The brand collaborations people remember never feel like an ad break. They feel like a moment the audience was already waiting for.
I come to brand partnerships from three directions at once. I'm a Partner at Symbols PR in Los Angeles, where I build partnerships and creator programs for beauty, fashion, wellness and lifestyle brands. I'm a creator with a 2.5M+ community across Instagram (@brightonmaia) and TikTok (@brightonsharbino). And I've been an actress since 2012, with work on AMC's The Walking Dead, Sony's Miracles from Heaven and HBO's True Detective. Here's how I think about collaborations that earn their place in culture.
Start with cultural relevance, then find the partner
The strongest partnership strategy starts with a question about the audience: what are they already talking about, watching, wearing and sharing? I spend every day inside beauty and fashion conversations as a creator, so I look for the cultural moment first. Once the moment is clear, the right partner (a creator, a talent, a hotel, a venue, another brand) usually becomes obvious. A collaboration built this way feels native to the culture, never forced.
Concept development: make it inherently shareable
A good concept answers one test: would someone send this to a friend? My own partnerships show what happens when the answer is yes. A Sephora x Benefit Cosmetics concealer launch reached 17.2M views with 14.2% engagement and 1.4M likes. A Revolve holiday dress reached 2.6M views, and a Fashion Nova haul reached 1.2M views at 10.4% engagement. None of those were complicated ideas. They were simple, specific and made to be passed along.
Negotiation that protects the relationship
Great brand collaborations are built on clear terms. At Symbols PR I negotiate rates, deliverables, usage rights and whitelisting with talent, reps and agency partners. Clarity up front means nobody is surprised later, and it is what turns a single campaign into a partner who wants to come back. I've sat on the creator side of those conversations for over a decade, so I know what makes talent excited to say yes.
Launch moments and IRL activations
A partnership often comes alive in person. I led creator recruitment, briefing and event logistics for a NordicTrack creator activation, and I pitch talent for gifting suites and hospitality experiences. As a creator, I've captured launches, a Las Vegas day at Tao Group's Omnia Dayclub (1M views), a hosted stay at Moxy Hotels NYC (412K views) and red carpets. The goal of any experiential marketing moment is a second life on social: the event ends, and the content keeps going.
Orchestrating creators, press and brand teams
Partnerships touch everyone: brand, creative, PR, social and the talent's own team. I build multi-creator programs across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube with creative briefs, content approvals and performance reporting, so every stakeholder sees the same plan. I also write press releases and maintain relationships with the owners of NYLON and Teen Vibes magazines, which lets a collaboration earn press as well as social conversation.
Measure what the partnership actually did
I track views, engagement rate, likes and saves on every campaign, and I turn those numbers into recommendations for the next one. Results like Sacheu Beauty (765K views, 11.7% engagement), Puma (892K) and Glossier Balm Dotcom (577K) taught me which formats and partners to repeat. Data is how a great idea becomes a repeatable partnership program.
Let's work together
I'm based in Los Angeles and actively relocating to New York City. I'm open to roles in brand partnerships, creator and talent partnerships, influencer marketing, brand communications and experiential marketing, and I always welcome brand ambassador and creator campaigns. See my work on the media and portfolio page, or reach out through contact.