The Creator Economy Is Here to Stay

Rolling Stone recently issued its second annual Creators Issue, a move which speaks to the growing power and value of what might be the 21st century's most unexpected career path: the content creator. The creator economy is growing significantly—it was worth upwards of $100 billion by the end of 2022, and that number’s only going to grow. 

The creator economy’s disrupted not just the entertainment industry but also advertising, and companies who refuse to ride the wave are being left behind. That’s why Rolling Stone’s Creator Issue not only spotlights influential creators, but also the marketing mavens who’ve leveraged this growing industry. 

In its inaugural list of 20 Marketing Leaders “Shaping the Creator Economy,” Rolling Stone profiles marketers who’ve revolutionised their brands, bringing them into the world of content creation. 

Take Hilton’s Mark Weinstein. His marketing strategy turned customers into influencers into brand ambassadors, and revitalised the brand through TikTok. The company won seven awards last year for their TikTok campaigns, which included a viral ten minute video for their “For the Stay” campaign. Hilton collaborated with content creators and the heiress Paris Hilton to update their reputation. Allan Blair, head of strategy for VaynerMedia EMEA, noted that “By using a multitude of creators and content types [Hilton is] showing off what can be done on social platforms if you really invest in the talent, writing and creative direction.” 

Greg Fass, VP of Marketing for the irreverent canned water brand Liquid Death, has pioneered the brand’s virality through unexpected collaborations. Fass told Rolling Stone, “our goal when working with creators is to always put entertainment first in hopes of winning the internet for the day. We like to ask ourselves, what’s something that only Liquid Death and this person could create together?” 

“Winning the internet for the day” is particularly plugged in. On the internet, last week may as well be last year. Marketers who understand the pace at which content moves are less likely to be left behind. 

Logitech’s Erin Chin created programs to get creators interacting with the music industry—and her company’s brand, Logitech for Creators. She writes, “We're trying to be as inclusive as possible and create a community of creators that is as broad as possible so that aspiring creators can see themselves in the content that we put out and can see themselves using the tools and solutions that we're creating.” 

The creator economy has allowed almost anyone to build a following with the will and the tools. Chin’s focus on inclusivity is an important value that can allow brands to form mutually beneficial and meaningful relationships with its audience—the more diversity in the brand representation, the more the audience will identify with the brand. 

The lesson in all of this is clear. Those who are willing to engage with the creator economy will benefit, whether it is through inclusivity, virality, democratisation, or the next marketing innovation. Technology is only as useful as the humans that engage with it—from the creators who post their content, to the brands who leverage technology for their services, to the marketers who connect the two. 

But most of all? The Creator Economy isn’t going anywhere—the question is, what we do with it. 

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Images courtesy of: Rolling Stone, Logitech

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