Influencer Marketing Platform

Ubiquitous: Disrupting Influencer Marketing on TikTok

Ubiquitous, a TikTok influencer marketing platform, is rapidly gaining traction and attracting significant investment in the competitive advertising landscape. Influencer marketing represents a quickly expanding segment of the market, though it presents distinct operational hurdles. While direct influencer collaboration can be resource-intensive, the demonstrable results are proving worthwhile for numerous brands.

Recent Investment and Growth

The influencer space has seen considerable funding activity recently, including investments in ProductWind, Alfluence, and Carro. Ubiquitous distinguished itself by securing a $5 million seed round led by Uncork, the largest of its kind to date, with additional support from 100 Thieves and Starting Line VC.

Launched only six months ago, the platform has already generated $6 million in sales and reports impressive conversion rates. Currently, 250 brands utilize Ubiquitous, engaging with a network of over 1,000 influencers.

The Genesis of Ubiquitous

“During my time as Head of Growth and later VP of Marketing at Bellhop, I encountered a challenge when attempting to allocate a test budget to TikTok influencers,” explains Ubiquitous co-founder Alex Elsea. “We searched for a specialized agency or platform, but found none. Even established providers like Viral Nations weren’t prioritizing this area or investing in the necessary data collection.”

This experience highlighted a gap in the market, prompting Elsea to establish a company dedicated to addressing the shortcomings of existing influencer marketing solutions.

The Challenges of In-House Campaigns

Managing influencer campaigns internally demands substantial effort. A $100,000 test campaign can involve identifying 20-40 potential creators across various platforms. This necessitates gathering contact information, conducting negotiations with 50-60 individuals, and finalizing agreements with approximately 30.

The process extends to managing briefs, approving creative content, and handling complex negotiations, payments, and contracts. Often, marketers are working with creators lacking established, streamlined processes, essentially engaging contractors without professional infrastructure.

TikTok's Unique Value Proposition

Elsea recalls a pivotal moment: “I questioned how anyone could effectively manage this at scale. Remarkably, TikTok influencers offered quotes and rates a quarter of those on Instagram, with engagement rates four to six times higher. The data was exceptional, but the logistical complexity hindered scalability.”

This realization, coupled with the distinct dynamics of TikTok compared to Instagram, revealed a significant market opportunity.

A Tech-Enabled Solution

“Every brand faces similar challenges, creating a substantial need for automation. Without technology, deploying a budget requires a large team and relies on manual communication via phone calls, texts, and emails,” Elsea states. “Our platform streamlines this process.”

Platform and Agency Hybrid Model

Ubiquitous operates as a hybrid marketplace and agency. It assists marketing managers in developing influencer strategies, identifying suitable creators, and managing campaigns from inception to completion. The company employs a dual revenue model, charging advertisers a platform fee and taking a percentage of payments made to influencers. Specific details regarding these fees remain undisclosed.

Rapid Revenue Growth

“We spent about a year in testing, followed by a year and a half of refinement. We officially launched on April 1st and quickly achieved product-market fit on both the brand and creator sides,” Elsea explains. “Since launch, we’ve scaled to a $5 million annual revenue run rate in under five months.”

Elsea believes that previous funding trends have misguided the industry, favoring SaaS models that diminish the human element.

Beyond SaaS: A Full-Service Approach

Ubiquitous opted for a comprehensive platform approach, recognizing that five-, six-, and seven-figure campaigns require more than just a software login. The company provides complete campaign management services.

Future Plans and Creator Focus

The company intends to expand its engineering and product teams and introduce new tools designed to benefit creators. While the current platform is considered foundational, Ubiquitous aims to surpass its competitors.

“We are deeply committed to supporting creators, an area often overlooked by the industry. We aim to rectify this by prioritizing their needs and providing exceptional support,” Elsea emphasizes. “Our creator-facing app will serve as a central hub for their careers, potentially including insurance, accounting services, and more.”