Pamela Zapata is the founder and CEO of Society Eighteen (Society18), a multi-ethnic, multicultural talent and influencer management agency. Zapata launched the agency in 2019 after roles as Senior Director of Influencer Marketing at Starpower and Director of Influencer Marketing at United Entertainment Group. Society 18 represents creators of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, body types, and hair textures, with brand partners including IPSY, Sephora, Almay, Fabletics, Urban Decay, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, TRESemmé, American Eagle, P&G, Google, Olay, Unilever, Dove, Lego, and Hallmark.
The Interview
Q: What does Society18 do?
A: Society 18 is a multi-ethnic, multicultural talent and influencer management agency. We strive to represent a roster of influencers of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, body types, and hair textures. We work with creators and brands to maximize sponsorships and optimize campaign performance. Our areas of expertise include influencer and talent strategy, integrated marketing, contracting, negotiations, social channel optimization, ROI evaluation, content production, and casting and talent relations.
Q: You started your business in 2019. What made you want to do it?
A: During my ten years in the industry, I saw a gap in the influencer and talent space as it relates to diversity. There was a lack of diversity in brand campaigns, and creators of color did not understand their value compared to their white counterparts. This gap motivated me to take the leap. As CEO of my own management agency, I help multicultural and multiethnic fashion, parenting, and beauty influencers understand their value, while also advising brands on the importance of diversity and how to do it the right way.
Q: How did your background prepare you to manage content creators?
A: I was Senior Director of Influencer Marketing at Starpower, overseeing campaigns for Estee Lauder, Bobbie Brown, MAC, BECCA, and La Mer. Before that, I was Director of Influencer Marketing at United Entertainment Group, leading influencer partnerships for Unilever brands including Suave, Dove, Love Beauty Planet, Axe, and Popsicle. Earlier in LA, I worked at E! Entertainment, Ryan Seacrest Productions, Style Haul, and Sweety High on integrated marketing, strategy, talent, and casting.
Q: How are things going a year later? Has the pandemic affected your business?
A: We quadrupled our roster of clients to 20 since I founded the company. I've hired three experienced professionals to expand the business. We've seen an uptick due to the nature of our work in digital — brands and agencies have shifted their approach to content creation and recognize the real value of working with influencers, especially when digital consumption is at an all-time high.
Q: How have client partnerships changed in 2020?
A: We saw an uptick in beauty partnerships, specifically skincare and haircare. With the Black Lives Matter movement, we audited all brand partners to make sure they had taken a stance and supported causes important to us. Our clients also saw a surge in interest as the BLM movement set off a call-out toward fashion and beauty companies for their lack of inclusion and diversity.
Q: Specific criteria for accepting new clients?
A: Engagement rate, content type and quality, audience demographics, and branded content performance. We've also implemented a process to vet the content creator's audience for fake followership.
Q: What excites you most about the future?
A: A shift in the industry — more brands recognizing the importance of not only including people of color in their campaigns but organically implementing them into brand strategy. I'm in a unique position to advise any brand that wants to be part of the solution on how to get it right when it comes to diversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pamela Zapata is the founder and CEO of Society Eighteen (Society18), a multi-ethnic, multicultural talent and influencer management agency. Zapata launched the agency in 2019 after roles as Senior Director of Influencer Marketing at Starpower and Director of Influencer Marketing at United Entertainment Group. Society 18 represents creators of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, body types, and hair textures, with brand partners including IPSY, Sephora, Almay, Fabletics, Urban Decay, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, TRESemmé, American Eagle, P&G, Google, Olay, Unilever, Dove, Lego, and Hallmark. The Interview Q: What does Society18 do?
A: Society 18 is a multi-ethnic, multicultural talent and influencer management agency. We strive to represent a roster of influencers of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, body types, and hair textures. We work with creators and brands to maximize sponsorships and optimize campaign performance. Our areas of expertise include influencer and talent strategy, integrated marketing, contracting, negotiations, social channel optimization, ROI evaluation, content production, and casting and talent relations.
Q: You started your business in 2019. What made you want to do it?
A: During my ten years in the industry, I saw a gap in the influencer and talent space as it relates to diversity. There was a lack of diversity in brand campaigns, and creators of color did not understand their value compared to their white counterparts. This gap motivated me to take the leap. As CEO of my own management agency, I help multicultural and multiethnic fashion, parenting, and beauty influencers understand their value, while also advising brands on the importance of diversity and how to do it the right way.
Q: How did your background prepare you to manage content creators?
A: I was Senior Director of Influencer Marketing at Starpower, overseeing campaigns for Estee Lauder, Bobbie Brown, MAC, BECCA, and La Mer. Before that, I was Director of Influencer Marketing at United Entertainment Group, leading influencer partnerships for Unilever brands including Suave, Dove, Love Beauty Planet, Axe, and Popsicle. Earlier in LA, I worked at E! Entertainment, Ryan Seacrest Productions, Style Haul, and Sweety High on integrated marketing, strategy, talent, and casting.
Q: How are things going a year later? Has the pandemic affected your business?
A: We quadrupled our roster of clients to 20 since I founded the company. I've hired three experienced professionals to expand the business. We've seen an uptick due to the nature of our work in digital — brands and agencies have shifted their approach to content creation and recognize the real value of working with influencers, especially when digital consumption is at an all-time high.
Q: How have client partnerships changed in 2020?
A: We saw an uptick in beauty partnerships, specifically skincare and haircare. With the Black Lives Matter movement, we audited all brand partners to make sure they had taken a stance and supported causes important to us. Our clients also saw a surge in interest as the BLM movement set off a call-out toward fashion and beauty companies for their lack of inclusion and diversity.
Q: Specific criteria for accepting new clients?
A: Engagement rate, content type and quality, audience demographics, and branded content performance. We've also implemented a process to vet the content creator's audience for fake followership.
Q: What excites you most about the future?
A: A shift in the industry — more brands recognizing the importance of not only including people of color in their campaigns but organically implementing them into brand strategy. I'm in a unique position to advise any brand that wants to be part of the solution on how to get it right when it comes to diversity.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
