The "Creator Economy" isn't a category.
The "Creator Economy" isn't a category. It's probably more of a correction... but only scales with as a through-line. Brands often talk about creators like they're a line item. A channel. A row on the media plan after search or within social. For the first 20 years, brands did something that felt totally normal at the time: They took the most valuable thing they had, the direct relationship with their audience, and handed it to social platforms. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. And they called it distribution. They called it reach. They called it smart. What they actually did was rent their own audience back from the people they gave it to. Creators can be the solution for how they redeem this, but... The Creator Economy cannot just live inside 7 social platforms. Walled gardens are the reason why fewer than 1% of creators can actually earn a living doing this. But it doesn't have to be that way. Creators prove the relationship was always the asset, and the platform was never the product. The brands that actually get this aren't chasing creators. They're attracting them. Bringing them in. Sharing, collaborating, not just borrowing. They're studying why creators win, then giving them real estate within their O&O... and relying on the directness, the trust, the audience that's theirs and not rented, and building that same thing at company scale. This matters more now than ever, because when AI decides what gets recommended and content is basically infinite, reach isn't the scarce thing anymore. Trust is. The brands that still own part of the relationship directly, partnering with creators to do so, are going to be fine. The ones still renting it are about to find out how expensive that rent gets.
By Matt Wurst
Published
From the Innovative Leadership community. Where forward-thinking leaders connect through podcasts, webinars, and event insights. Explore ideas that inspire creativity, emotional connection, and team growth. Share experiences, learn from peers, and shape the future of leadership together.
Posted in Marketing Thought Leadership. Key themes, topics, ideas, opinions, news, and thought leadership in and around the world of marketing
16 views
0 likes