Life After Creating: Why Brands Hold the Keys to the Next Evolution of the Creator Economy

We’re living in a case study.?

As the first real generation of influencers and creators begin to mature; as new creators come behind them with deeper knowledge and skill sets across platforms; and as more niche communities are built in our content ecosystem, marketers are asking: do we have a responsibility to uphold the creator economy?

Without marketing dollars and brand support, a sustainable lifestyle for creators isn’t as clear cut. And when the risk is as large as quitting a stable job to pursue content creation full time, brands and platforms alike need to provide the tools and resources needed if they want a long-tail strategy that engages their communities through authentic creators and influencers in the space.

The world changed when our definition of “what makes a career” was flipped on its head. In recent years, we waved goodbye to traditional work avenues as the only path forward, and as the pandemic created an even more fragmented idea of the standard nine-to-five. We saw many leave the workforce to find paths that were more centered around their lives and passions. And in doing so, found communities (some in the hundreds of thousands or even millions) who gravitated towards them, and suddenly, a ready-made audience was built.

But, is it really in brands’ hands to provide stability for creators??

In short, yes. And if your brand is not thinking this way, frankly – it’s time for you to remove creators from your marketing mix. Treating creators as billboards for your branding is not only no longer viable – it's not ethically right either. What used to be a transactional relationship is now an extremely collaborative one (when all market conditions are right). Brands and creators are most successful in fluid relationships where they work together on key messages, goals, a bespoke tone and stylistic standards. It requires the brand to place their trust in the authentic voice and style of these creators, because it’s ultimately about the communities that surround them.?

Brand-side responsibility goes beyond simply treating creators fairly (read: not underselling) and respecting their work life balance (reminder: they don’t work for you, they work with you). Instead marketers can play a valuable role in preparing creators for a long and successful career and even how to apply their skills to other opportunities. For example, a creator may be a brilliant creative – but if they are unable to manage their workflow or if they are without a basic understanding of contractual obligations, they won’t be successful in future endeavors. Helping them to skill up in areas not necessarily in their strong suit, allows them to also build a 'creator business' that has longer term potential. It's an essential way to give back to the creator community and fuel the content engine for years to come.

So, what’s at risk for brands if they can’t get it right?

Firstly, creators provide an entry point into culture. When a creator moves on, brands begin to lose cultural relevance with these communities – a death sentence if you’re targeting Gen Alpha, Gen Z and Millennial audiences, three groups who are extremely averse to the marketing channels of yesteryear. Without a creator anchor into your community of customers, most other marketing avenues will fall flat with these audiences.?

Secondly, brands run the risk of being left out of the conversation entirely. If brand managers cannot foster a positive relationship with creators, control is lost in bringing their product or service to market. And in worst cases, the brand can be misrepresented or torched. Simply put, marketing dollars are wasted.?

In practice, the most successful relationships follow a couple of simple and attainable practices.

Follow the creative inspiration. Treat creators as an integral part of the campaign’s creative expression by encouraging on their own interpretations. The best work comes when creators are allowed to flex and be authentic in their creative expressions in a way they know will resonate with their audiences.

Embrace new production means. There is an abundance of readily accessible technology that enhances content creation through simple methods – and platforms are releasing new features daily to help encourage engagement.?

Diversify the approach. The beauty in working with creators is tapping into corners of the internet you maybe didn’t even know existed. Trust in a well-delivered creative brief means that marketers can allow for diversity, across all spectrums, to shine through in the end product.?

It’s in marketers’ hands to help push the creator economy into the next iteration. By leveling up your creator strategy, we can forge new innovation in the space, foster stability for full-time creators, and continue providing brands with avenues to reach customers – and in doing so, create a whole new effective and accountable channel for marketing.?

Suresh Raj is Global Chief Growth Officer at Virtue, the agency powered by VICE. Suresh has been named Financial Times’ and Yahoo! Finance’s Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executive Leaders as well as the Top 100 LGBTQ+ Executive Leaders for the last six consecutive years and more recently by Adweek as a 2022 Pride Star.