UGC stands for user generated content: content made by users rather than by the brand itself. Think of a video review, an unboxing or someone showing how a product works in everyday life. Originally it meant content that customers made of their own accord. Today brands also have UGC made on purpose by creators, in the same relatable style.
Why brands use UGC
UGC feels close. A campaign image shows how a brand wants to be seen; UGC shows how a product is really used. That makes it credible, on organic social and in ads. That is why brands use UGC on their own channels, on product pages and as UGC ads in paid social.
UGC works best alongside campaign and e-commerce imagery, as one of the layers in the mix. Jana describes that mix in the article The Content Cake.
MGC: UGC made by models
Model Generated Content (MGC) is UGC made by professional models: social-first content in the relatable style of user generated content, made by creators with years of experience in front of the camera. Models Content Collective gave this form of UGC the name MGC.
For a brand, that means content that feels real and still looks polished. At MCC we call that realness over perfection.
Having UGC made
At MCC you have UGC made by creators who are also professional models. That product line is called Social Content: MCC selects the creators, takes care of the briefing and the quality check, and arranges the usage rights.