5 Years of Data. Unmatched Insights. The Future of Creator Marketing Is Here.

Over the past decade, the way brands connect with consumers has fundamentally transformed. Consumers now have the power to reach other consumers at a massive scale, and some have become incredibly good at it—enter creators. CreatorIQ’s latest industry trends report, created in partnership with Sapio Research, dives deep into this transformation, analyzing the trends and future trajectory of the creator economy.

We surveyed 1,138 brands, agencies, and creators from over 17 industries about their creator marketing strategy and best practices. By combining this data with our previous annual surveys, we’re presenting five years of data from more than 2.4k respondents overall—our most comprehensive analysis to date for the future shape of the marketing landscape.

Why This Report Matters.

We're at an inflection point: the creator economy is growing up. With the rise of content-first algorithms and a shift towards more authentic communication, consumers are accessing branded content that feels one-to-one while still operating at scale. 

The message likeliest to reach your target consumers is the message created by the people who sit closest to them. In an evolving marketing ecosystem, those people are creators. Our report highlights the undeniable impact of the creator economy, reinforcing the many reasons why it’s the key to modern marketing. If your brand isn’t taking creators into account, it’s time for a new strategy.

The Future of Creator Marketing Is Content-First and Creator-Led. We've got the data to prove it.

What You Can Expect

5 Years of Data, 2400+ Respondents:
This year’s survey includes:

• 457 Brands
• 445 Agencies
• 231 Creators

Insights From Over 17 Industries:

• Media & Entertainment, Technology, Agencies, Fashion & Apparel, Health & Wellness, Food & Beverage, Beauty, and more.

Global Coverage:

• Our survey reached respondents in the U.S., U.K., France, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Australia, UAE, and Brazil

What's Inside 

• How creator marketing investment has transformed over the past five years, including specific data on budgeting and team sizes
• Which social platforms marketers and creators use, the top platforms for ROI and engagement, and how this has changed over time
• How Fortune 100 brands leverage creator content, and how engagement and impressions differ for creator vs. owned channels
• Which creator tiers organizations can leverage to drive retention and results (it’s not what you think)
• How much brands pay creators to post—and how much creators expect to receive 
• How brand safety has shifted over the past year, and where trust and risk management is headed next
• Creators’ top brands in food and beverage, beauty, fashion, and streaming
• How Industry Leaders and enterprise organizations differ from brands overall in terms of their investment, priorities, best practices, and future plans
• The best way to think about measurement, and top strategies for tracking performance 
• What data experts and leading brands think about the future of the creator economy