The Digiday Podcast

Why some Creators Are Now Back Auditing Their Brand Deals

In this episode, Digiday hosts Tamika Baziel, a B2B creator, who explains why she audited and ultimately severed her partnership with Hootsuite after learning of its collaboration with ICE and concerns about surveillance culture. She details her systematic audit process—using Google searches, AI keyword filters, Reddit insights, and a spreadsheet—to evaluate past and potential brand deals for ethical alignment, especially regarding DEI, AI ethics, and corporate values. Baziel emphasizes the importance of creators maintaining control over their IP and refusing to support brands that conflict with their personal morals or replace human creativity. The conversation also touches on broader industry trends, such as creators pulling back from brands over political or ethical issues.