“The creator economy is no longer a trend. It’s actually an infrastructure,” says Ashley Rudder, Chief Creator Officer at DNY. “Brands are finally understanding that creators aren’t tactics, they’re actually media and media has to perform.”

This is why at DNY, creators aren’t just producing content; they’re embedded in every department from strategy to account management and, in the process, is changing how advertising is conceived, developed, and measured.

Following this approach, DNY established SOCI Studio specifically as a creator-led entity where only creators serve as producers and strategists. This initiative directly serves brands seeking real connections with audiences through content that feels human rather than corporate. For Ashley, the agency’s approach aligned well with her vision.

Creative Darwinism in Practice

Ashley describes the current marketing field as “creative Darwinism, where only the work that performs and resonates will survive.” This concept guides DNY’s approach to content creation and campaign development.

DNY’s method involves creator input throughout the entire marketing process. “From the genesis of our project, creators are embedded in the kickoff,” Ashley shares. “Creators are in the room at every point. Every department has them. Even our account management team has creators embedded in it.”

This approach creates what Ashley describes as a “beautiful dichotomy” between traditional agency expertise and creator input. DNY combines decades of brand-building knowledge with the cultural awareness and technical platform expertise that creators bring. The result is marketing that works harder and smarter for clients.

“There’s always fresh, hot takes in the room,” Ashley notes about DNY’s creative process. “I feel invigorated every time I walk into a meeting room because our team is one of the toughest when we’re analyzing what a brand does well and where we can polish something up.”

The Performance Priority

A key part of Ashley’s philosophy is her rejection of outdated success metrics in favor of performance indicators that show actual business impact.

“Follower count is antiquated,” Ashley states firmly. She favors more meaningful engagement measures: “How many times did it get shared? How many times did it get bookmarked? How many times was unsolicited commenting and tagging happening?”

This performance focus shapes how Ashley evaluates campaigns. She’s particularly skeptical of Earned Media Value (EMV) as a headline metric, viewing it as “overrated” and “just a shadow for teams to protect themselves.” In her view, “if the work isn’t around moving product or shifting perception, in our eyes, it’s not winning. No matter how many impressions it racked up, if it’s not driving business, it’s missed the mark.”

This viewpoint influences how DNY approaches creator partnerships, extending beyond mere content delivery to ensure that creators take responsibility for the results. “Any creator that is treating a deliverable like the finish line is at risk for long-term success in the creator economy,” Ashley cautions. “The real question isn’t about ‘did I post it, yes or no?’ It’s really about ‘did my asset perform?'”

DNY’s Organic Content Focus

Looking to 2025 and beyond, Ashley and DNY are placing a strong emphasis on organic content over traditional paid media approaches.

“I believe paid media is going to take a hit as the end-all be-all for ads,” Ashley predicts. “Organic content led by creators is going to earn attention. Earned media is going to be the next thing and it’s going to dominate, and agencies are going to have to relearn and build trust.”

This prediction guides DNY’s work helping brands develop effective organic content strategies that humanize their social media presence. Ashley notes that younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, “catch on quickly when things seem performative.” Honest brand communication has become essential.

“If a brand hasn’t invested in organic to stake a claim and put a flag down and say ‘this is what my brand stands for’… that is what’s adding up to people wanting to buy from brands now,” she explains.

Through SOCI Studio, DNY offers a distinct approach: helping brands build “micro content shops” that are “curated beautifully on performance or vibe.” Notably, Soci Studio exists as a separate entity from DNY, allowing for potential partnerships with other agencies—a collaborative approach Ashley actively encourages.

“I want other agencies to partner with SOCI,” she states. “It is built around how social media works for brands and beyond. This isn’t an easy lane to step into. People can say, ‘Oh well, I could hire that, I could build it.’ No, you can’t because you haven’t done it, and you’re gonna make a lot of mistakes.”

The Overlooked Power Center: Audiences

Discussing where influence exists in the creator economy, Ashley points to a commonly overlooked group: the audience itself.

“The element that’s not being discussed enough that I think also is discovering their power is the audience,” she reveals. “The audience has so much power now. Someone can view and not participate at all, right? And they’re not being counted.”

This insight affects how DNY develops content. The agency creates opportunities for community engagement rather than just passive viewership. Ashley explains that real impact occurs when the community engages with itself, interacts with the creator, and co-creates with the creator through features like Stitches and Duets.

These audience interactions—sharing content, creating memes, building upon original ideas—create the cultural connections that brands seek. “That’s what actually creates those high-impact, high-visibility cultural moments,” Ashley notes, “when a piece of creative has inspired someone to share it.”

This audience-focused approach changes creator marketing from a one-way broadcast to a starter for community conversation. Ashley often asks her teams, “Are we thinking about the audience enough here?”

Improving Brand-Creator Partnerships

As brand-creator collaborations progress, Ashley identifies a key blind spot: brands failing to capture creators’ genuine enthusiasm for partnerships.

“There’s a lot of beautiful beauty happening there. There are a lot of ambassadorships,” Ashley explains. “A lot of these creators have dreamt about collaborating with some of the brands. Why would you not ask for that asset? Ask for three to five of those assets, just like, ‘How do you feel about this partnership?'”

These genuine expressions of excitement—what Ashley calls “love mark assets”—can provide value, yet brands often miss this opportunity. “The brands aren’t always getting the value out of that moment,” she observes.

Ashley also calls for more equity in brand-creator relationships, suggesting that brands offer additional support, such as camera personnel, editors, or equipment, to help creators improve their content. The goal should be to “really partner with the creator and help them build their brand as they build yours.” 

Creators as Businesses: A Reality Check

With growing talk about creators building their own businesses, Ashley offers a practical assessment: “It’s not for everyone.”

The shift requires serious upskilling and support systems. “If you say creators are the next step in creative athletes, it takes a lot of work,” she notes. “You have to invest the time and educate yourself.”

Ashley shares a realistic view of the challenges: “People say, ‘How are you feeling right now creating for your platforms and amplifying that now times 10?'” She cautions, “because you’re still going to have to maintain your personal brand on top of now creating and maintaining a business brand.”

For creators considering this path, she suggests starting small. “If you can’t sell a couple of hoodies with your brand mark on them, I don’t know if you’re ready to do that full time,” she advises, adding that creators should “take your time” and make sure they have good support since “you can’t do it on your own.”

Building Creator Pathways in the Industry

Beyond her work at DNY, Ashley is opening opportunities for creators in traditional marketing spaces. She’s helping to develop the Creator Rooftop agenda for the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival, contributing to a program that enables creators to establish their professional language and influence in corporate settings.

“I talk all around about my story about creators developing their lexicon and stepping into that space. And how can you have influence in a boardroom?” Ashley explains. The session will cover “what that next step of education is going to require.”

“For the leaders, this is what you need to do to create a safe space for creators to come in and feel comfortable and learn,” she explains. “And set expectations for the existing team on how they’re expected to help nurture and learn and grow from these new team members as well. Because it does go both ways.”

The Future of Brand Building

As the creator economy grows, and under Ashley’s leadership, DNY is showing that traditional advertising expertise and creator-based insights can work together and strengthen each other.

“It’s all about symbiosis,” Ashley emphasizes. “It’s all about that perfect balance. You can’t just over-index one thing and have that work.”

This combined approach recognizes both the specific skills creators bring and the ongoing value of traditional agency knowledge—creating what Ashley calls “a symphony” of complementary strengths that delivers both cultural connection and business results.

“Creators are already here, they’re already starting to become embedded,” Ashley concludes. “Yes, will you see more of it? Absolutely. Because they’re building businesses, launching products, bypassing traditional systems, and the gate is open.”