Capitalising on the Creator Economy: what I’ve learned from 20 years of brand marketing on social media

Pete Gibbons

In writing this, I was reminded that the “new digital landscape” isn't actually new at all. It’s now over two decades old. When I first started in those early Wild West days of content development for social media there were no rules, there was no strategy, and brands just threw their TV ads up on the latest platforms in fear of looking out of touch. The landscape has vastly evolved but old habits die hard. Many brands can still do better than copy pasting the same ad creative across Instagram , TikTok , YouTube etc. Instead they should be capitalising on the nuanced design, audience behaviours, and engagement style of platforms to connect with consumers.???

"Trust the experts, lean on the creators, and lead with entertainment."

Back in the BEBO days…??

The creator economy which fuels today’s social landscape simply didn’t exist 20 years ago. Vertical video wasn’t a thing, 谷歌 was merely a search tool, Meta was a Greek prefix,?YouTube was just getting started, BEBO & MySpace were King & Queen, and users had no idea what people did with their data. Brands funnelled their budgets (and strategic thinking) into TV, Print and Radio. The concept of ‘scrolling’ was far from marketer’s minds, and social media advertising was very much an afterthought, if even a thought at all.??

"Snack TV”?

When I think of an early turning point that for me signified a real shift in the potential integration of brand storytelling on social platforms, I always come back to LonelyGirl15. LG15 was a groundbreaking YouTube series developed by Greg Goodfried and team who, interestingly, is now leading talent agency DamGood Mgmt , part of the D'Amelio Family LLC 's entertainment empire. It was the internet’s first successful example of branded social content. The perfect blend of platform-relevant scripted storytelling with branded sponsorships from the likes of The Hershey Company , Neutrogena and The United Nations , resulting in an award-winning viral hit.??

LG15’s UK spin-off, KateModern, was one of the first series developed for social media referred to as ‘Snack TV’ or ‘Snackable Content’: entertainment that was easily digestible, and told an engaging story within a few minutes. As Series Producer, KateModern was a hugely pivotal moment in my own career, being my first in-depth foray into the world of social media. We started integrating brands within the show’s development early on, and quickly learned the power of authentic brand integration to avoid clunky, off-putting product placement. Although the industry has come on leaps and bounds in the last two decades, my core learnings from that era remain central to the campaigns we develop now at Formidable: punchy, bespoke social-first content. Driven by the audience first, and the platform a very close second, while taking creators’ individual styles and strengths into account.??

Capitalising on the Creator Economy?

The advent of the creator economy is the biggest cultural shift we’ve seen across the social media landscape. That’s where I see the biggest opportunity for brands to reach growing audiences, and more importantly connect with them.??

Anyone with a good idea and access to a smartphone can produce content, grow a huge audience, and earn eye-watering amounts of money. Prolific creators are taking this a step further, identifying their value to brands? and in turn developing their own production companies, to create native content for brands directly. The growing empire of creators doesn’t stop there. With an army of loyal fans, social influencers have carved out the perfect environment to launch their own brands.?

Fitness influencer Kayla Itsines ’ Sweat app brings in a reported $100M in revenue a year, with the app averaging 70,000 monthly downloads. MrBeast (who is a true internet phenomenon that requires his own article!) launched a burger brand ( MrBeast Burger ) in 2020 that within 3 years has also reached the $100M annual revenue mark. DrinkPrime , created by Logan Paul and KSI has shaken up the drinks industry. While Callum McGinley [Callux] ’s sneaker brand NOTOWAY sells out of new drops in seconds.?

Creators have tapped into an opportunity at the centre of our obsession with celebrity: they are selling us a lifestyle, and everyone wants a piece. We’ve seen a similar evolution in the sports personality landscape. Retired and active players alike are developing their own agencies and production studios in order to both capitalise on their own image, and retain creative control. David Beckham’s Studio 99 with an incredible team including Nicola Howson and Dave Gardner, Rio Ferdinand's FIVE, Gary Neville's Buzz 16 are just a few notable names in this space.??

Brands such as 华特迪士尼公司 , 亚马逊 , Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios , and the LEGO Group regularly nail it with their social content in this vein, working with content creators fluent in the platforms they command to engage with communities authentically. It’s something of an art form, being able to blend the right amount of advertising creative rigour with an entertainment mindset, PR-style endorsement and social nous to deliver a campaign that doesn’t feel like a campaign.?

The path to brand social success?

Exporting a TVC in 9:16 does not equal social strategy. I’m really happy that the industry is ditching the ‘one size fits all’ approach and embracing the plethora of platforms and the diverse audiences they cater for.??

The key to brand success on social lies in identifying user intent on each platform, leaning on the expertise of leaders on those platforms, and creating content that makes people feel. According to Hootsuite 's 2024 Social Media Trends Report, after staying in touch with family and friends the top reason people use social media is to be entertained and to mentally unwind. What’s more, users cite self-promotional content as the biggest turn-off when engaging with brands on social. As far as platform specifics go, TikTok is used largely as an entertainment source, Instagram a valued place to explore interests, X (formerly known as Twitter) for news sources and Facebook for connecting with loved ones. So it’s worth asking yourself as you upload that 30 second promo to your Instagram feed, what value is this adding to its potential viewers, and above all, is it entertaining???

Brands that are constantly evolving their strategy, taking risks and aren’t scared of things not going to plan when they push boundaries, really will be the ones that own the social media landscape, wherever it moves. If there’s a parting piece of advice I could give brand marketers reading this it would be: trust the experts, lean on the creators, and lead with entertainment.?

Pete has spent over two decades creating content for the evolving digital landscape, from the early days of YouTube to the current growth of Tik Tok. Prior to founding Formidable, he was a producer at the BBC, Head of Content in the launch team of COPA90, and produced the UK’s first scripted content series for social media, BAFTA nominated internet drama, KateModern. Since founding Formidable, Pete and Co-Founder Nik Selman have curated a supergroup of creative specialists who develop brand campaigns with the likes of Amazon, The LEGO Group, David Beckham’s Studio 99 and Team GB.?