Performance Ads vs Influencers: Smart CMOs Reveal Where They're Moving Their Budgets

Summary

MarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business Growth

Episode: Performance Ads vs Influencers: Smart CMOs Reveal Where They're Moving Their Budgets
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Joe Pirello, CEO and Co-Founder of Props

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Introduction

In this episode of the MarTech Podcast™, host Benjamin Shapiro engages in a compelling conversation with Joe Pirello, the CEO and co-founder of Props. Props is at the forefront of blending creator content with performance marketing, offering brands innovative strategies to drive predictable business outcomes. The discussion delves deep into the evolving landscape of marketing budgets, specifically contrasting performance advertising with influencer partnerships.

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Blending Performance Marketing with Creator Content

[01:38] Joe Pirello emphasizes the synergy between creator marketing and paid media, stating, “We’re combining creator marketing with the precision and scale of paid media... We have the full funnel, but at the end of the day, we are 100% accountable for business results.” Pirello underscores that merging these two approaches allows for both creativity and measurable outcomes, setting Props apart in the marketing arena.

[02:25] Benjamin Shapiro probes further by questioning the effectiveness of allocating budgets solely to performance marketing or influencer partnerships. Pirello responds by advocating for a hybrid approach, suggesting that reliance on a single strategy can be limiting.

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Performance Marketing vs. Influencer Partnerships

Performance Marketing: Controlled and Measurable

Pirello advises that for marketers seeking immediate and controllable results, performance marketing is the way to go. He notes, “If they don't want to get fired in the short term, I would spend it on performance marketing because at least there you're in control of the audience. You can track the response.” This approach offers brands the ability to adjust strategies in real-time based on measurable data, ensuring that investments directly correlate with outcomes.

Influencer Partnerships: The Hit-Or-Miss Scenario

Conversely, when discussing influencer partnerships, Pirello highlights the inherent uncertainties. He explains, “You’re in the hit business and that’s scary sometimes.” The unpredictability of content performance and the opaque nature of influencer audiences—such as follower authenticity and geographic distribution—introduce variables that can complicate campaign success. Pirello points out the complexities involved, including dealing with influencer agents and the subjective nature of content creation, which can lead to inefficiencies and wasted budgets if not meticulously managed.

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Accountability and Risk Mitigation

A critical advantage of blending performance marketing with creator content, as presented by Pirello, is enhanced accountability. By integrating paid media, brands can ensure that content reaches the intended audience while maintaining the ability to measure and adjust campaigns based on performance data. Pirello asserts, “Blending it with paid media and making sure the content's on the website, that's really where it removes all the risk,” emphasizing that this hybrid model mitigates the unpredictability associated with influencer-only strategies.

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Strategic Budget Allocation

When advising marketers on budget allocation, Pirello recommends a balanced approach. He suggests prioritizing performance marketing for its controllability and measurable returns, especially for those wary of the uncertainties in influencer partnerships. However, for brands willing to invest in long-term brand building and willing to navigate the complexities of influencer dynamics, a well-executed influencer strategy can complement performance initiatives.

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Conclusion

The conversation between Benjamin Shapiro and Joe Pirello offers valuable insights into the strategic considerations CMOs must navigate when allocating marketing budgets. Pirello’s advocacy for a blended approach—leveraging both performance marketing and creator content—provides a roadmap for brands seeking to maximize their marketing ROI while minimizing risks. By combining the precision of paid media with the creative potential of influencer partnerships, marketers can achieve both immediate and sustained business growth.

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Notable Quotes:

• Joe Pirello [01:38]: “We’re combining creator marketing with the precision and scale of paid media... We have the full funnel, but at the end of the day, we are 100% accountable for business results.”

• Joe Pirello [02:43]: “If they don't want to get fired in the short term, I would spend it on performance marketing because at least there you're in control of the audience. You can track the response.”

• Joe Pirello [03:08]: “You’re in the hit business and that’s scary sometimes.”

• Joe Pirello [04:08]: “Blending it with paid media and making sure the content's on the website, that's really where it removes all the risk.”

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Transcript

[Benjamin Shapiro]

The Martech Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com.

[Joe Pirello]

From advertising to software as a service to data, across all of our programs and clients, we've seen a 55 to 65% open rate.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

Getting brands authentically integrated into content performs better than TV advertising. Typical life span of an article is.

[Joe Pirello]

About 24 to 36 hours. We're reaching out to the right person with the right message and a clear call to action. Then it's just a matter of timing.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

Welcome to the Martech Podcast, a member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network. In this podcast, you'll hear the stories of world class marketers that use technology to drive business results and achieve career success. Here's the host of the Martech Podcast, Benjamin Shapiro.

I'm Benjamin Shapiro and joining me today is Joe Pirello, who's the CEO and co founder of Props, which helps brands blend creator content with performance marketing. And today Joe is going to explain why brand owned content is the new frontier for marketers who want real predictable outcomes. All right, moving on. Are you doubling down on performance advertising or influencer partnerships?

[Joe Pirello]

Well, I think you know the answer to this, Ben, is we're combining the two things. We're combining creator marketing with the precision and scale of paid media. So without the ads, impossible to give you a one word answer to that because we've really brought these two things together. Creators, not influencers on the attraction side and paid media without the ads on the scale. Targetability and most importantly, the accountability side, that's really the difference. And you boil it all down to props. You have this really unique way. We have this great way of using creators. We merge it with paid media. We have the full funnel, but at the end of the day, we are 100% accountable for business results. And that's where most influencers and content marketers stop.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

For marketers who haven't heard of Props or let's say there's some customers that you just don't want to work with and they have to decide between putting their budget into performance marketing or giving it to influencers. People that are creators that have an audience, which one should they prioritize? What's the blend of your budget?

[Joe Pirello]

I mean, if they don't want to get fired in the short term, I would spend it on performance marketing because at least there you're in control of the audience. You can track the response. You can always change the creative in the influencer space. If you have the patience to find a hit, then that could work for you too. But it's. You're in the hit business and that's scary sometimes.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

When you say you're in the hit business, you mean that you are trying to produce a piece of content that goes viral. Right. Has exceptional performance, where you're basically going to be a volume shooter and hope something takes off. Am I interpreting that right?

[Joe Pirello]

Yes. You don't really know who a creator's followers and influencers followers are. You don't know if they're real, you don't know how many there are. You don't know where they are. You might have an indication. But if you're operating in the US and they have 30% of their followers in Canada, why are you doing that? That's one big thing is there's a lot of mystery behind that. And then influencers are complicated. They have agents. That's a level of complication that you have to deal with. And then they're in the business of making content, which is a very subjective thing. So if you don't get all that right every week, then you're going to risk wasting a lot of money. And that's where blending it with paid media and making sure the content's on the website, that's really where it removes all the risk.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

All right, and that wraps up this episode of the Martech podcast. Thanks for listening to my conversation with Joe Perrello, the CEO and co founder of Props. If you'd like to contact Joe, you can find a link to his LinkedIn profile in our show notes or you can visit martechpod.com you can also find his company's website at props co. That's P R O P S co. And if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of marketing and technology knowledge in your podcast feed, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app and we'll be back in your feed or on YouTube every week. All right, that's it for today. But until next time, my advice is to just focus on keeping your customers happy.

[Joe Pirello]

Foreign.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

Thanks for listening to the Martech podcast and I hear everything. Production Looking to launch or scale a podcast like this one for your brand? Then visit iheareverything.com.