“I signed Philip DeFranco after a Tweet.”

The Amazing Story of Senior Creator Partnerships Manager Maxwell Barbanell

Let’s face it: most of us live, eat, and breathe social media. It’s where we get the latest news, sign up for activities of all sorts, and of course, keep in touch with our loved ones. But would you turn to Twitter if you were looking to sign one of the biggest content Creators in the world? Probably not.

Enter Maxwell Barbanell. He thinks outside the box. For Maxwell, a down-to-earth and driven LA-native, relationship-building and outreach on social media just comes naturally. His job, after all, is to be a touchpoint for content Creators — a first point of contact, a salesman, and perhaps most importantly, a friend.

“We have so many different products and services here at Jellysmack,” says Barbanell. Creators are impressed by the variety but, understandably, skeptical. “Some of them have been burned a lot. By other companies and agencies. So, it’s important that I’m showing up for them from a genuine place, meeting them where they are.”

And where are they? Of course, they’re on social media, so Barbanell is getting creative to leverage authentic connections on social media however he can. “Where there’s a will,” he says, “there’s a way.”

Hence, the tweet.

So let’s rewind. January 14th 2021.

Jellysmack has recently signed internet sensation PewDiePie, and everyone’s talking about it. Including star Creator Philip DeFranco. Philip even reported on the story in his daily news roundup and put it on Twitter here. Barbanell, who is a constant presence on social media, didn’t miss a beat. He jumped into the comments with a bold and cheeky “@Philip DeFranco, you’re next!”

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Phillip DeFranco, one of the OG Creators on YouTube, has been active on the platform since 2007. His non-traditional news channel, The Philip DeFranco Show (PDS), boasts over 6 million subscribers and over 300 million views. Yes, 300 million. So, the tweet was a bold move to say the least, even for Barbanell, who is used to networking, putting himself out there, and relationship-building in fun and innovative ways.

And it paid off big time. In a sea of thousands of comments, DeFranco responded to him personally: “Ok then. Show me what you’ve got.”

That got the ball rolling. A series of negotiations ensued, and after about four months, Jellysmack had a new Creator partner in Philip DeFranco.

And for Barbanell, the new relationship, not the tweet, is the real victory.

The kicker? DeFranco was one of Barbanell’s heroes growing up. PDS was one of the first YouTube channels he subscribed to as a high school student back in 2007. “I don’t like traditional news media,” Barbanell admits. “It’s sensationalized, drawn out, politicized. Phil’s the type of guy who tells it like it is. He’s straightforward, to the point, and covers things that traditional media doesn’t. His style and content really resonated with me. As a high school kid, nine times out of ten, I felt the same way.”

The happy ending? Now Barbanell gets to help one of his heroes thrive as a Jellysmack partner. “The partnership with Phil is just the beginning. It’s going to go so much further than just operating his Facebook and his Snapchat. The sky’s the limit. He’s truly a 50–50 partner. He’s truly in it.”