February 2025
I had the chance to attend CES in January. Interestingly, the biggest trend that stuck out to me wasn’t the latest robot or augmented reality experience. Instead, it was the number of attendees who weren’t just capturing content, but actively participating in the content themselves. I’m talking about the now-ubiquitous presence of content creators and influencers.
At CES, everywhere I looked, someone was recording or live-streaming their experience. Events that used to be primarily attended by traditional media were filled with creators and influencers delivering the news to their followers. At the Delta keynote at the Sphere, three people within earshot of me were filming the show and sharing their thoughts – in three different languages.
It has been a few years since I attended a big trade show, and while creator and influencer marketing were certainly established at that time, the industry has grown dramatically and is only going to get bigger. The creator economy is expected to almost double in size to $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs.
CES knows this, which is why they built the Creator Space in the show’s central lobby. The space featured workstations and recording pods, areas to relax and charge equipment, and a small stage with a series of talks relevant to creators.
After attending several panels and discussing with Jackson Spalding’s fabulous influencer relations team, I’d like to share four trends in the creator space relevant to marketers in 2025:
Just as I saw at CES, more and more content is being shared live. While the ability to live-stream has existed on social platforms for a while, a wider variety of creators and influencers are taking the opportunity to interact with fans around their common passion points in a live space. For brands, this can be a risky proposition because there is less control over the final product. But those able to work with creators to develop compelling live activations and experiences will see higher engagement among their audiences. If you have an in-person event coming up, consider the possibilities of a live-streamed experience. You can do it directly and grow your audience, or you can engage a creator and accelerate the growth even further.
As the creator economy becomes more professional, the quality of the content is increasing. Professional creators now have more experience, better equipment and access to more resources, which means they can develop more polished, advanced work. Brands are partnering with creators on types of content they likely would not have pursued five years ago, like long-form videos series. National Geographic, for example, launched their “Originals” series developed by creators with whom they regularly partner. Every brand needs to make sure the quality of their influencer content matches the expectations of the audience.
Yes, this is the exact opposite. While prepared content is getting more professional, brands should not overlook compelling, simple work captured in a raw fashion. This type of work shows up in the previously mentioned live content, and also by new creators who aren’t as established but may hit it big with a viral moment or series. Multiple marketing leaders said their social posts with the highest engagement in 2024 were simple videos filmed by fans that went viral. Brands that can be nimble and engage with these influencers quickly can capitalize on a moment of attention and increase their affinity with online audiences.
The best line I heard during the show was a marketing executive who said that, when it comes to influencer metrics, they are now trying to measure their “return on relationship.” The best brand partnerships with content creators come from long-term relationships where the creator and the brand can find an authentic connection. Emphasizing the long game and focusing on developing audience loyalty is where the true ROI is realized.
If you are looking to grow your influencer marketing strategy and capitalize on the latest integrated marketing trends in 2025, get in touch with us. We’d love to help you improve your “return on relationship.”
