Dereinne Club Session 1 Recap: What We Learned About Creator Partnerships in 2025

On November 26, 2025, Dereinne launched its first Club session — a live discussion on what worked (and what didn’t) in creator-brand partnerships this year.

Abidat Ibrahim and Blessing Onyelobi led 20 marketing professionals through an honest breakdown of campaigns, mistakes, and lessons for 2026.

Here’s what stood out.

The Win — Sterling Bank x Uzo Arukwe

Blessing walked through Sterling Bank’s collaboration with actor Uzo Arukwe during the peak of the Odogwu/Achalugo cultural moment from the film A Tribe Called Judah.

What made it work:

• Timing: Struck while the Odogwu hype was at its peak
• Organic fit: Invited Uzo to open a Sterling account, making it feel authentic (not just a paid post)
• Fan transfer: Leveraged existing love for Uzo and directed it toward Sterling
• Incentive alignment: Used “Odogwu” as a promo code for cashback, funneling excitement into account openings
• Organic spread: Content trended without paid amplification across TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The lesson: Cultural timing + authentic integration beats forced celebrity endorsements.

The Flop — When Creators Promote Competing Products

Blessing shared a painful lesson from a financial services campaign where a creator promoted their app as “the one thing that’s been helping my family save money.”

Two weeks later, the same creator promoted a direct competitor with identical messaging.

What went wrong:

• No exclusivity clause in the contract
• Audience saw both ads and questioned authenticity
• Brand credibility took a hit

The lesson: Put exclusivity clauses in creator contracts. Minimum 60–90 days before they can promote competing products in the same category.

The FYP Fallacy — Your Timeline Isn’t Your Target Audience

Blessing challenged the common practice of brands picking creators based on personal preference:

“I don’t see Sabinus on my timeline. But I know campaigns where he’s the perfect fit. Creator selection isn’t about who YOU like — it’s about who reaches YOUR audience.”

What brands should evaluate instead:

• Audience alignment: Does this creator’s audience match your customer profile?
• Engagement quality: Not just follower count — actual comments, shares, saves
• Personality fit: Can your brand handle their controversies if they blow up?

The lesson: Data and strategy should drive creator selection, not executive preference.

The Cult Following Dilemma

The conversation turned to controversial creators with fiercely loyal fanbases (Odumodublvck, Burna Boy).

The trade-off:

• High reward: Cult followings deliver engaged audiences and real results
• High risk: If the creator gets cancelled, their fans might turn on your brand

The question brands must ask: Do you have the courage (“liver,” as Abidat put it) to partner with someone whose next tweet could spark backlash?

The lesson: Know your risk tolerance before signing controversial talent.

Dereinne Club Session 1 proved what we believed: marketers want honest conversations about creator partnerships — not agency sales pitches.

47 people registered. 20 attended live. And the insights shared will shape how brands approach creators in 2026.

Session 2 is coming soon. Stay tuned.

If you need help executing creator campaigns with the lessons we discussed, reach out: dereinne.com