The first twoinstallments of our roundtable on the biggest misconceptions brands have about working with creators revealed a critical pattern: brands frequently undervalue creators’ strategic expertise, viewing them as mere distribution channels rather than business partners. Industry experts emphasized that genuine creator relationships drive better results than rigid, transactional approaches.
In this final installment of our three-part series, 12 more creator economy professionals explore measurement frameworks, audience development strategies, and the maturing business operations that define successful creator collaborations.
Brands often make the mistake of viewing influencer collaborations purely through the lens of performance metrics, overlooking the crucial role of brand-building. While it’s tempting to focus on immediate sales, creators’ real power is their ability to foster brand relevance and resonance.
Today’s consumers, particularly Gen Z, are more likely to buy from someone they trust and when they feel they aren’t being “sold” to. This means that an effective creator partnership is a long game, not a quick fix. Instead of chasing instant returns, brands should focus on building authentic relationships that cultivate trust and organically integrate their product into the creator’s world. This strategy ultimately creates a more loyal and engaged audience, leading to sustainable growth that traditional metrics often fail to capture.
In my experience, the most effective product placements don’t happen in the first three seconds; they happen when the creator has had a chance to pull the audience in. When creators are given the space to lead with their relatable hook or an authentic moment, the product becomes part of a story, not just an ad. That’s when engagement actually sticks.
But I still see brands rushing the process, pushing for the product to appear right away (the 2-5sec rule) as if faster visibility guarantees better performance. The reality is, when content feels forced, audiences tune out. Just because platforms move quickly doesn’t mean storytelling should be sacrificed.
That’s a major misconception I still see to this day.
Creators today operate more like businesses and are more fluent in business objectives than many might recognize. As an emerging category of entrepreneurs, their needs and responsibilities increasingly resemble those of traditional small businesses. In fact, the vast majority of creators (88%) have already launched a product or service, and even more (93%) are considering doing so within the next year, according to our research.
They’re business-minded and strategic, especially when working with brands. Creators want to understand a brand’s ultimate campaign goals and think critically about how to help the brand achieve them. They know that performance leads to repeat business, and brands that trust creators as partners stand to benefit.
Creators are also thinking several steps ahead, both in terms of brand partnerships and their own long-term careers. The industry has matured to the point where creators are not just entering the creator economy, they’re building lasting careers and sustainable businesses. Success with brand deals helps them build that growth and meet their own goals.
This is part of the reason why we launched FiveTwoNine, our global platform dedicated to further empowering creators in their careers. In just over a year, the FiveTwoNine community has grown to over 1,800 members across 18 countries, showing the demand among creators to truly invest in their career growth and long-term stability.
In 2025–2026, the mid-sized creator will continue garnering more creator ad spend allocation: those who may not have millions of followers but consistently generate views, engagement, and trust. These creators offer better value, stronger audience connection, and often outperform larger influencers in driving action.
Brands are moving away from inflated price tags and shifting toward creators who deliver consistency and measurable ROI. This includes tapping into talent in emerging markets, where costs are lower but audience alignment and influence remain strong. The smartest brands are building scalable strategies that prioritise engagement over ego, and it’s paying off.
The biggest misconception brands have when working with creators is that it’s only about the content. According to Deloitte’s 2025 State of Social Research report, 48% of brands said that content quality was their top criterion for choosing which creators to partner with. This outpaced other important factors such as reputation (41%), brand alignment (37%), and even engagement rate (32%). By focusing on vanity metrics, brands are opening themselves up to risk and reputation challenges, low return on investment, and even overspending. It is imperative that brands leverage tactics such as social listening and creator identification tools to gauge and predict the true ROI of a creator partnership.
One of the biggest misconceptions brands have when working with creators is that follower count is the most important metric for selection.
People often mistakenly assume that if they haven’t heard of a particular creator, that creator is not well-known enough to be impactful. The people behind brands are consumers, too, and it can be difficult to look past your own bias when identifying creators to partner with. The creator ecosystem is massive, and micro or mid-level creators actually tend to have more influence in their niche communities than top-of-mind social celebrities. Ultimately, alignment in values and audience matters far more than follower count.
Brands often underestimate the marketing prowess of creators, and operate with an assumption that as brand marketers we understand reaching the audience better than the creators do. But in order to create and sustain the size of engaged audiences that creators have, they have to be marketers who deeply understand their target and how to communicate with them in a meaningful way. Yet, we continue to see content where it’s clear a brand viewed the creator as a vehicle to push a specific message via a tight brief, instead of utilizing the mountain of knowledge creators have about their audience. The more brands learn to bring creators in as partners and trust them to create specifically for their audiences, the more they’ll succeed with creator content.
One of the biggest misconceptions that brands have about creator marketing is that a large follower count automatically translates to better performance or stronger partnership potential. In reality, organic reach is often under 10%, so success hinges more on paid amplification than follower size. When creator content is strategically amplified to target audiences, follower count becomes less relevant. Smaller creators are often highly effective at driving higher engagement and trust through content that feels native and resonates with niche communities.
Working with influencers can be effective. But it’s not an idea.
The best creator partnerships I’ve seen happen are when brands show up with their homework already done. They know exactly who they are, why they matter, and what they’re trying to say. When the concept is solid, creators can do what they do best: translate it into something real, human, and hopefully scroll-stopping. But hand them a half-baked identity and just vibes? You’ll get content that looks good but says and does nothing. You wouldn’t hire a chef and then not tell them what kind of restaurant you’re running. Same energy here. Creators aren’t your idea. They’re the magic that happens when a good idea meets the right voice.
Creators, not companies, now lead product discovery and shape cultural influence. Yet many brands still view creators as simple distribution channels rather than creative partners. This perspective misses a huge opportunity to build trust at scale. Too often, brands give rigid briefs or generic messaging, expecting creators to plug in a product without considering what actually resonates with their audience. But today’s creators are strategic storytellers. They understand how to build credibility, spark conversation, and inspire action in ways that feel authentic and personal.
When brands dismiss that expertise, they not only weaken the partnership but also lose the chance to connect meaningfully with consumers. The most impactful campaigns involve creators early, invite collaboration, and give them space to communicate in their own voice. It’s not about follower count, it’s about trust, relevance, and connection. Brands that embrace creators as true collaborators see stronger performance, greater loyalty, and longer-lasting results.
One of the major missed opportunities that even brands that have been running for a while don’t understand is that if you are not doing a post-checkout survey, you are doing a disservice to your data and the creators.
You will so often see creators punch above their weight when it comes to response. Their audience cares and wants you to know that is what brought them here, even if they went to the site a week or two later, after mulling over the purchase decision.
It is the lowest lift item that can give you a better, more accurate read of the channel. And in the long run, that will allow creators to actually realize the value they bring to brands when it comes to deals while still being a major KPI success. That is what an actual win-win can look like.
The biggest misconception is that creators need briefs to make impactful content. While it’s natural for brands to want to control their messaging, overly restrictive briefs often backfire. They stifle the creativity that made the influencer appealing in the first place. When creators are given freedom, they can produce content that feels more authentic and ultimately performs better. Take Mason Smith, aka @dadsocial, for example. When he partnered with Lowe’s, the brand gave him no detailed brief, just the opportunity to create something he cared about. The result? A piece of content that hit 5 million views on a single channel. Mason loved it so much, he voluntarily shared it across platforms, leading to a staggering 55 million total views. No tight script. No micromanagement. Just trust – and it paid off.
Cecilia Carloni, Interview Manager at Influence Weekly and writer for NetInfluencer. Coming from beautiful Argentina, Ceci has spent years chatting with big names in the influencer world, making friends and learning insider info along the way. When she’s not deep in interviews or writing, she's enjoying life with her two daughters. Ceci’s stories give a peek behind the curtain of influencer life, sharing the real and interesting tales from her many conversations with movers and shakers in the space.
The first two installments of our roundtable on the biggest misconceptions brands have about working with creators revealed a critical pattern: brands frequently undervalue creators’ strategic expertise, viewing them as mere distribution channels rather than business partners. Industry experts emphasized that genuine creator relationships drive better results than rigid, transactional approaches.
In this final installment of our three-part series, 12 more creator economy professionals explore measurement frameworks, audience development strategies, and the maturing business operations that define successful creator collaborations.
Sarah Gerrish, Senior Director of Creator & Influencer, Movers+Shakers
Brands often make the mistake of viewing influencer collaborations purely through the lens of performance metrics, overlooking the crucial role of brand-building. While it’s tempting to focus on immediate sales, creators’ real power is their ability to foster brand relevance and resonance.
Today’s consumers, particularly Gen Z, are more likely to buy from someone they trust and when they feel they aren’t being “sold” to. This means that an effective creator partnership is a long game, not a quick fix. Instead of chasing instant returns, brands should focus on building authentic relationships that cultivate trust and organically integrate their product into the creator’s world. This strategy ultimately creates a more loyal and engaged audience, leading to sustainable growth that traditional metrics often fail to capture.
Temidayo Bello, Creator Manager, 500 MGMT
In my experience, the most effective product placements don’t happen in the first three seconds; they happen when the creator has had a chance to pull the audience in. When creators are given the space to lead with their relatable hook or an authentic moment, the product becomes part of a story, not just an ad. That’s when engagement actually sticks.
But I still see brands rushing the process, pushing for the product to appear right away (the 2-5sec rule) as if faster visibility guarantees better performance. The reality is, when content feels forced, audiences tune out. Just because platforms move quickly doesn’t mean storytelling should be sacrificed.
That’s a major misconception I still see to this day.
Sophie Crowther, Global Talent Partnerships Director, Billion Dollar Boy
Creators today operate more like businesses and are more fluent in business objectives than many might recognize. As an emerging category of entrepreneurs, their needs and responsibilities increasingly resemble those of traditional small businesses. In fact, the vast majority of creators (88%) have already launched a product or service, and even more (93%) are considering doing so within the next year, according to our research.
They’re business-minded and strategic, especially when working with brands. Creators want to understand a brand’s ultimate campaign goals and think critically about how to help the brand achieve them. They know that performance leads to repeat business, and brands that trust creators as partners stand to benefit.
Creators are also thinking several steps ahead, both in terms of brand partnerships and their own long-term careers. The industry has matured to the point where creators are not just entering the creator economy, they’re building lasting careers and sustainable businesses. Success with brand deals helps them build that growth and meet their own goals.
This is part of the reason why we launched FiveTwoNine, our global platform dedicated to further empowering creators in their careers. In just over a year, the FiveTwoNine community has grown to over 1,800 members across 18 countries, showing the demand among creators to truly invest in their career growth and long-term stability.
Jason Yehuda Neuman, SVP of Influencer Marketing, PartnerCentric
That follower count will lead to performance.
In 2025–2026, the mid-sized creator will continue garnering more creator ad spend allocation: those who may not have millions of followers but consistently generate views, engagement, and trust. These creators offer better value, stronger audience connection, and often outperform larger influencers in driving action.
Brands are moving away from inflated price tags and shifting toward creators who deliver consistency and measurable ROI. This includes tapping into talent in emerging markets, where costs are lower but audience alignment and influence remain strong. The smartest brands are building scalable strategies that prioritise engagement over ego, and it’s paying off.
Kenny Gold, Managing Director, Head of Social, Content, and Influencer, Deloitte Digital
The biggest misconception brands have when working with creators is that it’s only about the content. According to Deloitte’s 2025 State of Social Research report, 48% of brands said that content quality was their top criterion for choosing which creators to partner with. This outpaced other important factors such as reputation (41%), brand alignment (37%), and even engagement rate (32%). By focusing on vanity metrics, brands are opening themselves up to risk and reputation challenges, low return on investment, and even overspending. It is imperative that brands leverage tactics such as social listening and creator identification tools to gauge and predict the true ROI of a creator partnership.
Becca Stephenson , Associate Strategy Director, Barbarian
One of the biggest misconceptions brands have when working with creators is that follower count is the most important metric for selection.
People often mistakenly assume that if they haven’t heard of a particular creator, that creator is not well-known enough to be impactful. The people behind brands are consumers, too, and it can be difficult to look past your own bias when identifying creators to partner with. The creator ecosystem is massive, and micro or mid-level creators actually tend to have more influence in their niche communities than top-of-mind social celebrities. Ultimately, alignment in values and audience matters far more than follower count.
Kathleen Wisniewski, Strategy Director, Social Platforms, McKinney
Brands often underestimate the marketing prowess of creators, and operate with an assumption that as brand marketers we understand reaching the audience better than the creators do. But in order to create and sustain the size of engaged audiences that creators have, they have to be marketers who deeply understand their target and how to communicate with them in a meaningful way. Yet, we continue to see content where it’s clear a brand viewed the creator as a vehicle to push a specific message via a tight brief, instead of utilizing the mountain of knowledge creators have about their audience. The more brands learn to bring creators in as partners and trust them to create specifically for their audiences, the more they’ll succeed with creator content.
Andrea Sarhis, Associate Director, Paid Social, Good Apple
One of the biggest misconceptions that brands have about creator marketing is that a large follower count automatically translates to better performance or stronger partnership potential. In reality, organic reach is often under 10%, so success hinges more on paid amplification than follower size. When creator content is strategically amplified to target audiences, follower count becomes less relevant. Smaller creators are often highly effective at driving higher engagement and trust through content that feels native and resonates with niche communities.
Dani Meneghin, Creative Director of Social & Digital, Bald Agency
Working with influencers can be effective. But it’s not an idea.
The best creator partnerships I’ve seen happen are when brands show up with their homework already done. They know exactly who they are, why they matter, and what they’re trying to say. When the concept is solid, creators can do what they do best: translate it into something real, human, and hopefully scroll-stopping. But hand them a half-baked identity and just vibes? You’ll get content that looks good but says and does nothing. You wouldn’t hire a chef and then not tell them what kind of restaurant you’re running. Same energy here. Creators aren’t your idea. They’re the magic that happens when a good idea meets the right voice.
Clair Sidman, VP of Marketing, Collective Voice
Creators, not companies, now lead product discovery and shape cultural influence. Yet many brands still view creators as simple distribution channels rather than creative partners. This perspective misses a huge opportunity to build trust at scale. Too often, brands give rigid briefs or generic messaging, expecting creators to plug in a product without considering what actually resonates with their audience. But today’s creators are strategic storytellers. They understand how to build credibility, spark conversation, and inspire action in ways that feel authentic and personal.
When brands dismiss that expertise, they not only weaken the partnership but also lose the chance to connect meaningfully with consumers. The most impactful campaigns involve creators early, invite collaboration, and give them space to communicate in their own voice. It’s not about follower count, it’s about trust, relevance, and connection. Brands that embrace creators as true collaborators see stronger performance, greater loyalty, and longer-lasting results.
Sam DiMascio, Head of Brand Partnerships, MANA Talent Group
One of the major missed opportunities that even brands that have been running for a while don’t understand is that if you are not doing a post-checkout survey, you are doing a disservice to your data and the creators.
You will so often see creators punch above their weight when it comes to response. Their audience cares and wants you to know that is what brought them here, even if they went to the site a week or two later, after mulling over the purchase decision.
It is the lowest lift item that can give you a better, more accurate read of the channel. And in the long run, that will allow creators to actually realize the value they bring to brands when it comes to deals while still being a major KPI success. That is what an actual win-win can look like.
Charlie Hart, CGO, Trend
The biggest misconception is that creators need briefs to make impactful content. While it’s natural for brands to want to control their messaging, overly restrictive briefs often backfire. They stifle the creativity that made the influencer appealing in the first place. When creators are given freedom, they can produce content that feels more authentic and ultimately performs better. Take Mason Smith, aka @dadsocial, for example. When he partnered with Lowe’s, the brand gave him no detailed brief, just the opportunity to create something he cared about. The result? A piece of content that hit 5 million views on a single channel. Mason loved it so much, he voluntarily shared it across platforms, leading to a staggering 55 million total views. No tight script. No micromanagement. Just trust – and it paid off.
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