Mavn Helps Content Creators Link Up With Brands

In Miami, it's not uncommon to see influencers in the wild —  photos at pizzazz-filled dinners, bikini-clad photo sessions poolside, and the perfect snaps at art galleries.

However, beyond the snaps and reels being shot and ultimately posted by influencers, a lot of work goes into bringing many of these opportunities to life in the first place.

Enter Mavn, a platform created to streamline the administrative and communication gap between brands and influencers. Launched in December 2022, it's the brainchild of Olivia Ormos, founder of OO & CO, a digital boutique marketing agency, and Model Volleyball, among other endeavors.

"As an agency owner, we've been offering influencer marketing to clients, and there have been so many pain points, particularly related to keeping track of everything and staying organized," she tells New Times. "And we've realized that the entire industry has been suffering from this. There was no solid solution for businesses and creators, and we are not the first to do this. But we've taken key learnings, incorporated what we would want to see and experience, and we're doing it right."

So, how does Mavn work exactly? Brands can offer opportunities — meals, trips, event tickets, and more — on the platform to Mavn-approved influencers for a price or trade. Ormos notes that brands are in complete control and can ultimately decide who is a fit based on their vibe and key user data spanning engagement to followers.

Mavn's initial brand partners have included the Miami Heat, Barry's, and DJ-producer Blond:Ish. As of press time, the platform currently offers 70 brand opportunities.

Creators can apply to the platform by submitting a basic or premium application. The latter requires the creator to share social account insights for more upscale paid opportunities. Ormos says that nearly 1,500 people have applied to date, with more than 500 creators accepted to join the platform.

"We do not require a specific follower count to be a part of this, and the number one thing is creativity," she says. "You have to have a love for your craft, and it's not just about one criteria. In fact, the other day, I accepted someone with 2,500 followers because the content they are creating for brands is just incredible."

Among Mavn's users is one of Miami's most recognizable influencers, Sam Schnur (AKA @thenaughtyfork). On Instagram, she's amassed more than 1.5 million followers and has been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list, thanks, in part, to her meticulously crafted foodie and recipe reels. She was also Mavn's first user and one of its first beta version testers.

"A lot of why I'm on Mavn has to do with the way [Ormos] has curated the brands on the app," she tells New Times. "Also, for me as an influencer, there can be so many emails back and forth, you don't know what the deliverables ask is, and it can just be all over the place. It's all in one app, and the way it has been done is just great. There are such wonderful opportunities, too, that I haven't had in the ten years I've been doing this. Like, I'll be going to Israel soon."

Schnur has some advice for the budding creators out there: "The biggest thing is finding what you want to do, staying authentic to yourself, and creating content constantly. You may need to shift what you're doing to stay interesting, but stay true to what you love."

According to Ormos, the total reach of Mavn's approved users on Instagram is more than 90 million. With a solid base of Miamians, Mavn isn't stopping there, with plans to focus on creators in New York and Los Angeles this fall. The platform will also expand its travel opportunities for content creators, with trips to Mykonos, Paris, London, and Ibiza, among several other destinations.

"We want to meet creators where they are. We really are putting creators in the driver's seat," Ormos says. "We want to not only create partnerships, but we want to feel like a family."