A new report from Nielsen affirmed what we’ve always felt: Black influencers create the cool.
The Black Creator Impact Report took a deep dive into metrics comparing Black creators’ reach and influence to their non-black counterparts and found that they outperformed all other non-Black groups in follower growth, interaction and media value. Despite this, Black creators are still under paid, overlooked and uncredited for their considerable cultural contributions.
Taylar Barrington-Booker has been aware of this for quite some time.
Beginning in journalism, teaching, then influencer marketing, and finally consulting for companies like Hyatt, Nielsen, Samsung, Verizon, and Kraft Foods, Barrington-Booker long held a deep understanding of the power of Black storytelling and how it was paradigm-shifting. In 2021, she converged her passion for brand strategy and Black empowerment to launch Agency Cliquish, a full-service management agency exclusively for Black digital creators.
Over Juneteenth weekend, the company formally unveiled its client roster, which consists of digital creators with a reach that spans millions.
This was intentional.
“After the murder of George Floyd, I made the decision to focus solely on Black creators with the mission to develop the next class of Black wealth through digital brands by focusing on impact and dollars,” she tells ESSENCE.
In just two years Agency Cliquish has represents creatives in the lifestyle, beauty, fashion, culture, and wellness sectors and has brokered partnerships with LVMH, Givenchy, YSL, Amazon, ULTA, Lincoln, Nordstrom, Nike, L’Oreal, Fenty, Neutrogena, Netflix, and among many more.
“We were founded in 2021, but up until this point, we’ve not really moved any digital channels,” she explained. “We really have built the agency the old school way, really built relationships, took meetings, really dove into our expertise and what we know to make a lot of things happen. But we’re planning to launch our channels this summer and by that our official web, our social, our LinkedIn, and really start being a voice in the space, in the influencer marketing space for black talent.
The official rollout kicked off with a beautiful video project that highlighted the unique connection Black creators have with their audiences.
“To this day, we only serve Black talent across about a dozen verticals,” she said. :And it has just been such a beautiful experience to not only be an advocate in the space, but to be a champion, to really bring these opportunities to them that they just didn’t know A, existed, but B, that they can make this type of money and income from being themselves unapologetically.”
Speaking of compensation, this points to the agency’s mission of earning $50M for Black influencers in the next three years, a goal that shouldn’t be as lofty as it is since Black creators drive deep cultural impact but make 35% less than white creators.
Barrington-Booker points out that one of the reasons for the disparity is a disproportionate allocation of resources for Black content producers.
“I think a lot of the disconnect is the fact that a lot of Black creators don’t have management,” she said. “One of the advantages of signing with the management team is that we have a really full understanding of market rates and subsequent pay. And we advocate for what they deserve. Those relationships and partners, we have them and are able to be that through line Black talent needs to amplify their careers.”
She added: “Black creators drive everything and we make sure they receive the literal and cultural currency they deserve.”