Glossary/Exclusivity
What is exclusivity?
Short answer
Exclusivity is a creator's commitment not to promote competing brands for an agreed period of time. It is narrowed to a named product category rather than a whole industry, and always to a set period. For a brand it protects the message; for a creator it is a real limit on earnings, so it is priced separately, on top of the rate for the content itself.
What exactly is exclusivity?
It is not a ban on talking about products at all, only an agreed area of silence. The two sides name a category — face cosmetics or banking apps, for example — and the time during which the creator will not take a task from a competitor. The wider the category is described and the longer the period, the more the creator gives up, and the more clearly that should show in the price.
What should you agree before you accept exclusivity?
An exclusivity clause is worth as much as its boundaries:
Category: named specifically, not as “the beauty industry”. The creator has to know from the description alone which task they may take.
Time: counted from publication and with a clear end date. Exclusivity with no deadline means giving away part of the task for good.
Scope: whether it covers only paid content, or private mentions and products received from other brands as well.
Price: a separate line in the quote. What the creator will not earn elsewhere should come back in the rate for this collaboration.
Why do brands ask for exclusivity?
Because a recommendation loses its force when the same creator recommends a competitor's product a week later — the audience reads it as a task, not as a choice. So the brand buys peace of mind: certainty that its message will not be cancelled out straight away. For the creator it is a sign that the collaboration is serious, but also the moment to count how many tasks they will have to turn down.
Where to order it or find tasks
Related terms
Words that come up in the same conversations. Each has its own definition in the glossary.
- Influencer contract
- A record of what was agreed: scope, deadline, fee, rights to the material and exclusivity. It protects both sides when something goes differently than planned. Read more
- Brand ambassador
- A creator who works with one brand over a long time and regularly, rather than on a single campaign. The audience starts to associate the brand with a particular person, which works more strongly than a one-off mention. Read more
- Usage rights
- The creator's consent to where and for how long the brand may use their material. Without it the recording may only be shown where it originally appeared. Read more
- Whitelisting
- The creator's consent to promote their material as an ad from the brand's ad account. The post stays under the creator's name, but the brand sets the reach and the targeting. Read more
Frequently asked questions
Does exclusivity still apply after the campaign ends?
Only if you agree that it does. The exclusivity period usually goes beyond the moment of publication, but it should have an end date — without one it is hard to talk about informed consent or fair pricing.
Can I take a task from a neighbouring category?
Yes, if the category was described narrowly. That is why it is worth pinning down its boundaries when you set the terms, and asking the brand in case of doubt before you publish rather than after.
How much should exclusivity cost?
It is a surcharge on the base rate, depending on the length of the period and the width of the category. The brackets differ between industries, so we show the specific ranges on the individual niche pages.
