Creator + NIL Partnership Campaign

Written By Evan McGee

The Challenge

We wanted to find a better way to get our journalism in front of younger local audiences—without relying on traditional ads that people scroll past or ignore.

At the same time, we were looking for ways to position our brands as more connected to the cities we cover and the communities shaping them every day.

Our Approach

Instead of forcing audiences to come to us, we partnered with creators who already had their trust and attention.

The key was making every partnership feel natural. Rather than handing influencers generic talking points, we tailored each collaboration around the kind of content they already make and the audience they already speak to.

That meant:

  • Food creators promoting dining coverage

  • Realtors breaking down growth and development stories

  • Athletes talking about the impact of sports journalism

  • Texas history creators sharing weird local stories and newsletters

The goal wasn’t just reach—it was relevance.

Who we partnered with

Austin Creators

  • forrestfromtexas — Seventh-generation Texan focused on quirky state history, helped promote our Think Texas newsletter.

  • exploreatx_ — Lifestyle creator who highlights things to do and where to eat, helped promote Food & Dining and Events content.

Nashville Creators

  • winedinenashville — Dining influencer partnered with our food reporter to spotlight cheap eats and breweries.

  • nashvillewithcaitlin — Realtor and lifestyle creator who helped us break down major growth and development projects for locals.

  • nashvillehiddengems — Food creator showcased Nashville’s international dining corridor with our reporting team.

NIL Partnerships

As part of this program, we also piloted our first NIL influencer collaborations, leveraging the unique voices of collegiate athletes whose credibility extends far beyond sports.

  • Kelvin Banks — A starting offensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns and future first-round NFL draft pick, Kelvin moonlights as a BBQ reviewer. We paired him with Statesman food critic Matthew Odam to create content around Austin’s BBQ scene—bridging sports, food, and culture in a way that felt authentic to both audiences.

  • Madisen Skinner — A three-time NCAA Volleyball Champion and one of UT’s most recognizable athletes, Madisen partnered with UT beat writer Danny Davis to discuss the role of journalism in her career. From clipping articles as a kid to seeing young fans inspired by coverage today, her story underscored the value of local reporting in shaping community and confidence.

What we made

Across Austin and Nashville, we partnered with 7 creators ranging from NIL athletes to local food experts and lifestyle influencers.

Over the course of the year, we produced 15 short-form videos promoting everything from restaurant coverage and event guides to local history and city development stories.

Each piece ran as both creator-led content and paid media across TikTok and Meta, giving us the benefit of trusted voices and scalable reach.

The Results

  • 25.8M impressions

  • 76K clicks

  • 1.8M video views

  • 15 videos produced

  • 7 influencer partnerships

The Impact

This became one of the most effective ways we found to consistently bring fresh, engaging storytelling into our local media plans.

Beyond the numbers, the partnerships helped position our brands as more plugged into the culture of the cities we cover—not just reporting on Austin and Nashville, but actively participating in the conversations happening there.

And because the content was built around each creator’s voice and audience, it never felt like traditional advertising. It felt local, relevant, and genuinely useful to the people seeing it.

Role: Director of Brand Marketing, Creative Strategist, Producer

Evan McGee