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Whalar recognizes that the life of a content creator consists of more than promoting skincare products, conducting fashion hauls and collecting paychecks. In partnership with Logitech For Creators, a brand extension of Logitech committed to empowering all creators, the creator commerce company just launched its own academy, enrolling 12 influencers across the U.S., U.K. and Germany. The program is devoted to uplifting marginalized creators, who are often inequitably paid, more susceptible to shadow bans and boxed out of brand deals when they engage in activism.
According to Whalar chief marketing officer Jamie Gutfreund, the program is completely “platform agnostic,” and she believes its decision to not promote a certain service is what makes it stand out from a growing crowd of academy competitors—one major player being YouTube.
“One of our focal points is making sure creators are taken care of and have the opportunity to build fulfilling careers that are long and fruitful,” said Gutfreund. “We wanted to make sure that they could accelerate that by getting all of the information upfront, as opposed to learning the hard way.”
The agenda includes one-on-one sessions with more experienced creators, as well as seminars that run through contract management, tips on how to handle “PR crises” and mental health management, according to Gutfreund. BBH co-founder and Whalar board chair Sir John Hegarty will bring the academy to a close with an educational session.
Erin Chin, chief marketing officer at Logitech For Creators, says a prime example of creators who could benefit from the program by developing a deeper understanding of copyright law are those who’ve had dances stolen from them—top TikTok creators like Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio have come under fire for adopting dances they’ve found on the platform without crediting the creators behind them. Chin stressed that partnering with Whalar on this program was a “natural, absolute yes.”
“Brands have a responsibility to use our resources to enable a more inclusive and equitable creator ecosystem,” she said. “It’s really one of the fundamental pillars of our Logitech For Creators brand.”
Elevating activists
The program will benefit creators like Samantha Jade Durán, aka @adisabledicon, a young activist who is just starting to get her footing in the creator economy. Other mentees include U.K. creator Jazeena Plays and German creator Sam Sarwari.
As a disability rights advocate, Durán is hoping to popularize her mission of dismantling ableism and disability stereotypes, a feat that can only be fueled by maintaining a better grip on the algorithms on platforms like Instagram. Gutfreund added that helping creators like Durán find a bigger audience is this initiative’s goal.
“Disability rights are something that are very seldomly brought to the table,” said Durán, who believes her disability makes her account more susceptible to shadow bans. “I want to showcase with my account that disabilities don’t look one way. They’re not static—they’re dynamic.”
