175 F&B Brands Compete for the Same Creators — YouTube Collaboration Competition by Industry
Key Takeaways
- · 식음료에 175개 브랜드가 몰렸지만 브랜드당 평균 8.4건 — 진입 브랜드는 많되 투자 강도는 낮은 레드오션 구조
- · 금융·재테크 26개 브랜드가 브랜드당 19.7건 집행, 평균 조회수 56만으로 전 업종 1위 — 소수 집중 전략
- · 건강·의료 업종 ER 3.13%로 참여율 전 업종 최고 — 정보성 콘텐츠의 저장·공유 패턴이 원인
- · 반려동물(ER 4.44%)·SaaS·아웃도어는 브랜드 진입이 적은 블루오션
- · 동일 업종 브랜드 간 크리에이터 공유 사례는 8건 — 직접 경쟁보다 독자 크리에이터 발굴이 대세
Dhesy analyzed 5,997 YouTube creator collaborations across 2,316 brands and found that the food and beverage category had the most brands (175) competing for creators, yet averaged only 8.4 collaborations per brand. Finance, with just 26 brands, averaged 19.7 collaborations per brand — the most aggressive investment strategy of any sector.
Most Brands Compete in F&B, But Finance Invests the Hardest
175 F&B brands vs. 26 finance brands — the numbers suggest food is more competitive, but actual spending intensity tells the opposite story.
In the YouTube creator collaboration market, competition cannot be measured by brand count alone. Cross-referencing brand count and collaboration volume on Dhesy reveals that while 175 brands have entered the F&B space, they average just 8.4 collaborations each. Beauty (150 brands, 7.2 collaborations) and fashion (99 brands, 2.8 collaborations) follow a similar pattern — many brands, minimal investment per brand.
Finance is different. Twenty-six brands executed 512 total collaborations, averaging 19.7 per brand. Gaming (33 brands, 28.5 collaborations) follows the same pattern: a few brands investing heavily.
Competition Metrics by Industry
Here is a comparison of brand count, total collaborations, per-brand average, and engagement metrics across the top nine categories:
| Category | Brands | Total Collabs | Avg Collabs/Brand | Avg Views | Avg ER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F&B | 175 | 1,474 | 8.4 | 491,301 | 1.95% |
| Beauty | 150 | 1,079 | 7.2 | 294,792 | 2.07% |
| Fashion | 99 | 280 | 2.8 | 196,051 | 1.77% |
| Health & Medical | 79 | 985 | 12.5 | 274,293 | 3.13% |
| Entertainment | 66 | 323 | 4.9 | 236,044 | 1.60% |
| Retail & Commerce | 57 | 780 | 13.7 | 253,830 | 2.36% |
| Tech | 47 | 309 | 6.6 | 335,127 | 1.66% |
| Gaming | 33 | 941 | 28.5 | 152,077 | 1.54% |
| Finance | 26 | 512 | 19.7 | 566,048 | 1.60% |
| Overall Average | — | — | 6.1 | 319,000 | 1.95% |
업종별 브랜드당 평균 협업 건수
* Source: Dhesy
Finance leads in average video views (566,048) despite having the fewest brands. Popular finance and economics channels are being locked up by a small number of aggressive financial brands.
Geumhandon — 23.6M Views from Just 4 Creators
The best example of finance's aggressive strategy is Geumhandon (금한돈), a gold investment app. With just 4 creators and 4 collaborations, the brand accumulated 23.6 million total views. The top-performing video, titled "What happens when you secretly save gold from your wife," earned over 15 million views.
The video worked because it wrapped a financial product (gold investing) in a relatable domestic conflict narrative. Comments focused more on the couple's dynamic than on investment tips. While Geumhandon's overall ER (0.19%) falls below the finance average (1.60%), its per-brand average views of 5.9 million far exceeds any competitor in the category.
F&B's Red Ocean — 175 Brands Sharing 459 Creators
F&B has the most brands (175) actively collaborating with YouTube creators. As Korea's influencer marketing market grows beyond 550 billion KRW in 2026, F&B brand entries continue to accelerate.
The challenge is density. Of 459 total creators with brand deals on Dhesy, only 75 (16%) work with two or more brands. Most creators partner with a single brand, meaning proven creators are scarce. F&B brands seeking high-performing channels must compete within the same narrow creator pool.
The highest-ER food brands — Hunic (10.09%, 21 collaborations) and Kkobok Sanghoe (8.31%, 44 collaborations) — both focused on repeat partnerships with mukbang and cooking channels.
업종별 평균 인게이지먼트율(ER)
* Source: Dhesy
Health & Medical — Highest ER at 3.13%
With 79 brands and 985 collaborations, health and medical sits in the upper-middle tier by volume. What sets it apart is engagement rate: 3.13% average, the highest of any category — significantly above beauty (2.07%) and F&B (1.95%).
Why? Health content drives saves and shares. Viewers bookmark health videos for later reference, leave comments asking follow-up questions, and share with family. Boryung Consumer Healthcare recorded an ER of 18.68% across 17 collaborations — 9.6 times the platform average.
Gaming's Concentration Play — 33 Brands, 28.5 Avg Collabs
Gaming ranks low in brand count (33) but first in per-brand collaboration volume (28.5). Team42 executed 406 collaborations with just 2 creators, representing the category's typical long-term partnership model.
Hungry Studio worked with 15 creators across 20 collaborations. Their top video "GIGA GOJO vs ???" earned 14.98 million views.
This short-form content combined anime IP (Jujutsu Kaisen) with a mobile game. Gaming has below-average views (152,077) overall, but the ceiling for individual breakout hits is extremely high.
What This Data Doesn't Show
This analysis uses views and engagement rate as proxies, not actual conversion rates or revenue attribution. Low ER in F&B doesn't necessarily mean low ROI — many F&B campaigns prioritize long-term brand awareness over direct conversions.
Finance's high average views should also be interpreted carefully: they're concentrated in a few premium channels, creating potential selection bias. Gaming's 28.5 average per brand is heavily skewed by Team42's 406 collaborations.
Takeaways for Marketers
Advertisers: In crowded categories like F&B and beauty, differentiation comes from format innovation rather than creator selection. Geumhandon's approach of wrapping finance in everyday narratives is a strong reference.
Creators: Health content's 3.13% ER is a powerful data point. If you produce health-related content, include this benchmark in your brand pitch decks.
Agencies: In categories like gaming and finance where few brands invest heavily, long-term partnership models outperform one-off campaigns for both brands and creators.
FAQ
Q. Which industry has the most YouTube creator collaborations?
A. F&B leads with 175 brands and 1,474 total collaborations on Dhesy. Beauty follows with 150 brands and 1,079 collaborations.
Q. Which industry has the highest per-brand collaboration volume?
A. Gaming averages 28.5 collaborations per brand, followed by finance at 19.7. Both categories feature a small number of brands investing aggressively with select creators.
Q. Which industry has the highest engagement rate for branded content?
A. Health and medical at 3.13%, driven by content that viewers save, share, and revisit for health information.
Q. What are the blue ocean categories for YouTube collaborations?
A. Pet (8 brands), SaaS (11), and outdoor/leisure (15) have minimal brand presence. Pet content notably achieves 4.44% ER — the highest of any category.
Q. Do competing brands in the same category share creators?
A. Dhesy data shows 8 confirmed cases of same-category brands sharing a creator. The current trend favors independent creator discovery over direct competition for established creators.
Methodology: Based on 2,316 brands and 5,997 collaborations tracked on the Dhesy platform. Analysis period: April 2025 – April 2026. Data source: Dhesy External sources: BAT 2026 Influencer Marketing Trends, Somako Influencer Marketing Success Formula Last updated: 2026-04-08