Creator economy in 3D

December 2023
Creator economy in 3D

What’s inside

Introduction 3

r e cre r e cer e

Where the consumer-creator

bond translates to brand trust 6

Building a stronger creator-brand partnership 9

br ere e er r e 3

De ec e

e c

Methodology 7

c e eme 8

2
Creator economy in 3D

Introduction
The creator economy is helping to fundamentally change the way
consumers engage with brands, media, and purchasing channels. What
used to be an incremental opportunity for messaging engagement now
re re e 2 0b re e e r e e r be
er e e e e r With the right creator’s recommendation,
De e ree ec mer r e e re e e
engage with or make a purchase from a brand.2

e er m br re r c e cre r ec m
influencer marketing strategies, which could fall short of tapping into the
cre r ec m e e e cer re e r
br e re cr e r me e ce c e cre r
often help brands penetrate deeper into niche communities and bridge a
more personal connection with their audience.

r m r e e ec e re e e m c
er c c m c em c e er e
relationship between consumers, creators, and brands and adjust their
r e e cc r De e r e e e r e e
erc ec re b r e m re 2 000 c mer
m re 00 cre r 00 br be e
De e b ec m er e er e ce e

• ere e c e cre r r m e cer

• r e c mer r cre r br e r eme

• How brands can forge stronger and longer-lasting relationships with creators

• How successful brands are leading the way

3
Creator economy in 3D

Clarifying the creator-

influencer divide
br e cre r e cer
erc e b ere re c m
re er be ee e r ce
content, act primarily on social media channels,
and seek to monetize their work.

But content creators tend to be better suited

r ec c b ec e e ee er e
audience penetration, and appeal to consumers
ere e e e cer e e
e e ere ce e be be e

4
Creator economy in 3D

Content creators vs. influencers: Key differences

e be e De e er ec e
e re e ere ce be ee c e cre r Key

and influencers. It is crucial to note that these

differences
Content creators Influencers
differences are not absolute but represent general
tendencies of these two categories, and this table Marketing • Drive deeper relevance within niche • Drive broader relevance across
objectives communities and sub-communities diverse range of audiences
should be used as a primer.
• Drive bottom-middle funnel • Boost brand visibility and
consumer purchasing behavior, awareness—particularly for tentpole
The dimensions disclosed in the table are an specifically in-app, ultimately moments
m r r e r br e ec e resulting in speed to sale
• Drive top-middle funnel
successful creator strategy. But for brands to help • Might not lead to mass scale of sales consumer behavior and long-term
get the most out of their creator partnerships, it is • Drive higher audience engagement
consideration

m r e er e er r er and foster true connection • May lead to mass scale of sales

behind the consumer-creator bond and how this
Targeting • Better suited for reaching niche or • Effective at reaching a wider range of
translates to brand trust. and reach interest-based audiences audiences

• Exist in nontraditional social media • May have platforms beyond

platforms social media (e.g., website, brand,
merchandise)

Audience • Relatable and personal connection • Aspirational draw to their audience

appeal with their audience
• Celebrity-like lifestyle and appeal
• Educate and entertain their audience

Working • Creator drives co-creation with • While personal brand/image is

relationship brand. Desire more control over prioritized, more willing to co-create
partnered content—stronger desire with the brand or share branded
for creative freedom assets and/or messaging

• Run many aspects of the business • Content likely focuses more on brand
themselves—skilled in content deals; aspirations to be marketing
production vehicle for brands

• Passionate about the content they • Face of their business, but usually
create and will continue to create work with larger teams that handle
regardless of brand deals other aspects (e.g., management,
production)

5
Creator economy in 3D

Where the consumer-creator bond translates to brand trust

Content creators are a growing media channel in the entertainment Figure 1: Median number of favored creators by generation
landscape. Gen Z and millennials spend 26% to 37% more time on 10
c me re e er 3
This increase in social media
me me e er e er e m ere ce
r

in content from leading studios, micro networks, and amateur user-

re cre

generated content, to full-time content creators.

5
mber

3 3
Certain creators have more sway than others
e

m e re r ce e c mer
c me ee e e er e c mer e favored
Baby boomers Gen X Millennials Gen Z
content creators. e e cre r re e c me e e
r e er e re r c e e re rce De e 2023 re r c m 3D mer r e
appears to be increasing with each generation, with the median Gen Z 200
e b m c e cre r c e cr ere rm e c e r e e
c me er r e e 0 e e re cre r re or content from this user

Figure 2: Consumers following creators out of lifestyle admiration by generation

favored creators as creators that
consumers actively seek out for new updates and 45%
content, as opposed to creators that consumers 39%
engage passively on their feed.
mer

25%
c
e

17%
e e re cre r r e e r e eme e r
erce

c mer c mm er c e e e c e
b r e m re er re b e me e er e ce
r me c mer cre r re e r e e
Baby boomers Gen X Millennials Gen Z
could be traced to either a shared interest or desire to learn from that
creator. mer cre m re e e cre r rce De e 2023 re r c m 3D mer r e
200
e cre r mr r er e e re 2 6
e re e re e cre r e ec

6
Creator economy in 3D

Favored creators can have a significant

impact on consumer-brand trust
e ee er c ec be ee c mer er r e cre r
rec r c mer br r e re cre r
rec mme br ree ec mer r e e re r e e
re m re e e e e br c rc
br r c e r er er r c rec mme
that brand to others.

e er e r br er e c re
consumer-creator relationship and how these features manifest in a
targetable way for marketing campaigns.

The drivers of creator-endorsed brand trust

ere re m r c r c e ce ere re e
brand engagement, but Deloitte research found that the factors with
e br e e ce cr eb r c be b e
e r br 7

r e cre r be e e r r e e ce

2. Target creators with passionate followers.

7
Creator economy in 3D

Target creators who are relatable to your target audience Target creators with a passionate following

While there are many ways consumers can mer r e e re m re e

identify with a creator, we found the strongest Relatable means… brand recommendations from creators Passionate
r er e ce c mer br r re • They share a e e re e e e followers…
in a relatable lifestyle and shared interests. socioeconomic cre r c e e er e • e cre r
background. content more
creator beyond their primary platform.8
These creators are relatable to your audience • They identify with the frequently.
because they are your audience. When these creator’s hobbies or e e c r e r e rm b er b e • Follow that creator
creators recommend a product, that creator’s interests. guideposts for brands looking at potential creator outside their primary
recommendations are empowered by an r er r rm cre r e er platform.

e c re e ce r e me r c c r e ce r c e
that connection. r re e cre r c e
m e er re re e r
c ec rce c r e re er
For content creators, their marketing power lies in
e e ec e e c e cre r
depth of engagement, not breadth of engagement.
e cer e e cer m e
Depth can be critical, especially when remembering
greater reach and star power, they tend to lack
e ce e ee re e e e re
rec re b c e cre r e
for message retention and to enter these spaces to
with their audience.
build lasting relationships.

Second, brands should consider creators with

a strong community outside their primary
rm r c r rm ere cre r
m r e eme r c e er
followers. This cross-platform engagement is not
necessarily about reach but is an indication of that
consumer’s investment in the creator.
8
Creator economy in 3D

Building a stronger creator-brand partnership

ec r cre r br
r er e
Figure 3: Three pillars of stronger creator-brand partnerships
trust and respect for that creator as
b cre e r
business. Treating creators as just another
marketing channel can restrict the
cre r erm e e cre e r ce
b e e e r e
continued relationship with that creator.
er e r cre r br
relationship is likely to keep a creator with
r br e er be er re
your marketing campaigns.
r
01 02 03
Creative agency Strong business case Long-term support
r cre r r e ree r m r
areas brands can control that strengthen • Brand lets me maintain • r e ce • Brand supports my long-
e cre r br re re 3 9 cre e ree m term growth
• Adequate compensation
• ec re
• Timely compensations
• re e e c br r

• Strong business case

• Long-term support

9 rce De e 2023 re r c m 3D mer r e

200
Creator economy in 3D

Creative agency can be key for successful

creator-brand partnerships
re e e re ee e be cre r br c e e
c ec e e be ee cre r er e ce recognizing,
supporting, and facilitating e cre e c r e element in
strengthening a creator-brand partnership. re r r e e re r e
e re m re e c e r er br e e ee

• e br em m e r cre e ree m
High-ROI brands are
• e ec re r r br re c e
brands that reported a
While brands may approach creators with certain stipulations around the
re re c e cre r r e e c e r e re 40% or higher ROI on
e re em e e er ce r c ee m re cce e
e e r r e m re cre e er rec r c revenue growth from
cre r r e e c e r er e r
br re ec e r cre
higher success when doing so.
e ree m b br r e e re r
their creator initiatives.

Low-ROI brands are

How high-ROI brands differentiate their
creative relationship with creators
Successful brands in the creator economy recognize the importance of
em er e cre r cre e ce e embr ce
both in how they look for creator partners and work with those partners.
those that reported an
e m r e er er e m r ce cre r r c ROI of 20% or less.
re r e me br r e e re me m re e
br ce e e m r ce cre r rce
in choosing a creator partner. 0 High-ROI brands also place a much stronger
em e r c cre er r re
e r cre r r er m re er r e e eer 3 me
many high-ROI brands place utmost importance on taking creators’ ideas and
ee b c cc me m r e e br ce
the same importance on actively seeking out feedback from these creators.

10
Creator economy in 3D

Don’t lose sight of creators’

fundamental business needs
e cre e ree m erm r re
ere r br r e cre r ee re
still grounded in their fundamental business needs. For creators
r e e b ree e

•D e r br er e ce

• re em r

• re em me m er

r e ce c re b e c er r cre r
b e rec b c e me m r e e
e r er e e c e cre r rec e
their authenticity with their audience, and brands likewise need
an authentic connection with that creator.

cre r c m e e r e bem r e
e e ec e e cre r r m rc
erre re e e m r e r em
on time, are the foundation of a successful creator-brand
r er m e e be cre m r
consider as the creator space gets more crowded.

11
Creator economy in 3D

Forge a stronger relationship How high-ROI brands differentiate cre rr er r e e r me er

through long-term support their long-term support r e e eer 2 m r
r r r r e erm br r e e er erm c reer
Brands can strengthen their relationship if
r e er e be er ce e r cre r r er r e
they think of it somewhat like a business-to-
cre r r er br c ere e times as often as their low-ROI peers. 3
business partnership; in other words, brands
thus gain a preferential status among creators.
succeed when their creator partners succeed.
Both factors help underscore the growing
Many brands already put this into practice.
r r e e rec e cre r re m r ce c reer e er e
br r e e r e cre r
small-business operations, with all the challenges your team to guide creators through their long-
ce e cre e r ce
cc m e m c b term growth and strengthen their relationship
c e e e me e r br
er c e m eme with your brand. Understanding a creator’s
m eme re
er ce e r cre r r er long-term goals, and helping them reach those
fact, br r e e r e be e c r e cre r b
c e m eme er ce er c r e re e r e br

Figure 4: Types of long-term support provided by brands

Percentage of brands

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Creative assistance 59%

Content development 58%

Type of assistance provided

Networking 56%

Personal brand management/development 56%

Financial/wealth management 46%

Long-term career assistance 35%

Mental health/well-being support 33%

rce De e 2023 re r c m 3D r r e
00
e c e r er ce er rc e cre r r er e ec

12
Creator economy in 3D

How top brands differentiate their strategy

When looking at how high-ROI brands
r e e ere e er r e
and approach to the creator economy, Figure 5: Creator follower size by brand ROI

e e em e e
ree e re
60%

e er e r r er 51%
50%
across a higher number of creators. 46%
43%
2. They balance between follower reach 40%
36%
and impact. 34%
Percentage of brands

33% 32% 33% 32% 33%

3. e e m re er c me 30% 27%
29%

budget into creators. 23%

22% 21%
19%
20%
16%
Top brands balance
11%
between creators’ individual 10%
9%
7%
5%
reach and impact 4% 4%
1%
0%
br r e e er
0 5,000 10,000 25,000 75,000 250,000 500,000 1,000,000+
how to rightsize their targets for to 4,999 to 9,999 to 24,999 to 74,999 to 249,999 to 499,999 to 999,999
er c m re e ec e
br r e e e ec Follower count range

when balancing the need for a sizable

Low ROI (0-20%) Medium ROI (21-40%) High ROI (41%+)
followership for scalability with a small
enough followership to ensure impact.
rce De e 2023 re r c m 3D r r e
The majority of high-ROI brands 00
e r e rm c e er c r e r r e r cre r r er e ec
r e e r r e cre r e
2 0 00 er c r e
e r me e er e
er er r e e eer
re

13
Creator economy in 3D

Importantly, high-ROI brands br r e e c e e e Figure 6: Brand investment as a share of social media spend
r e e e c e r e need to build networks of multiple
er er c 33 cre r m m e e r re c
Creator investment as share of social media budget
ROI brands partner with creators in m c cr e r c e
e 2 0 er c r e within a particular audience.
42.25%
which is actually more frequent than
these brands partner with creators in
Lean in to your creator
Average percentage of social

30.60%
e m er c e r
investments
media budget

20.45%

cce br r e e er
Expand your creator
meaningfully in the scale of their
reach with more creator e me e cre r ec m
partnerships at a time br r e e e Low ROI Medium ROI High ROI
(0-20%) (21-40%) (41%+)
br r e e er e 2 e r c me
ROI on creator-driven revenue

ere e em e e r m e r b e r c e cre r
less successful peers in the number m re ce e er e er
of creators they partner with at a eer re
time. While the median low-ROI
br r er ree e er e me c e rce De e 2023 re r c m 3D r r e
00
creators at a time, high-ROI brands creators can allow brands to e erce e r c me m r e b e e c e c e

r er 0 r m re compete in many of the critical areas cre r r er

we saw high-ROI brands succeed

The creator economy operates e c e r cre r
e ec e re ec c m e er e er er
e c re c target audiences across a higher
fundamentally runs based on number of creator partnerships, and
e e r re e re b e e er me
e er e ce ere r resources for their creator partners.
e e cce

14
Creator economy in 3D

How Deloitte can help

Content creators are helping to transform the media
c e c r c mer e r
communities that present brands with an opportunity
r ee er m re er e e er
e eme e er br r c cre r
from the same place of authenticity and connection to
r e er e e c ec cre r e er
audience. Deloitte brings years of marketing and industry
e er e ce be r e br e e r re e
and capacity to engage the creator economy. Deloitte can
r er e er e e r ce c e
br e e e er cre r e e
e r e e br b ec e
e ec e r e

15
Creator economy in 3D

Get in touch
Christine Cutten
r c e cer r e e r e r rm
Deloitte Consulting LLP
[email protected]

Dennis Ortiz
r c er b c e
and Platforms Sector Leader
Deloitte Consulting LLP
[email protected]

Kenny Gold
D rec r e c e e cer
Deloitte Digital
[email protected]

Stacy Kemp
Principal, Customer and Marketing CMO Program
Deloitte Consulting LLP
[email protected]

16
Creator economy in 3D

Methodology
er e ree r e r e
consumers, content creators, and brands in the United States
are engaging with each other within the content creator
ec m e r e ere e e b e e e re e rc
rm 2023 r e e c e cre r 00
br 2 00 c mer mer e e
b c em rece ce e re re e e
e c mer e me be r r e er
e re e 200 m e
3 e 2 b mer
m re r r re r ere m e cc r
re re e e rb er c c
0 c er m e cre r r m r
erre re e e r b e r ce e er e
r b r br m e r e e br re r e
m m m re e e 2 0m r m re

17
Creator economy in 3D

Acknowledgements
Recognition and appreciation
re r br b De e e r e cer r r m
e b be be e r er
collaboration, and tireless assistance of our colleagues on the front lines of
the creator economy that helped shape the impact of these trends in the
m r e ce embr ce em r e r r ec m e r

Authors: Bree Matheson, Connor Seidenschwarz

Thought partners: r ce c D mm e r
b r er rc e er r rr e er
Ashley Perkins, and Lizzie Nelson

Special thanks to the TMT Center r er r c e c

r er r m c r

Additional thanks to Deloitte’s Marketing Excellence team c

e m c e re r e e rr r e r
ebecc e e er e mme cc e e
Shannon Smith, Anna Spikings

18
Creator economy in 3D

Endnotes
m Sachs, “ e cre r ec m c r c r r b 202 r 2023

2 De e 2023 re r c m 3D mer r e

3. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

De e 2023 re r c m 3D re r r e

0 De e 2023 re r c m 3D r r e

2 b

3 b

19
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c e r e er
Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication.

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