We’ve all seen the power of user-generated content in action back in 2020, when Nathan Apodaca posted a TikTok of himself riding a longboard while sipping a bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice and lip-synching to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” The video went viral, bottles of Ocean Spray flew off the shelves, and the song, which was released in the 70s, hit the top of the iTunes charts. As of this post, the video has been viewed over 94 million times on TikTok.
Authentic content like this packs a very powerful punch when it comes to influencing viewers. I see it myself on LinkedIn – my scrappy fireside chat videos recorded on location at ECRM Sessions using my iPhone and a tripod (which have very minimal editing) get far more engagement than any professionally done promotional video I might post.
However, creating content is my job. It’s what I do all day, every day. Most emerging CPG brands don’t have the resources to create such organic content at scale.
Brooklyn-based Crafted is looking to change that. The company provides a service that helps brands create their own user-generated content at scale to drive sales of CPG products at the store shelves by enlisting an army of local influencers that create authentic content around their brands. I had the opportunity to chat with Crafted’s Co-Founder Sarah Nesheim to learn a bit more about the power of user-generated content and how they work with brands with a turnkey solution that takes a lot of the busywork off their hands (see our full video interview below).
What is user-generated content and why does it work?
User-generated content refers to short-form videos created by real users, creators, or influencers. Unlike polished, branded content, user-generated content feels raw, authentic, and relatable—qualities that consumers increasingly value. This content may come from everyday people, not just influencers, and speaks directly to consumers in a way that feels organic rather than staged.
“It doesn’t technically have to mean an actual customer-generated video, although it can be,” says Nesheim. “Why this matters is because any style of short-form video that is a little unpolished just goes over so much better than highly-produced content these days. That person doesn’t have to be a celebrity like a Mr. Beast, they just need to be a real person speaking authentically about the product.”
How can CPG brands leverage user-generated content?
The challenge for many brands, especially emerging ones, lies in sourcing and managing this type of content at scale. Many brands initially start by manually searching for and reaching out to creators on platforms like TikTok or Instagram, but this approach quickly becomes time-consuming and inefficient.
“Let’s say they are launching at Target, for example,” says Nesheim. “If they were to do this in the scrappiest way possible, they would search TikTok and Instagram for creators and then reach out to folks that may be a fit. Then once you find the right creators, you have to negotiate with each and deal with all of the logistical issues on your own. As you can imagine, it can quickly become a full-time job. On the other hand, a brand can hire an influencer agency to do this for them, but the cost can quickly become prohibitive.”
Crafted takes all of this busywork off of a brand’s plate,by vetting creators, automating rate negotiations, and managing the entire content creation workflow for them. The company has already onboarded hundreds of creators around the country onto its platform – creators who are already excited about CPG brands, so when they log on, they search through the available campaigns and hand-pick the ones that interest them the most. Their rates are pre-set based on their historic and projected viewership; it’s all standardized and performance-base
For brands on the platform, it’s a simple, five-step process:
1. Users post brief with talking points, target locations and a digital rebate landing page to track attribution
2. They then select which creators they would like to use
3. Drafts are reviewed
4. The content goes live
5. Users collect data on the content’s performance
“Once a brand approves a creator, they give them a budget via the Crafted platform to buy the product in the store,” says Nesheim. “They don’t have to deal with payments or receipts – we handle all of that. Once the creator makes the video, they upload their draft, and the brand can approve it or request revisions. Once the video is posted, all of the metrics are available in real time.”
The process helps the brand keep all of the work in-house, with control over the content and creators, and provides a means of open, direct communication between the brand and the creator.
Extending the reach of user-generated content
Once this content is created, brands have numerous ways to use and repurpose it. Brands receive usage rights in perpetuity for all content created through the Crafted platform. This means brands can:
- Run paid ads on platforms like Meta, TikTok, or even Google.
- Leverage retail media networks such as Instacart, Target’s Roundel, Walmart Connect, and Amazon, which are all moving towards video-first content.
- Post organically on brand social media accounts or embed UGC on product pages and in email campaigns.
This multi-channel repurposing ensures brands extract maximum value from each piece of content. “The sky’s the limit as far as how you can repurpose the content,” says Nesheim. “That’s why striking the balance of authenticity and the brand’s messaging is crucial, because you can really get as much juice out of the squeeze as possible with all of the platforms on which you can amplify this content.”
Why this matters to retailers
At ECRM Sessions, as well as in meetings that come from RangeMe connections, one question retailers almost always ask is how a brand will support sales and drive traffic into the store once their product is on the shelf. User-generated content at the store-level (particularly content generated that directs consumers to the store) is a great way to do this.
“You can geofence a campaign,” says Nesheim. “When you are setting up a campaign, you can select specific regions to make sure that only creators who live in those regions can participate. You can also check the audience demographics to make sure that most of the retailer’s target consumers live in that region. A good example of this is a kid’s electrolyte brand we are working with that launched at Sprouts Farmers Market, which isn’t in every state.”
Crafted enables brands to reach as broadly as possible – such as targeting influencers nationwide for a launch at Walmart, for example, or as narrow as one particular market for a single-store promotion. While user-generated content works well across various categories of products, Crafted’s primary focus is on products sold through brick-and-mortar retailers. Food and beverage brands, beauty products, and home goods are prime candidates.
The company has also worked with some restaurants as well, helping to leverage this content to help boost guest traffic.
Getting started
For brands interested in launching a user-generated content campaign with Crafted, the process is straightforward. First they will need the following:
- A list of stores where their products are available.
- Product details, including links to product pages or packaging images.
- A well-thought-out creative brief that outlines brand positioning, target audience, and content guidelines.
With this foundation, Crafted helps brands onboard the brand to the platform, launch campaigns, select creators, and monitor performance metrics.
User-generated content it’s a vital tool for connecting with consumers and driving sales in today’s digital-first landscape. If your business is just local, you can test the waters out with some friends in the neighborhood, and have them pick up your products at the local retailer and post about it. But if you expand your distribution into new markets via RangeMe and ECRM, you may need some help getting the “local” feel in other areas.
When you reach this point, solutions such as Crafted could help you expand your reach, while still keeping that authenticity.