Brands often ask for 'celebrity marketing' and mean two very different things. Getting the distinction right protects both budget and expectations.
Paid placement: control and certainty
PPL is negotiated in advance: the creator, the format, the posting date, and the messaging are agreed and paid for. Cost varies with the person, the channel, and the content type, but delivery is contractual.
Use it when you need coverage on a fixed launch date, want specific product features explained, or need assets you are licensed to reuse in ads.
Seeding: credibility and compounding
Seeding has no guaranteed date. The payoff is that the moment reads as a genuine choice, which is why a single airport look can outperform a paid post in reach and resale demand.
Running both together
The strongest campaigns use seeding to create authentic proof, then amplify that proof through paid creator content and editorial. One feeds the other rather than competing for the same budget line.
Buy PPL for timing and control; build seeding for credibility that keeps paying after the campaign ends.