with cutting-edge campaigns and an uncanny capability to attach manufacturers with the suitable influencers.
These {industry} leaders know learn how to flip a great marketing campaign right into a game-changer, and their experience is precisely what manufacturers must rise above the noise in in the present day’s aggressive digital house.
High 9 CEOs of Influencer Advertising and marketing Corporations in San Francisco
San Francisco is house to a few of the most visionary influencer advertising CEOs and main businesses that flip concepts into viral actions. These {industry} pioneers don’t simply comply with tendencies—they create them, driving actual impression for manufacturers worldwide.
1. Andy Berkenfield
Andy Berkenfield is a seasoned chief who has formed Duncan Channon into probably the most revolutionary businesses in San Francisco, significantly within the influencer advertising house. As CEO and accomplice for over 25 years, Andy has pushed the company’s strategic imaginative and prescient and cemented its status as a inventive powerhouse. Below his management, Duncan Channon has constantly earned accolades, together with being named Advert Age’s Company of the 12 months 4 instances.
Earlier than his tenure at Duncan Channon, Andy honed his abilities at FCB/San Francisco, main high-profile campaigns for Taco Bell, Levi’s, and Sega’s $100 million Dreamcast launch. This expertise laid the muse for his dynamic strategy to advertising, mixing conventional promoting experience with cutting-edge digital methods.
A pivotal second in Andy’s profession got here with the launch of DCLA, the company’s influencer advertising division. As one of many first to acknowledge the potential of influencers within the advertising combine, Andy positioned DCLA as a trailblazer within the house, working with main manufacturers like Nintendo and Citibank. His knack for tapping into rising tendencies has saved Duncan Channon forward of the curve within the ever-evolving panorama of digital and social media advertising.
Past his skilled achievements, Andy’s various pursuits—from his fluency in French to his ardour for images and crossfit—convey a novel perspective to his management. His mix of creativity, strategic perception, and {industry} foresight has made him a standout CEO within the influencer advertising area. For anybody seeking to perceive the way forward for advertising, Andy Berkenfield is a reputation that continues to affect and encourage.
2. Chuck McBride
Because the Founder and Chief Inventive Officer of Cutwater, McBride leads a powerhouse company that turns manufacturers into channels and prospects into followers. With places of work in San Francisco and New York, Cutwater is redefining fashionable promoting by way of a daring mixture of storytelling, technique, and influencer advertising.
McBride’s profession reads like a spotlight reel of promoting’s biggest hits. From creating the Ray-Ban “By no means Cover” marketing campaign, which helped propel the model to world dominance, to shaping Nike’s legendary “Simply Do It” relaunch, his work has influenced a few of the world’s most iconic manufacturers. Below his management, Cutwater has led revolutionary influencer-driven campaigns for manufacturers like San Francisco Bay Espresso and Harvest Snaps, proving that authenticity and creativity win in in the present day’s market.
However McBride isn’t simply in regards to the massive concepts—he’s about bringing them to life. His company’s influencer advertising efforts transcend social tendencies, tapping into cultural actions and actual human connections. As a keynote speaker on the Bend Design Convention, he’s shared his philosophy on how creativity drives enterprise, providing a uncommon mix of artistry and technique that few can match.
Earlier than founding Cutwater, McBride held prime inventive roles at TBWAChiatDay, Wieden+Kennedy, and Goodby Silverstein & Companions, the place he labored on every thing from Levi’s and Lexus to Adidas and PlayStation. His work has not solely formed manufacturers however has additionally earned industry-wide recognition, together with Cannes Lions and AdAge Company of the 12 months awards.
3. Eric Facas
Facas’s journey to main probably the most impactful businesses within the nonprofit house is nothing in need of spectacular. Media Trigger, his prized possession, is a mission-driven advertising powerhouse that helps nonprofits and social impression organizations amplify their voices and drive actual change. From securing purchasers just like the It Will get Higher Mission to delivering 300+ hours of pro-bono providers in a single yr, his work proves that advertising is usually a power for good.
Earlier than Media Trigger, he co-founded Tallwave, a digital enterprise accelerator, and spent 5 years at Google, the place he performed a key position in launching the AdWords API program, incomes him a prestigious EMG/Founder’s Award. His experience in digital technique and efficiency advertising has formed the way in which nonprofits navigate an more and more complicated digital panorama.
However his affect doesn’t cease at advertising. Facas can be the creator of Rally Starter, a digital advocacy platform designed to assist anybody construct actions for change, and he co-hosts the “If Not Us” podcast, the place he spotlights people making a constructive impression on the earth.
Below his management, Media Trigger has grown to a workforce of 60+ workers, gained 22 {industry} awards, and continues to set the usual for the way influencer advertising, digital technique, and social good can intersect.
4. Peter Finn
Peter Finn has managed to develop FINN Companions into one of many world’s largest, unbiased advertising and communications corporations with 1,300+ workers throughout 34 places of work on three continents. As a worldwide advertising powerhouse, Peter has dabbled within the ever-evolving world of influencer advertising, the place in a surprisingly quick period of time, he’s setting the bar excessive.
Below Finn’s management, the company has mastered the artwork and science of influencer advertising, crafting campaigns that prioritize authenticity, viewers engagement, and ROI. Whether or not it’s branded content material, social activations, or experiential occasions, FINN Companions ensures manufacturers join with the suitable voices to amplify their message.
However what makes Finn’s strategy totally different? Relationships. FINN Companions has cultivated long-term connections with influencers, media, and {industry} leaders worldwide, turning influencer advertising right into a strategic asset moderately than only a pattern. His imaginative and prescient has helped the company safe main {industry} accolades, together with recognition as PRWeek Energy Record honoree in 2023, a testomony to his daring management and revolutionary development methods.
Earlier than founding FINN Companions in 2011, Finn spent almost three many years at Ruder Finn, the place he sharpened his experience in model technique, public relations, and digital advertising. In the present day, his company has grown to $196 million in annual charges, proving {that a} dedication to significant advertising and real affect is a profitable system.
5. Amra & Elma Beganovich
Amra and Elma Beganovich are the Co-brains of the operations behind Amra & Elma. This dynamic duo has constructed a digital advertising empire, leveraging their very own 2 million+ followers to assist manufacturers join with audiences in genuine, high-impact methods.
With backgrounds in economics, legislation, and world finance, Amra and Elma took an unconventional path to the world of influencer advertising. However their experience in data-driven technique, enterprise growth, and inventive storytelling has made them go-to companions for Fortune 500 giants like LVMH, Nestlé, Johnson & Johnson, Uber, and Procter & Gamble. Their company’s secret? A singular strategy that blends AI-driven influencer choice, pattern forecasting, and highly effective model storytelling—guaranteeing each marketing campaign isn’t simply seen, however remembered.
What units them aside is their twin perspective—as each entrepreneurs and influencers, they perceive what actually resonates with digital audiences. Their campaigns span social media, branded content material, PR, website positioning, and experiential advertising, making them a one-stop store for influencer-led model development.
Their success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Forbes, Enterprise Insider, Bloomberg, and The Wall Road Journal have all acknowledged Amra & Elma as leaders in digital advertising, whereas Yahoo Information credit them with shaping the way forward for influencer-driven promoting.
6. Gustav Lindell & Race Johnson
Gustav Lindell and Race Johnson are one other duo that is redefining influencer advertising at scale. As co-founders of Pixly, they’ve constructed an company that thrives on information, inventive execution, and performance-driven influencer activations. Since launching in 2017, Pixly has executed over 25,000 sponsored activations, producing 20 billion+ video views and operating 500+ campaigns month-to-month—numbers that show they know learn how to flip affect into impression.
Lindell, Pixly’s CEO, leads the company’s strategic course, advertiser partnerships, and firm development. With over seven years of expertise in digital promoting, he’s developed a eager capability to merge know-how with influencer advertising, serving to manufacturers scale their attain with precision and authenticity.
Johnson, Pixly’s COO, oversees product growth, operational development, and strategic partnerships. With a background in cellular advertising relationship again to 2012, he’s performed a important position in optimizing the company’s infrastructure, guaranteeing manufacturers join with the suitable influencers on the proper time, on the suitable platforms.
Their shopper roster speaks volumes—Pixly has collaborated with Epic Video games, miHoYo, Opera, Manscaped, Casetify, and plenty of extra, serving to them faucet into YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and Instagram with customized influencer campaigns that drive measurable outcomes.
7. Jon Davids
Jon David understood the potential of YouTube as a brand-building machine again in 2011. This foresight has taken him down the influencer advertising path with Influicity, the place he is the founder and CEO. Since his time on the helm, David’s has constructed one of many earliest influencer advertising businesses.
Davids’ journey into digital advertising began early. In school, he constructed a web based journal, monetized it with digital advertisements, and bought it to a significant writer in 2009. However as a substitute of coasting on that success, he noticed the following massive alternative: influencers. By 2015, he launched Influicity, and since then, his company has labored with Warner Bros, Walmart, Financial institution of America, and different main manufacturers, proving that strategic influencer campaigns can drive critical ROI.
However Influicity isn’t nearly influencers—it’s about proudly owning affect. Below Davids’ management, the company has expanded into podcast manufacturing, social media development methods, paid media campaigns, and AI-powered content material advertising. And with over 100 manufacturers in its portfolio, Influicity continues to push the boundaries of recent advertising.
Past operating a top-tier company, Davids is a content material machine himself. He hosts the podcast Making It with Jon Davids (now a prime 10 advertising podcast worldwide) and is a sought-after keynote speaker, sharing insights on development, branding, and digital technique.
8. Nader Alizadeh
What occurs when Fortune 500 corporations belief you with all their influencer advertising want? Nicely, you get to name your self the pioneer of the {industry}. That is precisely who Nader Alizadeh is – the Co-founder and CEO of Linqia.
Earlier than launching Linqia, Alizadeh was already a trailblazer in digital engagement. As Senior Vice President and co-founder of Lithium Applied sciences, he performed a key position in shaping social CRM options that helped manufacturers like Greatest Purchase, Sony, and PayPal faucet into on-line communities for development.
Since founding Linqia in 2012, Alizadeh has led the company to work with over 650 purchasers, together with Clorox, McDonald’s, Anheuser-Busch, Normal Motors, and Bayer. Below his management, Linqia has run hundreds of profitable influencer campaigns, proving that influencer advertising isn’t nearly attain—it’s about actual, measurable impression.
What units Linqia aside? Efficiency-based influencer advertising. Alizadeh’s imaginative and prescient has formed Linqia right into a platform the place manufacturers don’t simply hope for engagement—they pay for precise outcomes. By leveraging AI-powered analytics and precision-matched influencers, Linqia ensures manufacturers get the very best potential ROI on each marketing campaign.
With a 91% CEO approval ranking from his workers, Alizadeh’s management shouldn’t be solely revered but in addition deeply valued by his workforce.
9. Jason Harris
Jason Harris is the pioneering CEO of Mekanism, a San Francisco-based inventive advertising company that has redefined model storytelling by way of its distinctive “Soul + Science” strategy. Based in 2006, Mekanism has turn out to be a powerhouse within the advertising world, working with iconic manufacturers like Peloton, Ben & Jerry’s, and Charles Schwab.
Below Harris’s management, the company has garnered important recognition, together with Impartial Company of the 12 months by The Drum and a spot among the many prime 10 Most Efficient Impartial Companies within the U.S.
A thought chief within the {industry}, Harris authored the bestselling e-book “The Soulful Artwork of Persuasion,” which presents insights into influential advertising methods. His methodologies have been so impactful that they are studied at Harvard Enterprise College.
Harris’s affect reaches past company work. He hosts the “Soul & Science” podcast, interviewing main entrepreneurs and exploring model tradition. His dedication to social impression is clear by way of his co-founding of the Inventive Alliance, a bunch of communication specialists devoted to constructive societal change. Just lately acquired by Plus Firm, Mekanism continues to push boundaries in efficiency advertising.
The Visionaries Redefining Affect: San Francisco’s High CEOs of Influencer Advertising and marketing Corporations
In a world the place consideration is essentially the most priceless forex, these CEOs are proving that influencer advertising isn’t nearly tendencies—it’s about strategic impression. From performance-driven influencer corporations to inventive storytelling businesses, they’re shaping the way forward for brand-consumer relationships.
Whether or not by way of AI-powered insights, viral content material, or mission-driven campaigns, every of those leaders is redefining what it means to affect at scale. As manufacturers navigate the evolving digital panorama, these San Francisco-based CEOs proceed to set the usual, proving that the suitable influencer advertising service can flip engagement into actual, measurable success.
Concerning the Writer
Author
Olya Apostolova, an integral author on the gross sales workforce at Influencer Advertising and marketing Hub, brings her distinctive experience to the forefront of our content material creation. She expertly crafts articles that meet our stringent high quality requirements and mirror her deep understanding and experience in social commerce and digital advertising, providing readers priceless insights.
