How Munch uses Passionfroot to fuel creator-led growth

Meet Munch: an AI video editing tool designed for content creation, repurposing, and performance analysis across multiple platforms.

Munch’s AI and computer vision technology extracts the most engaging clips from long-form videos, focusing on virality by analyzing context, background elements, and trending keywords to deliver high-impact clips.

Munch employs 16 full-time employees, serves over 500K users, and generates nearly $3M ARR. While targeting small businesses, solopreneurs, and individuals who need a professional social media presence, they’ve also attracted enterprise customers like HubSpot, Salesforce, Asurion, and Nas Daily.

Jonathan Maimon, former VP of Marketing at Munch, joined the company to build its marketing function from the ground up. Recognizing the value of creator marketing, Jonathan allocated 30-40% of his budget to Passionfroot creators.

The Problem

Initially, Munch worked with an agency to break into the creator marketing channel. This approach worked at first, helping Munch gain notoriety, but as time went by, they were looking to scale and optimize for costs and results, the need for predictable quotes, direct communication with creators and forming long-term collaborations.

Attempts to approach creators manually also fell short, as gaining responses without a credible intermediary proved challenging. Realizing the potential of creator marketing, Munch knew they needed to scale and manage it in-house to be effective.

The Passionfroot Match

Jonathan identified newsletter advertising as a cost-effective channel for brand awareness. “When we first went to market, we saw tremendous spikes in new customers from industry newsletters, doubling our daily average from specific outlets.”

Jonathan discovered Passionfroot while exploring creators on Beehiiv, and it quickly became his go-to tool for managing creator marketing. The platform allowed him to streamline the entire process—booking, communication, and payment—with ease.

Key Features & Value:

• Direct Communication: Passionfroot’s platform enabled Jonathan to communicate quickly and directly with creators, eliminating the frustrating back-and-forth that often comes with agencies or manual outreach. This direct access was crucial in forming long-term relationships and ensuring timely feedback on deliverables.

“The service is second to none. I locked in a roster of creators that I kept rebooking, and having an open chat with them was crucial. We could follow up, receive drafts and results, and share future dates. It solved a major pain point for us—actually getting responses and interest.”

• Efficient Discovery: Passionfroot’s Discovery feature allowed Jonathan to filter creators based on specific needs, such as reach, platform, niche, and demographics. Knowing that all creators on the platform were vetted by the Passionfroot team also added an extra layer of confidence.

• Time & Cost Savings: Jonathan was able to secure a month’s worth of collaborations in under a week, with clear visibility into pricing, demographics, and deliverables. This efficiency saved both time and marketing budget, allowing Munch to focus on growth rather than administrative tasks.

“The time and cost savings were astronomical. I locked in a month’s worth of collaborations in under a week, with full clarity over demographics, pricing, and deliverables, forming long-term relationships with creators we were pleased with.”

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The Result

Munch ran over a dozen collaborations on Passionfroot, across platforms like Newsletters, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. The result was impressive: Munch built a much-trusted brand credibility through collaborating with creators and thought leaders.

Impact on Munch’s Growth:

• Increased Brand Visibility: Munch saw significant lifts in brand search and direct traffic, indicating stronger brand presence and engagement.
• Improved Ad Campaigns: The usage rights secured through collaborations enhanced Munch’s brand awareness campaigns on Meta and TikTok, leading to a lower cost-per-click (CPC) on search campaigns.

For example, Munch partnered with Jen Bryan, a rising star on Instagram with over 140k followers, creating marketing and AI content. Their collaboration, which started with one reel, blossomed into a six-month partnership, producing consistent short-form videos for social media.

Munch also collaborated with prominent AI newsletters, including Sunday Signal, a newsletter with 40k readers and a 47% open rate, read by startup founders, content creators, and investors.

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Influencer Marketing Best Practices

Consider Creators Who Match Your Goal

Munch focused on “influencer influencers”—creators who help other creators grow. “We targeted creators coaching businesses and individuals looking for real value. Setting this as a criterion made things straightforward.”

Companies should consider what specific creator profile aligns best with their brand image. Jonathan advises checking if creators have done paid partnerships with similar products as a good starting point.

Vet Every Creator

Although Passionfroot’s Discovery network is already vetted, Jonathan emphasizes the importance of reviewing creators’ actual channels before committing to a collaboration. “I wouldn’t pay $3,000 without seeing what they do, how it looks, and what’s happening in their comments.”

Focus on Brand Marketing

While performance marketing metrics are crucial, Jonathan suggests prioritizing the brand-building aspect when working with creators. “Creators charge what people are willing to pay, but advertisers often benchmark this channel unrealistically. It belongs in brand marketing, where success is measured differently. In SaaS B2B, creator marketing fits comfortably within product marketing.”

"Creators offer more than brand awareness—they build product familiarity. When an authority figure showcases your product in a one-minute reel, it creates better-primed customers who understand your product before they even arrive at your channel. The largest B2B companies increasingly adopt this approach."

Jonathan’s briefs to creators focused on product benefits, enhancing credibility and familiarity with their audiences.

Want to Kickstart Your Creator-Led Growth?

Munch is on the frontier of AI video editing and one of the most forward-thinking, creator-led B2B SaaS companies.

Follow their lead and boost your growth with creators—get access to Passionfroot now for free.

We’d love to help you grow!