Choosing the right creator isn’t just about demographics, niche, or follower count anymore. If you’re still filtering through spreadsheets looking for someone who ticks a few generic boxes, you’re missing the bigger opportunity.

The best creator partnerships don’t come from a “fit” on paper. They come from real-world alignment—shared values, similar brand associations, overlapping communities.

That’s what the brand adjacency graph reveals. And when you use it strategically, you stop guessing and start building campaigns that actually stick.

This is your playbook.

Why Brand Adjacency > Traditional Targeting

Traditional influencer targeting is full of surface-level signals:

Do they talk about fitness?
Are they Gen Z?
Do they post regularly?

But here’s what really matters:

What brands do they already partner with?
Are those brands trusted by your audience?
Do those partnerships align with your values and aesthetic?

When a creator consistently collaborates with brands your audience already engages with, that’s a green light. Not because they’re trendy—but because they’re already living inside the same cultural ecosystem as your customer.

That’s what the brand adjacency graph captures.

Step 1: Define Your Brand Adjacency Zone

Before you choose a creator, you need to know your adjacency zone. That means identifying the brands your target customers already buy from, wear, follow, or reference.

You’re not looking for direct competitors—you’re mapping the brand ecosystem your customer lives in.

Example:
If you’re launching a new functional beverage, your adjacency zone might include:

Fashion: Outdoor Voices, Sporty & Rich
Wellness: Kin Euphorics, Moon Juice
Content Creators: Emma Chamberlain, Melina Glusac
Retail: Erewhon, Sweetgreen

That’s not just lifestyle fluff—that’s precision targeting.

Step 2: Match Creators to the Brand Graph

Once you know which brands matter to your audience, look at which creators already partner with those brands.

What you’re looking for is pattern overlap.

Which creators show up repeatedly across your adjacency zone?
Who’s consistently engaging with multiple brands your customer already trusts?

That creator doesn’t need to be the biggest. They need to be the most trusted within the ecosystem. That’s what makes them high-impact.

Step 3: Analyze the Fit Beyond the Feed

The adjacency graph helps you go deeper than surface content. Maybe a creator talks about sustainability—but the brands they partner with suggest fast fashion. That’s a red flag.

Or maybe a creator posts about fashion, but also collaborates with brands like Aesop, Glossier, or Reformation. That’s a strong trust signal if your product fits that lifestyle.

Use adjacency to verify the story their partnerships are telling—not just the one they post.

Step 4: Partner with Intention (and Alignment)

Now that you’ve got creators who align with your adjacency graph, build the partnership the right way:

Give them creative control: Let them communicate in their voice, not yours.
Integrate your brand naturally: Don’t interrupt the narrative—join it.
Play the long game: One-off posts won’t build community. Ongoing collaboration will.

Bonus: Think in Brand Groups, Not Silos

The most compelling creator campaigns happen when multiple trusted brands show up together.

A creator unboxes a skincare kit with products from Dr. Jart, Youth to the People, and your brand.
A brunch pop-up co-hosted by your oat milk brand + a cool café + a sustainable fashion label.

These adjacency collaborations feel less like marketing and more like culture. And Gen Z eats that up.

You Don’t Need More Creators—You Need the Right Ones

The next wave of marketing won’t be about influencer scale—it’ll be about influence within context.

The brand adjacency graph gives you that context. It helps you make smarter choices, build more credible campaigns, and speak to your audience in a way that actually lands.

🚀 Want to see which creators already align with your adjacency zone?
Let’s connect—we’ll show you where to look, who to trust, and how to build something that resonates.