Content Approval Process: Compliment Sandwich Feedback That Lands

Dani Murphy, partnerships lead at MUD\WTR with eight years in influencer and creator marketing, breaks down a practical content approval process that keeps creators engaged and relationships intact. Her core argument: briefs should lead with visual examples, even a video you shoot yourself, because creators are visual people and examples do more work than written instructions alone.

She draws a clear line between UGC creators, who get a founder-tested script to work within, and influencers posting to their own pages, who earn more leniency because they know their audience. For regulated brands, Dani flags exact language swaps, like replacing claims with words such as supports or promotes, as non-negotiable guardrails to spell out upfront.

When content misses, she uses a compliment sandwich: acknowledge what landed, name specifically what did not, and give actionable direction like requesting a few quick cuts. The goal is feedback that opens a door rather than closes one.

Watch to hear how she handles the harder case when a creator's style simply is not the right fit.