UGC vs EGC: What’s Really Driving Results in 2025?
Discover how User Generated Content (UGC) and Employee Generated Content (EGC) are transforming marketing strategies and driving real results. In this article, we’ll explore how brands are tapping into the authentic voices of their communities and teams, and share success stories from companies already seeing the impact.
2025 is not the same as 2024 when it comes to authenticity and community-driven marketing. More audiences want to see legitimate outreach by the brands they trust and less corporate marketing.
Fortunately, new tools are becoming available: User Generated Content (UGC) and Employee Generated Content (EGC). We’ll detail the specifics later in this article, but essentially these options are transforming marketing and changing how brands develop more authentic relationships with their customers.
The purpose of this article is to compare UGC and EGC so you can decide which works best for you. We’ll cover the definitions, why they drive results, and some case studies of what’s worked for other brands previously.
The Difference Between UGC And EGC
The difference between UGC and EGC has to do with who creates them and the style of content.
User generated content is by customers or users of your products and services. Usually, they will post social media posts, reviews, videos and other content showcasing their experience with your brand.
Employee generated content is made by the people who work for you. It focuses more on behind-the-scenes action, company culture, and making your team more personable and known to your audience.
People usually perceive UGC as more authentic than EGC, but both can work. Obviously, employees producing content for your brand have a vested interest in supporting it, whereas regular users or creators are viewed as being more independent.
Furthermore, you usually have less control over UGC content. If it is organic (and not paid), users will just speak their minds. With EGC, employees are more careful about what they say, which can be both a cost and benefit.
The Benefits And Challenges Of UGC And EGC
UGC and EGC are among the most exciting developments in the marketing space in the last few years. They are both opening doors and enabling brands to connect more deeply with their audiences. However, they have pluses and minuses, just like any other marketing strategy,
UGC BenefitS
The cost-effectiveness of this marketing option (the user or customer usually shoulders the burden).
The value of the social proof (prospective buyers love seeing their peers’ opinions).
Greater trust and authenticity than most marketing methods.
UGC Challenges
The difficulty in securing permissions or rights to use users’ content (unless working through a paid platform).
Issues with scaling UGC content and ensuring it represents your brand consistently.
Ensuring UGC creators say what you want them to say.
EGC Benefits
The expertise of your employees and their ability to discuss your products and services.
Complete control over the quality of the messaging and brand tone.
The ability to attract more talented employees to your team.
EGC Challenges
The administrative burden of creating content in-house by yourself.
The risk of seeming too polished or corporate in trying to maintain brand image and values.
The risk of sensitive disclosures (such as in behind-the-scenes videos).
Case Study Of UGC-Led Campaign
Understanding how UGC campaigns work in practice is critical if you want to implement one in your business.
For any Super Bowl fans reading this, you may recall Poppi’s Super Bowl vending machine initiative? This campaign involved gifting gigantic pink vending machines stocked with soda to influencers during the Super Bowl. Creators would unbox the machines and post their reaction videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
The clever part of this strategy was the use of hashtags. These amplified user participation during the event, and highlighted the influencer content.
The results were significant. Poppi’s vending machine campaign boosted its brand engagement and virality, taking it to new heights.
Case Study Of EGC-Led Campaign
Electronics brand Philips is an example of a company that successfully implemented an EGC-led campaign. It wanted to boost its employer brand by getting employees to share their personal stories and work experience at the firm, with the hashtag #LifeAtPhilips. The campaign ran on the company’s social media accounts and website, and encouraged minimal scripting by staff to boost authenticity.
The results were, again, substantial. Philips managed to strengthen its employer brand and portray itself as a desirable place to work. The campaign built trust among audiences, encouraging more people to apply for roles.
Legal And Brand Safety Considerations For UGC And EGC
If you’re planning to use UGC or EGC at your firm, always exercise caution. Make sure you understand the legal landscape to keep your brand safe.
For UGC, always obtain explicit permissions to use the content from the creator. Get them to sign a form that allows you to post it anywhere you want.
Also, focus on vetting content. Monitor it to ensure it is appropriate for your brand and audience, and isn’t hostile or obscene.
Sometimes you will need to make minor edits, but don’t over-edit what users create. Keeping some unscripted or edgy elements can help generate authenticity.
As for EGC, ensure you avoid sharing sensitive company data. You can also provide your colleagues with brand guidelines so they know the sort of content they should be producing.
Tools For Sourcing And Managing UGC And EGC
Today, generating UGC and managing EGC is more straightforward because of an abundance of tools. Numerous platforms are now available to make life simpler, some help you moderate UGC content, others facilitate employee content sharing and editing, and some make it simpler to manage EGC across channels.
YOU’ve MASTERED UGC And EGC
UGC and EGC are exciting recent developments in marketing. UGC is best for social proof while EGC dominates for corporate brand setting and expertise, however, nothing is stopping you from using a mixture of both.
EGC is sometimes more effective for B2B marketing (because of the “thought leadership” element) and crisis management (because of the human connection).
For high-performing campaigns, use hashtags, offer incentives, and give your team or users license to be creative.
Good luck as you implement this new knowledge!
