Commerce student launches business matchmaking influencers with brands

In the evolving social media business ecosystem, Christian Di Bratto is carving out a lucrative role as a matchmaker who brings together influencers and brands competing for our eyeballs and dollars.

The Ryerson University Commerce student has spent much of his pandemic down-time brokering business deals between rising TikTok, YouTube and Instagram stars, and companies seeking to piggyback on their fame to reach their niche audiences. So far, he has created brand partnerships for seven social media “creators” who together have more than 23 million followers. Each time a match is made, Di Bratto earns up to 25% commission, which can easily translate to several thousand dollars per deal.

That’s not too shabby for a 19-year-old whose last job was teaching kids hockey part time for $20 an hour. That was before COVID-19 descended on North America in March 2020, cancelling his job, pushing school online, and leaving the Grade 12 student with plenty of extra time and little to do.

“I was sitting at home, bored like everyone else,” Di Bratto says. Foraying into influencer marketing “began as a hobby to make extra money. Just to see if I could do it. Back then, I was clueless.”

What Di Bratto lacked in knowledge, he made up for in entrepreneurial spirit. Raised by parents who run a successful retail, commercial and industrial construction business in Toronto, he already knew he wanted to work for himself.

On a whim, he reached out via direct message to a few of his favourite social media talents. The first to reply was Justin Escalona, the California-based founder of the streetwear company 1340 Collective, a favourite of some A-List celebrities. To Di Bratto’s surprise, Escalona texted within an hour, saying, “Let’s make some money.” 

Di Bratto’s goal was to obtain a sponsor for Escalona’s podcast. He researched brands that buy ads on podcasts, and made inquiries to 76 companies, a process he estimates took about 50 hours. In the end, he was able to secure a deal with Ontario beef jerky company Boikey’s Biltbong.

“When that first deal came in, I was hooked,” Di Bratto says. “It was very validating for me to learn more.” 

Opportunities abound

Much of that learning has taken place via a part-time job he landed as an outreach specialist with The Influencer Marketing Factory, an agency in Florida whose clients have included Google, Amazon, Unilever and Bumble. He became familiar with how to use automation software for his cold email outreach campaigns, and tailor his introduction scripts to perfection with A/B testing.

He has also honed his skills at Ryerson’s Ted Rogers School of Business Management, where he is in the second year of his Bachelor of Commerce degree, specializing in real estate management. He says learning how to use spreadsheets has been critical to helping him keep track of his prospecting, projects and receivables. Other insights he is gaining in the classroom on finance, management, law and human resources, he says, will serve him well as he explores expanding his business.

Over the last 16 months, Di Bratto has brokered $140,000 worth of talent deals with companies such as the Public.com investing platform, the Honey shopping app, and the coffee company Cometeer. What began as a side hustle now occupies about 25 hours a week.

“The opportunities in this space — it’s nuts,” he says. “This is probably the most fun I’ve ever had…If I can continue to grow and build connections and turn this into something real, after school, I’d love to do this full-time.”