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In today’s performance-driven marketing landscape, top DTC brands like Raycon, Manscaped, Liquid Death, Kiwico, CrunchLabs, Brilliant, GoPro and Athletic Greens are quietly outpacing traditional ad channels. Their success is not by spending more on paid social, but by investing strategically in YouTube sponsorships.
These brands aren’t just chasing reach — they’re doubling their ROI by tapping into the lasting impact of long-form creator trust.
In this article, we’ll break down the exact strategies behind their success and how your brand can replicate their results.
So why are top DTC brands shifting budget away from traditional social ads and into YouTube? It comes down to trust and longevity. While Meta and TikTok ads vanish within 48 hours, YouTube sponsorships have a shelf life that lasts for months — even years. Sponsored videos rank in Google search, pull in long-tail views, and keep driving qualified traffic long after they’re published.
Even more powerful is the authentic connection between creators and their audiences. Unlike short-form ads, YouTube content gives creators the time and space to explain, demonstrate, and genuinely endorse a product, something that’s critical for brands with a deeper value proposition.
“We’ve seen creator-led YouTube ads continue to drive conversions months after they go live — something that never happens on Instagram.” — TL Client (DTC Brand)
At ThoughtLeaders, we’ve built a platform that tracks exactly this: the long-term performance of sponsored videos. It’s not uncommon for high-performing videos to double the views they had at day 30 within a year — continuing to drive traffic, engagement, and conversions long after the initial campaign ends.
For example, let's take a look at this sponsorship -
This video, published by KingSammelot on July 3, 2024 and sponsored by Athletic Greens, reached 1.4 million views by day 30 - and grew to five times that number within a year.
Check out its views growth graph over time here:
What’s interesting here is that when a brand sponsors a YouTube channel, the industry standard is to price the deal based on the average views a creator’s videos receive by day 30. In other words, the brand is paying for those first 30 days of exposure - but all the views that come after that are essentially free. That long-term value is something you just don’t get on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, where content quickly disappears.
At ThoughtLeaders, we’ve taken this a step further. Using our platform, we’ve developed a proprietary metric called Projected Views — a more accurate estimate of how many views a video is likely to get over time. This allows our clients to make smarter sponsorship decisions, negotiate better pricing, and avoid overpaying.
Top-performing DTC brands aren’t just throwing money at the biggest influencers. They’re strategic about who they partner with. Brands like Athletic Greens and Raycon consistently see stronger ROI by working with mid-tier YouTube creators who speak directly to niche, engaged communities.
These creators might not have millions of subscribers, but they offer something far more valuable:
These creators are not just reading from a script — they’re weaving products into stories, routines, and advice their audience genuinely cares about.
Winning brands understand that a brand mention isn’t enough — the content has to drive action. That’s why top DTC marketers give creators the freedom to be authentic storytellers, while also anchoring the content with proven conversion drivers:
This blend of authenticity + direct response is what sets high-performing campaigns apart and turns creator content into a consistent sales engine.
YouTube creators often outlast paid ads in both impact and cost-efficiency. Here’s what the data shows:
FUM, a DTC brand selling wellness products, saw a 2.6x ROI on YouTube sponsorships by working with niche creators including creators in the mental health space — and those videos are still bringing in traffic months later.
Their goal was to scale their customer acquisition. Instead of pouring more into short-term paid ads, we helped them shift toward YouTube sponsorships with mid-sized educational and health-focused creators. These creators had loyal followings and regularly produced content on mindfulness, quitting smoking, and lifestyle change — a perfect fit for FUM’s product and mission.
We’ve helped dozens of DTC brands use YouTube sponsorships to scale profitably — especially those frustrated by rising Meta and Google costs and declining performance. If you're looking to turn YouTube into a dependable revenue channel, our team is here to help.
Here’s what we can do for you:
Whether you’re just getting started with YouTube or looking to optimize an existing program, we’ll show you what’s working — and how to make it work for you.
Let’s turn your next creator campaign into your best-performing channel. Contact us today to get started.
