Most artists think brand deals are about numbers. Numbers help, but the real question a brand asks is simpler: do you fit who we are?
Fit beats follower count
Your artistic identity has to align with the brand's creative identity. When it does, the partnership feels natural to your fans and to theirs, and that synergy is what brands pay for. A smaller artist who fits perfectly is often a better bet for a brand than a bigger one who doesn't.
Brand deals run on relationships
A lot of brand deals happen because someone knew someone. Build relationships with people who work in marketing, in advertising, and at the brands you want to work with. Show up, be professional, and stay in touch.
How smaller artists can start
- Build a pitch deck. Include your best work, your stats, your story, and your brand ideology, plus exactly how it lines up with the brand you're pitching.
- Tailor every pitch. Never send the same deck to every brand. Rework it for each one so it speaks their language.
- Start where you already fit. Local businesses and brands you genuinely use are easier first wins, and they build your track record.
- Deliver, then show the results. Every partnership you complete well becomes proof for the next pitch.
It's hard work, but it's how artists earn the right to sit down with big brands.
Want help getting in the room?
Feed the Family has worked with brands including Foot Locker, JD Sports, Sprayground, and Ulta Beauty. We can help you find a brand that's the right fit and pitch it the right way.