MKBHD x Ridge $1 Million Dollar Deal

For the last several years, there has been a “Great Divide” between the entrepreneurial world and the corporate world (at least in the social media realm).

You know exactly what I’m talking about, too. You’ve seen the countless campaigns about quitting your corporate 9-5 job, owning 100% of everything you do and being your own boss.

For a long time, being an entrepreneur or creator meant staying far away from a corporate company UNLESS they were talking sponsorships and brand deals.

Recently, there has been a huge shift in the creator economy and corporate marketing space. The lines between the two are starting to blur and I am so here for it.

That is why I find the $1 million dollar deal between Youtuber Marques Brownlee and wallet company, Ridge, a legendary one.

Marques Brownlee started his YouTube channel (MKBHD) doing technology reviews in 2008. He is now one of the top (maybe even THE top) tech creator at 18 Million YouTube subscribers.

Last year, the CEO of Ridge (an accessories company) made this post on X:

He even outlined what the role would consist of:

In February, they announced that Marques Brownlee would be accepting this deal with the title of Chief Creative Partner, Executive Board Member and Equity Investor.

This deal is pretty iconic for several reasons and it really shows the trajectory of the creator economy and modern day marketing.

The value of personal brands is not a new concept. For decades, we have seen companies hire celebrity spokespeople or mascots. Think of Flo from Progressive or Jake from State Farm. There is a level of credibility and authenticity that just cannot be duplicated with a faceless brand.

In a marketplace that is crowded with thousands of companies selling similar products, the leverage that Ridge will now have is priceless. Marques has a reputation for high standards and high quality in his tech and product reviews. Those same standards will now be associated with Ridge, now that Marques is the face of it.

Building that level of credibility from ground zero could take years, or even decades (especially as a corporate, faceless brand).

Ridge is now also able to create and launch products that are tailored to a specific target audience. And not just a small audience… an audience of 18 million dedicated subscribers and counting.

But this isn’t only just a big deal for Ridge. This is also laying the foundation for the future of brand partnerships with influencers. I really believe we will start to see more creators get opportunities for strategic partnerships that are long-term versus short term deals.

Creators are no longer just seen as Talking Heads on social media. They are now huge assets and have the potential to hold executive level positions in these corporate companies and brands.

Corporate companies should look at strategic partnerships with relevant creators in their industry in order to gain deeper relationships with their consumers.

On the creator side, this deal shows that creators should look for opportunities to strategically partner long-term with brands that align with their own personal brand and target audience.

I love a good win-win situation. Marques is able to focus on what he is good at, which is clearly cultivating his audience and creating high quality content. And Ridge is able to focus on creating and manufacturing high quality products. Both parties are able to benefit from the other doing their job well.

Strategic partnerships like this are a perfect example of the corporate world and the creative world coming together to not only create a better marketplace for consumers, but make a whole lot of money in the process.

See you at the top!

-Sierra Nicole