Underscore has cemented its place as a leading influencer marketing agency, connecting brands with Australia’s most influential digital voices. With over a decade of experience and a unique connection to Australia’s top digital creators through its partnership with Untitled Group, Underscore has become the go-to agency for brands seeking authentic and impactful influencer campaigns.
“The most important thing that we pride ourselves on is being matchmakers for brands,” says Elise Brando, head of influencer and creator marketing at Underscore AU. “Because most of our team are in the target demographic of 18-to-25 Gen Z market, we understand it, and we have relationships with that demographic.”
Elise Brando, head of influencer and creator marketing at Underscore AU
The evolution of influencer marketing
Brando, who has witnessed the evolution of influencer marketinga from its nascent stages, notes a significant shift in perception. “I started my career in the influencer space as it was becoming a thing. So my experience goes back right to the beginning,” she said.
“At the start, brands were skeptical, questioning what influencers could actually do for them,” she explains. “Now, they are seen as key opinion leaders. People trust influencers much like they trust recommendations from friends or family.”
Exclusive partnerships with sporting giants
Underscore’s reputation for delivering exceptional results has attracted major clients, including Tennis Australia and the AFL, who have named the agency their exclusive influencer marketing partner. “A lot of the time, brands are inclined to come to us because we do have that connection with Untitled group, and they’ve seen the work we’ve done at their festivals and things like that. So now I guess we’re being recognised by other companies, you know, like, the AFL is one of our clients and Tennis Australia,” Brando explains.
Underscore’s connection to Untitled Group, who run major festivals like Beyond the Valley and Wild Lands, provides unique access to influencers. “Untitled wanted to have an in-house influencer agency to work along their events, but also grow our client base as well. So whenever there’s any big brands that want to activate at our festivals, we work with them. And then, you know, they become clients of ours after we’ve worked with them that one time as well.”
For the AFL, Underscore leverages its extensive network to flood social feeds with engaging content. “We kind of look at it as, like, flooding the feed. Everywhere you look, well, you will have influences posting and talking about whatever our client wants them to be talking about.”
Case study: Cornish Sea Salt’s Australian success
One of Underscore’s standout success stories is its three-year partnership with Cornish Sea Salt, a brand that had no prior marketing presence in Australia.
Initially, the brand was relatively unknown in Australia. “At the time, no one in Australia knew what Cornish was until we started working with them,” Brando said. Through strategic gifting and paid collaborations with food and lifestyle influencers, Underscore transformed Cornish Sea Salt into a pantry staple. In 2024, the brand saw a total campaign reach of 68.9m.
“Now, you know, we look online, and we see so many influencers just using it and knowing it, and even if they’re not tagging the brand, it’s still brand alignment because they’re using it in their pantry. After all, we sent it to them,” Brando said.
Similarly, Zuum Energy Gum experienced a 104% increase in online sales following an Underscore-led influencer campaign, proving that well-executed creator partnerships can drive tangible business outcomes.
Navigating algorithm changes and future trends
The dynamic nature of social media algorithms makes influencer marketing a constantly evolving field.
“TikTok is a wild beast – it’s hard to predict anything,” Brando admits. “We work across both Instagram and TikTok, staying up to date with platform changes. For example, hashtags are no longer a major factor, so we adjust our strategies accordingly.”
“We also check everything manually,” she said adding that the company has “tried to use tech platforms before but feel like we are giving a great service by doing this all manually and cross checking everything.”
Looking ahead, Brando sees continued growth in the influencer marketing space. “More and more clients are coming to us because they recognise the ROI. A few years ago, we were still educating brands on how influencer marketing works. Now, ‘influencer’ isn’t a dirty word anymore – it’s an essential marketing tool.”