As Content Creators, you are the trusted source for entertainment, news, shopping recommendations, advice, and so much more. That trust is easily monetizable, making content the most powerful tool for entrepreneurship.
With that trust comes great responsibility.
A responsibility to your audience, your partners (brand, agents, managers), and those you collaborate with. Part of that responsibility is protection. Protecting your income, and protecting others that may be unintentionally harmed by your content.
First and foremost, it's just the smart thing to do. Real businesses of every kind protect themselves from risk. You are exposed to risks every time you post, promote, film, or write. It’s just part of being a professional.
Brands & Advertising Agencies are beginning to require insurance for brand deals and sponsored content. Every day, a brand or advertiser gets burned by a Creator partnership gone wrong. They’re exposed to risk when they partner with you, the Creator. At Cheddr, we believe that 90% of all reputable Brands & Agencies will require insurance by 2025. The best already do.
Litigation is on the rise in the Creator Economy. Sadly, take-down culture is real. People want what you have earned. When Creators succeed and start to earn money, there is an opportunity for someone to take it away. Lawyers have found that uninsured or underinsured Creators are an easy target. Without insurance, they cannot afford to litigate. Causing devastating monetary losses.
The opportunity for a single risk to turn into a major issue is huge. Whether you have an audience of 10,000 or over 10,000,000 - you're interacting with so many people. Across all of your content, you could have touched 100x your following. Even a small Creator could interact with millions of people across all of their content and posts. What are the odds that 1 out of a thousand impressions results in an issue? Pretty high. That issue could be as simple as angering a fellow creator, or as severe as a product recommendation that causes real harm.
The risks of running a Creator business are as diverse as the Creator Economy. Here’s just a few real examples that we’ve seen recently:
Brand deals and sponsored content are the best source of revenue for Creators. Promoting products and brands is a great way for Creators to tell their audience about things they might love. Unfortunately, things can go wrong. Products fail and people can be angry. Sometimes, products fail and people get hurt. When you promote a product or brand, you are exposed to any damage or injury to your audience. Whether it’s your fault or not.
Daily Harvest built itself on the backs of influencers... hundreds reported ill, Business Insider
The Creator Economy is all about building and sharing. It’s natural to incorporate other work into your content. That’s one of the most exciting parts of the Creator Economy - collaboration bringing people together! Not everyone feels this way though. Sometimes, Creators of music, art or data feel harmed or angered. This happens every second of every day.
I recently got a notice from Travis Scott’s music label about copyright infringement, Creator Bread
Brand deals and ambassador programs can be fantastic. When you love a product, or the team behind a cool company, it can be a blast to promote them. Making money while you do it. Doing this makes you a part of their journey. It’s great until you make a post or produce content they don’t agree with. When a brand pays you, they may think your content should reflect their values. Even after your deal is done.
Nadia Bartel Has Been Dropped From A Major Brand, Pedestrian
Ever hear of a slip and fall? It’s practically the reason insurance exists. When you do anything for long enough, an accident will eventually happen. Your friend could literally slip and fall while filming you. They might not blame it on you, but medical bills are expensive.
Believe it or not you can be responsible for what someone does after viewing your content. Crazy, I know. Everyone has seen challenge videos that inspire some crazy stuff. Now we’re seeing the court cases.
Jeff Wittek is suing David Dobrik for over $10 million, BuzzFeed
Two Children Died after TikTok Challenge, NY Times
The internet isn’t always the nicest place. Feuds can play out for the whole world to watch. The attention seems to only fuel the fire. These feuds can turn ugly when a Creator or Public Figure feels financially harmed. You can be held responsible for present and future losses of another Creator or Public Figures. This can be particularly devastating to a Creator’s career.
Influencer Tanya Zuckerbrot sues Influencer Emily Gellis for $250,000, Page Six
Creators are entrepreneurs. You find new ways to grow and earn. There’s almost a new tool for this every day! As your Creator business grows, you’ll unknowingly expose yourself to more risk. The more you earn, the more you have to lose.
Creator Insurance Covers all of the risks that result from a Creator's online media activities. The primary coverages in Cheddr Creator Insurance:
Personal injury is harm to another individual or organization. Not only physical harm, but any damage that takes place. This could be as simple as a review that leads to a loss of customers. Personal injury can be used broadly against you when someone feels wronged, or is actually hurt by something you’re associated with. Cheddr Creator Insurance protects you against personal injury claims - paying your legal defense and any losses that result.
Broadly broken-up into Libel & Slander. Defamation is any communication that is unfavorable and untrue. Whether you know it or not. This makes defamation particularly tricky, and easy to be brought against you. Libel is when it is written, and slander is when it is oral. Either way, Cheddr Creator Insurance protects you from claims of defamation.
This is the accidental or intentional use of another someone else’s intellectual property, without permission. You can be held liable for sharing someone's work, even if you did not monetize it. This extends to the work of any freelancers, editors, or contractor that you work with. Ultimately, it could come back to harm you. Thankfully, Cheddr Creator Insurance protects you from Copyright & Trademark claims.
Does #Ad ring a bell? The FTC requires Creators disclose sponsored content and advertisements. This hasn’t been well practiced by Content Creators to date. Enforcement is coming. More Creators & Brands have been targeted by the FTC every day. With serious legal consequences. The FTC might pursue you directly, or a brand may file suit against you for their troubles with the FTC. Cheddr Creator Coverage pays your legal defense against regulatory action and any related losses.
If you publish any form of media online that you monetize, then you need Creator Insurance. Not only do you have something to lose as a professional Creator. You have a responsibility to act as a professional. Protect yourself, your partners, and your audience. Modern media is a risky place and it requires modern protection.
Insurance for Creators. Cheddr is the first insurance provider for Content Creators. We protect the Creator Economy from all of the risks of running your Creator business.
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