Written by Nat Cortazar – Founder and Managing Director of The Good Egg
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: unethical agencies.
Unethical agencies come in many shapes and forms, they’re not just the ‘dodgy’ crypto-bro founded shop. They are the ones who hire and let go people in hordes because of poor planning, the ones that work with dubious clients within the FMCG and fast-fashion industries, the ones that don’t pay creators on time – or not at all.
And somehow, they keep winning business. Every. Single. Time. I see it constantly: a new RFP goes out, the usual names get shortlisted, and no one dares to ask the most basic question:
“Are they ethical?”
Let’s face it: The Creator Economy has a transparency problem. A values problem. And a basic-human-decency problem. And one of the reasons it still exists is because both agencies and clients let it.
The Transparency Trap
Let’s start with money.
Most brands have no idea where their influencer budget actually goes. They get a big shiny number from an agency, and think it’s all going to creators. Spoiler: it’s not.
Behind the scenes, you’ll find inflated mark-ups, hidden “service fees,” and creators being paid months late (if they’re paid at all). I’ve heard of agencies using creator fees to cover their own cashflow. Creators chasing invoices while the brand assumes everyone’s been paid.
This is why, when I set up The Good Egg, I promised myself we would always show clients exactly where their money goes. Because if you’re confident in the value you bring, you don’t need to hide behind vague spreadsheets or “bundled budgets.”
But here’s the scary part: a lot of clients have got used to the opacity. They’ve normalised it. They don’t ask the questions. And that’s how unethical behaviour keeps thriving — not through malice, but through silence.
Saying Yes to The Wrong Things
Now, let’s talk about ethics.
Everyone loves a sustainability panel. Everyone posts about inclusivity, empowerment, representation.
And then quietly signs a deal with an extreme fast-fashion brand. Or a weight-loss company selling pseudoscience. Or their whole C-level board is composed of trust-fund kids and there’s not a single voice in charge from a different background. Because money talks. And agencies are terrified of saying no.
The irony? Many of the agencies that claim to be “purpose-driven” are the same ones chasing every brief, no matter the brand’s ethics. Or are the ones that think that by claiming they donate X and Y they can pay creators late, or never at all.
You can’t call yourself transparent if your clients can’t even see your fee split.
The Unpaid Creators Nobody Talks About
And now, the part that truly infuriates me. Creators not getting paid. It’s shocking how normalised this has become.
I’ve heard stories about agencies going down with over $5 million in debt, while the founders are out there showing zero accountability, and asking team members to block emails. And yes, well-known names. And yet, somehow, it’s always brushed off as a “cashflow issue.”
No. It’s an ethics issue.
If your agency can’t pay creators on time (or at all!) you shouldn’t be running campaigns. Full stop. Creators aren’t your vendors. They’re your partners. And when they’re treated like disposable suppliers, the whole industry loses credibility. In fact, it’s the client’s name what they are representing so, if things go south – your brand’s name goes along.
Why Clients Still Look Away
So why do unethical agencies still get hired? Because they look good on paper. They have contacts. They have a glossy deck. They promise viral results. Procurement teams love them because they tick the right boxes. Marketing teams don’t always see what happens behind the curtain.
And sometimes… brands don’t want to know. It’s easier to believe “everyone does it” than to confront the fact that your budget might be funding late payments and low-quality work.
But let me be blunt: if your agency isn’t ethical, you’re complicit. It’s your responsibility to choose partners who reflect your values — not just in the tagline, but in how they treat people. Internally and externally.
So How Do We Fix It?
It’s not complicated. We just need standards.
1. Fee transparency must be non-negotiable.
Every client should see exactly how their budget is split: influencer fees, agency fees, media, production. If it’s not clear, walk away.
2. Keep creators’ fees aside from agency fees and paid upfront.
Influencer fees should be held on third-party trusts and, if this is not available, on separate accounts from the agency fees ones. And, where possible, clients should pay those fees in advance to ensure cash flow.
3. Ethical vetting needs to be part of procurement.
If you audit your suppliers for sustainability, why not your agencies for integrity? Ask about their client portfolio, any open legal causes… and do a quick ChatGPT search on what’s being said about them online. You’ll be surprised you don’t need to dig that deep to find gold, or myrrh.
4. Agencies need to grow a backbone.
It works both ways – say no when a brief doesn’t align with your ethics. It might hurt short-term, but it builds the kind of trust you can’t buy.
The Future Will Be Ethical or Irrelevant
Or that’s what, hopefully, I’d like to believe.
The influencer space is entering an accountability era. Audiences expect transparency. Creators are smarter. Regulators are watching. In the end, the agencies that survive won’t be the biggest — they’ll be the most trustworthy. Or they should be.
And to make this happen, we need educated, conscious clients and procurement teams who want to push the industry forward, and agencies that live up to what they are promising on their decks.
Will you be helping me, and many others, or will you continue financing the wrong people?
Nat Cortazar is the Founder & Managing Director at The Good Egg, a 4-time-in-a-row Boutique Creator Agency of the Year winner, who champions transparency and accountability in the Influencer space. Her experience spans over 12 years at different international agencies and clients and since 2020 leads TGE, working with clients of the likes of LEGO and Silverstone.
