The word "authenticity" is losing its value.
And among marketers, producing authentic content is rare.
Marketers have been trained to prioritize their brand and product first, with features, benefits and pricing a close second. This training makes it uncomfortable for them to create authentic content. Instead, they end up making "branded content," which is just an ad in disguise.
True publishers, on the other hand, prioritize their audiences first, producing content that appeals to them for the sake of education, entertainment or inspiration. In this sense, publishers' content is authentic.(I'm speaking broadly, of course as there is plenty of "pay-to-play" content out there which is not authentic.)
We make the same distinction between 'influencers,' who have a following and are paid to say things, and creators, who have expertise and create content about their expertise - and maybe they also have a following.
Our POV is that creators are authentic.
One main distinction between Props and influencer platforms is our curation of authentic creators based on their credibility, talent, and expertise — rather than just their followers.
Props creators produce authentic stories (not ads), which are published on our clients’ websites and promoted with paid media through the creators’ social media handles.
In effect, social media platforms become the means to promote their stories, but not the place for audiences to consume them.
By hosting real stories on our clients website, brands can build a relationship with prospects, and build their brand (and first-party data), while still serving the reader.
And it’s no secret that authentic stories far outperform ads or branded content.
Here’s how our software platform preserves authenticity and helps us avoid falling into the trap of features, benefits and price:
1. CREATORS ARE EXPERTS
Creators are curated for their expertise in a field of endeavor: nutritionists pitch stories about nutrition, pilots about flying, and fashion designers about fashion, etc. Their real life intersects with the audiences we seek to reach.
2. STORY IDEAS COME FROM CREATORS
Creators pitch story ideas directly to our clients through a unique section of our platform, a virtual editorial meeting, so to speak. After briefing creators on a certain topic, each curated creator proposes three to four story ideas and a description, giving the client an easy and simple interface to evaluate the creator and their story idea all in the context of each other.
3. CREATORS HAVE FINAL CUT
If edits become too far from the creator’s original concept or area of expertise, the creator has the right not to approve the story. However, Props ensures our clients are satisfied by providing more aligned creators, a different story, or mediation.
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Props knows high-performing content drives up high lifetime-value customers. Working with expert creators to tell personal stories ensures authenticity at every level for our clients, audiences who consume content, and the creators themselves. And we’ve built a process and a platform to foster and preserve authenticity - not just for the sake of it - but because it works.
For regional banks, advertising is fraught with some of the most stringent rules in marketing. Laws such as the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) require specific disclosures in promotions for loans, credit cards, and other financial products. Adding to these legal mandates, platforms like Facebook and Google impose “Special Ad Categories” for financial services, restricting the use of advanced targeting tools like lookalike audiences or detailed demographic segmentation.
The impact is clear: compliance-heavy messaging disrupts engagement, creativity is stifled, and marketing costs rise as cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-lead (CPL) escalate. For many regional banks, this combination of constraints makes reaching their ideal customers a frustrating and costly endeavor.
Props offers a transformative way for regional banks to overcome these challenges through a unique combination of creator-driven storytelling, strategic paid media promotion, and robust compliance solutions. Instead of promoting financial products directly, Props shifts the focus to authentic, lifestyle-oriented stories that resonate with audiences and inspire them.
These stories are published on the bank’s website (or a special landing page) and, critically, promoted through the creators’ social media handles. Publishing lifestyle content through creators’ handles bypasses the restrictions of “Special Ad Categories,” drives more engagement and click-throughs, and unlocks advanced targeting options. This allows banks to connect with high-intent audiences more effectively while reducing costs.
For example, rather than running a traditional ad for a home equity line of credit (HELOC), Props might collaborate with a creator to share a story about how homeowners can fund renovations—building trust and engagement without triggering compliance-heavy disclosures.
One of Props’ greatest advantages lies in its ability to sidestep disclosure requirements by avoiding direct product claims. Instead of advertisements laden with legal disclaimers, Props content centers on engaging narratives that educate and inspire. These stories provide value to audiences without overwhelming them, creating a cleaner, more effective path to engagement.
A creator might share how they used home equity to remodel their kitchen, illustrating a real-life application of financial tools while staying free from the burdens of compliance-heavy messaging. This approach not only eliminates the need for complex disclosures but also keeps content relatable and audience-focused, fostering trust and credibility.
Audiences are more likely to trust people over brands, and Props ensures this trust by selecting creators based on their expertise and storytelling ability, not their follower count. Creators are chosen for their ability to craft genuine, relatable narratives that resonate with specific audience segments.
Whether it’s a business owner sharing entrepreneurial insights or a parent discussing family finances, Props focuses on the quality of the story rather than the creator’s popularity. By publishing these stories directly on the client’s website, Props ensures that the bank owns the engagement and benefits from first-party data collection. Paid media promotion guarantees that these stories reach the most relevant audience with precision and scale.
Brand safety is paramount for financial institutions. Strict regulatory standards and a heightened need to maintain trust often prevent banks from collaborating with creators. Recognizing these challenges, Props developed Ollie—a proprietary AI-driven brand safety tool that ensures campaigns remain compliant, transparent, and aligned with institutional values.
Ollie reviews years of creator content history, continuously monitors posts in real-time, and flags potential risks using advanced AI. Its capabilities include detecting if a financial offer is being made or if financial advice is being given—two critical triggers that can complicate compliance for creators in regulated industries. By categorizing flagged content as low, medium, or high risk, Ollie empowers banks to avoid pitfalls while enabling creators to craft compelling yet compliant narratives.
This innovative approach ensures banks can confidently embrace creator storytelling, knowing that campaigns will uphold their values and meet regulatory standards. By bridging the gap between brand safety and creative freedom, Ollie empowers financial advertisers to connect authentically with audiences while navigating one of the most regulated industries in marketing.
Props has consistently delivered impressive results for its financial clients across consumer banking, mortgage lending, credit cards, secure cards, life insurance, auto insurance, and wealth management. Props takes responsibility for delivering actual, measurable business outcomes—a key reason for its rapid growth.
For regional bank CMOs, Props offers an unparalleled opportunity to navigate advertising regulations while driving measurable results. By avoiding restrictive ad categories and using creator-led storytelling, Props enables access to advanced audience targeting tools that improve reach and engagement.
Its compliance-friendly strategies reduce advertising costs and create cleaner, more effective campaigns. With Ollie’s oversight, banks can run creative campaigns confidently, knowing that regulatory standards are being met. Props’ focus on authenticity builds trust with audiences, while its full-funnel strategy ensures seamless progression from awareness to conversion.
By leveraging paid media through creators’ handles, Props ensures that each story achieves both the reach and relevance needed to deliver measurable results. For CMOs seeking to transform their marketing strategy and connect authentically with their audience, Props offers a proven path to sustainable growth and success.
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