At Awin’s ThinkTank in Portugal, a panel titled “Influencing the Influencers” brought together Ellie Davies (Awin), Lindsey Gamble (creator economy analyst), Michael Balducci (CreatorIQ), and Frankie Dakin (Gifta) to discuss how brands are engaging with influencers, and where they might be getting it wrong.
One major focus was the role of gifting. Traditionally seen as a low-stakes, low-return tactic, gifting campaigns often suffer from minimal impact and limited engagement.
But Dakin argues that poor performance is less about the format and more about the execution. Gifta boasts a 90% post rate (the industry average is around 30%) across its gifting campaigns by focusing on personalisation, creator fit, and letting go of strict content control.
This idea of relinquishing control was echoed throughout the session.
Unscripted, unpaid influencer content can outperform tightly briefed ads, and it often does, especially when a product genuinely resonates.
Dakin shared an example where a creator combined a gifted cereal with Baileys, creating viral content that a brand would never have greenlit, but ultimately embraced.
Beyond individual campaigns, Gamble encouraged brands to stop viewing creators solely as distribution channels. Instead, he suggested treating them as a distinct consumer segment: one that can offer feedback, drive product discovery, and influence brand direction.
Used well, gifting can support this, offering not just reach, but insight.
You can watch our follow-up interview with Frankie Dakin below, where we explore these ideas in more detail.
