Kampanji on UGC Creator Matching: Trust Over Aesthetics, Authenticity Before Follower Count

Kampanji on UGC Creator Matching: Trust Over Aesthetics, Authenticity Before Follower Count

When brands first explore user-generated content (UGC), they often bring a list of creators they found themselves—usually ones who mirror the brand’s own polished aesthetic. But according to Adrians Roga of Kampanji, that approach can miss the mark. In a recent interview, Roga shared practical insights on what actually drives results when matching creators to campaigns.

The Problem with Picking Creators Who Look Like the Brand

Roga notes that most brands he speaks with have never used UGC creators before, so they don’t arrive with a list. Instead, they come with a product and a sense that their content isn’t connecting. When they do start searching on their own, they tend to look for creators who look like their brand—same aesthetic, same polished style. But Roga warns that this can be a mistake.

“The creators who actually convert are often the ones who look like the customer, not the brand,” he says. “That’s the shift we try to make early: picking creators based on who the audience trusts, not who matches the mood board.”

This insight challenges the common instinct to prioritize visual consistency over relatability. For brands new to UGC, it’s a reminder that authenticity often outweighs polish.

What to Look for Beyond the Highlight Reel

When evaluating creators, Roga focuses on signals that a typical search might overlook. “How a creator sounds when they’re not being paid,” he explains. “Anyone can make one good-looking video, but I look at their everyday content: do they talk naturally to the camera, do people in their comments actually reply and ask questions, and does their audience feel like real people or just numbers?”

He also checks whether creators have recently promoted competing products. “If a creator praised a rival skincare brand last month, their video for your brand will feel less believable, both to their audience and in your ads.” This due diligence helps ensure that the partnership feels genuine and avoids confusing or alienating viewers.

For brands, these checks can be built into their own vetting process: review a creator’s organic content, scan comment sections for real engagement, and map out recent brand affiliations.

Why Follower Count Matters Less Than People Think

One of the most common mistakes Roga sees is brands overvaluing follower count. “Brands often pick the creator with the biggest audience, but for UGC that matters much less than people think, because the video usually runs on the brand’s own channels and ads, not the creator’s profile,” he says. “What matters is whether they can hold attention in the first three seconds and explain a product in a way that feels honest.”

That said, if a brand wants the creator to post the content on their own profile, audience size matters a lot more, because then the brand is also paying for reach.

Instead of betting everything on one creator, Roga recommends testing multiple options. “Testing three or four different faces and styles almost always teaches a brand more than betting everything on one video.” This iterative approach allows brands to learn what resonates with their audience before scaling spend.

Practical Takeaways for Brands

• Look for creators who resemble your customer, not your brand guidelines. Relatability often drives conversion more than a polished look.
• Audit a creator’s unpaid content. Check for natural delivery, genuine comment engagement, and recent promotions of competing products.
• Prioritize attention and honesty over audience size when the video runs on brand channels. There the first three seconds and an authentic explanation matter most; if the creator posts it on their own profile, reach counts too.
• Test multiple creators. Running a few different faces and styles will yield more insights than a single bet.

For brands navigating the UGC landscape, these principles can help avoid common pitfalls and build more effective creator partnerships. As Roga’s experience shows, the best matches often come from looking beyond surface-level metrics and aesthetics.