A few years ago, creator marketing was seen as a nice addition to traditional advertising. Today it is a tightly measured performance channel that receives million-dollar budgets and is judged by its return on investment. The data also show that this shift is not just a trend, but a reaction to changes in digital marketing.
According to the latest global survey by CreatorIQ of 1,723 brands, agencies and creators, creator marketing has entered a new phase that the authors call Era of Efficacy, an era of efficiency, precision and return on investment.
Budgets are not growing despite the crisis. They are growing because of it
Economic uncertainty, pressure on performance and the end of third-party cookies have led marketers to rethink old practices. The result is a significant rise in investment in influencer marketing. Average annual budgets rose by 171% year on year, and more than 7 in 10 companies plan to continue with them. Among large companies, as many as 80% want to increase their budget.
What matters, though, is where this money comes from. Almost two-thirds of new investment is not added “on top”, but shifted from traditional digital advertising and paid channels. Brands are ceasing to believe that performance advertising alone is enough.
Creator content as infrastructure, not a format
The key shift lies in how companies work with creators’ content. 98% of brands now use creator content across channels, from paid campaigns through websites to internal presentations. Creator content has become the production line of all marketing, not a one-off collaboration.
This also explains the sharp rise in return. 94% of organisations say creator content delivers higher ROI than traditional digital advertising. For almost four in ten brands, the return has tripled.
The end of the chase for followers
Another clear trend is emerging: the number of followers is ceasing to be the key criterion. For brands, the most important thing today is brand suitability, meaning the value, content and reputational fit between a creator and a brand. Follower count has dropped to last place in the list of priorities.
This is linked to a growing emphasis on brand safety. Seven in ten large companies say brand safety is more important to them today than ever. It is not only about inappropriate content, but about long-term credibility, context and handling of data.
AI is everywhere. 95% of marketers already use it in some form, most often for data analysis, campaign planning or writing short texts. At the same time, there is broad agreement that AI should not replace relationships with creators. The human element remains what gives creator marketing its authenticity and trust.
What does this mean?
Creator marketing has become the backbone of modern marketing: flexible, scalable and data-driven. The companies that succeed in this new era will not be those with the biggest budgets, but those that can measure the right things, manage data centrally and work with creators as long-term partners.
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