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- Influence Weekly #396 - Avocados From Mexico Taps 51 Influencers For Its Marketing Campaign In Canada
Influence Weekly #396 - Avocados From Mexico Taps 51 Influencers For Its Marketing Campaign In Canada
Reserve These Dates For Not-to-be-Missed Creator Economy Events In August
Nii Ahene
July 04, 2025
Spotlight Stories
Reserve These Dates For Not-to-be-Missed Creator Economy Events In August
Avocados From Mexico Taps 51 Influencers For Its Marketing Campaign In Canada
Marketers Urged Artists to Post on TikTok— Now, They're Asking Fans
YouTube Creator Consultation: Amelia Dimoldenberg & Stars Demand Support
Great Reads
The year is halfway over but that doesn't mean creator economy events are slowing down with numerous industry events scheduled for August 2025 across the United States and Europe. These events offer opportunities for brands, creators, and professionals to connect, learn, and explore the latest trends and strategies in this dynamic sector.
Creator Economy Live East on August 6th in New York City brings together 500+ brands and 50+ speakers to discuss community building, creator relations, measurement, social platforms, content strategy, and emerging tools. CreatorHub from August 15-17 in Orlando focuses on transforming content creators into business owners and helping entrepreneurs develop compelling personal brands.
Podcast Movement from August 18-21 in Grapevine, Texas is dubbed the "world's most important podcast conference," connecting podcasters, industry professionals, and service providers. Gamescom, Europe's leading gaming event, takes place in Cologne, Germany from August 20-24, featuring game releases, tournaments, and opportunities for startups through the Gamescom Invest Circle.
VidFest Expo returns to Atlanta from August 21-24 as a dedicated conference for video content creators, offering education tracks on technology, audience growth, monetization, and networking. Play.nyc from August 21-24 in New York City connects indie game developers and small studios with industry professionals and consumers.
Finally, the Content Entrepreneur Expo (CEX) in Cleveland from August 24-26 targets content entrepreneurs with sessions on creativity, strategic growth, and business development.
YouTube made a major splash at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, celebrating its 20th anniversary. The company's presence included a keynote by CEO Neal Mohan, featuring creators like Amelia Dimoldenberg, Alex Cooper, and Brandon B. Creators took center stage, with dozens attending from around the world, hosting events, participating in brand talks, and sharing insights on social media. This reflected the growing influence of creators in the marketing and advertising space, now seen as partners shaping culture and building authentic connections.
Key takeaways included the importance of creator partnerships, with brands moving beyond influencer marketing to long-term, culturally relevant collaborations. Additionally, AI's role in democratizing creation was highlighted, while emphasizing the value of unique perspectives and storytelling in making content resonate. Overall, Cannes signaled a shift recognizing creators as entrepreneurs, with advertisers increasingly ready to work with them and prove their commercial value.
A consortium including Oracle, Blackstone, and Andreessen Horowitz has been identified as the prospective buyer for TikTok's U.S. operations. The deal would grant new investors a 50% stake, reducing ByteDance's ownership to under 20% to meet security requirements. Completion hinges on approval from China's government. ByteDance faces a deadline of September 17 to divest TikTok's U.S. business or face a ban over national security concerns. The sale valuation ranges from $20 billion to $150 billion.
Campaign Insights
Avocados From Mexico recently concluded its largest Canadian influencer marketing campaign to date, partnering with 51 content creators across platforms like Instagram, TikTok and blogs. The eight-month initiative highlighted the versatility of avocados through recipes and use cases aligned with seasonal themes and holidays. The diverse group of influencers, including chefs, nutritionists and family creators, produced 276 original posts that generated over 600,000 impressions with a 4% engagement rate.
This extensive campaign comes as Canadian avocado consumption reaches new heights, with the market among the top global purchasers at over 2 billion avocados annually. By emphasizing the fruit's nutritional benefits, culinary versatility and year-round availability from Mexico's unique climate, Avocados From Mexico aims to drive continued demand through creative, relatable content tailored to Canadian consumers.
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old victor in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, eschewed traditional campaign tactics like late-night TV appearances in favor of collaborating with local TikTok influencers to connect with young voters.
From interviews on the SubwayTakes series to endorsements from model Emily Ratajkowski and satirical singer Jake Schroeder, Mamdani leveraged his engagement with relatable NYC personalities and settings to portray himself as an authentic New Yorker.
His TikTok strategy, capitalizing on the app's popularity among 27% of 2024 political candidates nationwide, appears to have resonated with the city's diverse youth voting bloc in this tight race decided by just 7,000 votes.
A recent study by gaming marketing agency Big Games Machine reveals intriguing insights into the YouTube viewing preferences of American gamers. The data shows that nearly one in five gamers (18%) reported watching VTubers the most on YouTube, slightly surpassing major game publishers and developers (17%) as the most preferred content creators. Notably, female gamers exhibited a stronger preference for VTubers, with 23% watching them the most compared to only 14% of male gamers.
The study suggests potential reasons for this gender divide, including women's affinity for watching other women play games, the appeal of anime avatars, and the cuteness factor that many popular VTubers embody. While general gaming YouTubers remained the overall favorite at 44%, the findings highlight the growing popularity of VTubers within the gaming community, transcending age groups and indicating their increasing relevance in the creator economy.
A new report from Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights shows podcast ad spending intention has hit an 11-year high, with 78% of advertisers and agencies now investing in the medium, up from just 15% in 2015. Nine out of 10 survey respondents have discussed podcasts as a future ad investment.
The growth aligns with podcasting's rising popularity, as over half of weekly podcast listeners consume 6+ hours per week, and one-third of Americans listen to podcasts weekly. The engaged, affluent podcast audience is attracting more advertiser interest and ad dollars to this digital audio format.
For years, marketers pushed artists to post more on TikTok to drive engagement and streams. Now, they're turning to fans instead, encouraging them to create and share user-generated content from unique in-person events and experiences. Artists like Alex Warren, Charli XCX, Bon Iver, and The All-American Rejects have staged quirky, capturable events that organically inspire fans to film and post online.
This fan-driven UGC has helped reignite artist buzz, with The All-American Rejects' viral house party tour generating the equivalent of a $4.2 million marketing campaign through fan posts alone. As fans crave more real-life experiences post-pandemic, this UGC trend capitalizes on that desire while fueling artist marketing in an authentic, low-cost way that resonates with Gen Z's love of in-the-moment sharing.
Brazilian tech company Beauty for All (B4A) secured $2.5 million in funding to expand its micro-influencer platform bfluence, connecting beauty brands with over 15,000 digital creators in Brazil. The funding, primarily a media-for-equity deal, aims to grow bfluence to 25,000 influencers and triple the number of brand communities by year-end. B4A's strategy focuses on leveraging Brazil's large but underserved beauty market and high social media engagement.
Key initiatives include monthly offline "Influencer Academy" events fostering community between brands and creators, and a focus on deploying media resources for marketing rather than covering operational losses. B4A sees micro-influencers as vital for democratizing beauty product discovery and sales in Brazil's evolving digital landscape.
As organic reach on social media declines and audiences crave authenticity, brands are turning to employee advocacy as a cost-effective way to drive engagement and credibility. DSMN8, an employee advocacy platform, reveals that content shared by employees generates 5-10x higher reach compared to brand channels.
Unlike paid influencers, employee creators bring insider knowledge, genuine experiences, and established networks of trust, making their content more relatable and trustworthy. DSMN8 streamlines the process, enabling employees to share brand-approved content while maintaining authenticity. With declining marketing budgets, tapping into this overlooked asset provides a strategic advantage, humanizing brand messaging through relatable storytelling from genuine voices within the organization.
Restaurant operators are increasingly becoming content creators to drive customer traffic, with guests frequently saying "I saw you on Instagram" when visiting establishments. Belle Communication surveyed four operator-influencers who successfully balance running restaurants with building social media audiences.
The paths vary significantly. Chef Romain Avril established his culinary career first, then used video content to show his personality beyond his serious Michelin background. Lin Smith Jerome took the opposite approach, building her content presence before opening Café Lola in Las Vegas with a "content mindset" focused on photogenic experiences.
All surveyed operators report measurable business impact from their online presence. Ben Diaz of Tacos el Chapin sees steady streams of customers discovering his restaurants through Instagram and YouTube. Anthony John Scardino invested more heavily in content creation after seeing direct correlation between his social media success and increased business at his Chicago pizzerias.
The Big 3 Podcast - June Recap Podcast Now Out!
Join us for The Big 3 by Influence Weekly, where hosts Ceci Carloni and Nii Ahene deliver expert commentary on the creator economy's most impactful business developments. Each month, they offer insider perspectives on industry-shifting stories, unpacking what these changes mean for brands and marketing professionals in the creator economy
Interesting People
Top UK YouTubers like Amelia Dimoldenberg and over 10,000 other digital creators have backed a report calling on the government to provide more support and formal recognition for their profession. The Creator Consultation report, commissioned by YouTube, found that 56% of respondents feel they don't have a voice in shaping policies impacting their work, while 43% believe their value is unrecognized by the broader creative industry.
Key recommendations include government recognition of the creator ecosystem under a minister's remit, representation on industry bodies, improved access to finance and filming infrastructure. YouTube executives have engaged with the government, asserting that the creator economy contributes over £2 billion annually to the UK and supports thousands of jobs, yet lacks adequate pathways for growth and resources compared to traditional media professions.
Brandon Stewart, founder of Brandon Studios, prioritizes human connection over algorithmic optimization. His strategy centers on "fingertip entertainment" – creating emotionally resonant content that meets audiences where they are. Rather than chasing algorithms, Brandon aims to "break them" by focusing on shareability, rewatchability, unique perspectives, and emotional impact.
The company blends raw, chaotic elements for Gen Z with traditional storytelling for older audiences. Short-form content acts as an entry point to deeper engagement on Brandon TV, the studio's premium streaming platform. By owning distribution, Brandon retains control over data, monetization, and insulates creators from algorithm changes.
With a 30,000-square-foot production facility, Brandon Studios efficiently produces content across dozens of channels while enabling creator partners to focus on honest storytelling. The "Encore" series exemplifies Brandon's cross-platform strategy, steadily building buzz until going viral. Looking ahead, Brandon will expand into verticals like films and scripted TV while maintaining an audience-first approach rooted in creativity over optimization metrics.
MrBeast, the most-subscribed creator on YouTube, has removed an AI thumbnail generator from his analytics platform Viewstats after criticism from fellow creators over potential copyright infringement. The tool allowed users to recreate existing thumbnail styles for $80 monthly, raising concerns about using creators' work without permission to train the AI model. While over 80% of creators now use AI tools, legal and ethical considerations remain significant industry concerns.
MrBeast acknowledged missing the mark despite intending to help smaller creators, announcing plans to replace the tool with links to commission human artists. His business ventures, including brands like Feastables and shows like "Beast Games" on Amazon Prime, continue rapidly expanding, with his channel recently surpassing 400 million YouTube subscribers. However, MrBeast emphasized that viral success now requires multimillion-dollar investments to create groundbreaking content.
Peach & Lily, a Korean skincare brand founded by Alicia Yoon in 2012, has focused on educating consumers about K-beauty through content, influencer partnerships, and brand-driven education. The brand prioritizes working with influencers interested in the science behind skincare and authentically resonating with their audiences.
Instead of typical brand trips, Peach & Lily hosts educational masterclasses and interactive events. For product launches, the brand combines influencer seeding with offline activations like pop-ups to drive awareness. Yoon has been the face of the brand across retailers, leveraging her expertise. Overall, Peach & Lily takes a data-driven approach, using metrics to measure brand awareness campaigns' impact on conversions.
The French Syndicate of Independent and Professional Audio Producers is urging the government to recognize podcasting as a cultural industry amid record growth in the medium. Despite 40% of French people listening monthly and strong advertising revenue, podcasts lack legal classification and support available to other media forms.
The syndicate warns valuable French productions risk disappearing without regulatory action to preserve diversity. Recent research shows podcasts outperform social media in audience attention and trust for advertising, highlighting their engagement advantages. The French podcast industry is calling for a government report and implementation of support measures before year-end to sustain its promising trajectory.
Caspar Lee's transition from YouTube sensation to venture capitalist exemplifies the evolving intersection of the creator economy and traditional venture capital. His $45 million Creator Ventures Fund II, backed by Sequoia Capital, validates creators' ability to spot consumer trends before mainstream investors. Lee leverages his creator expertise to gain an "unfair advantage" in areas like fitness apps, recognizing traction that traditional VCs missed.
Unlike funds solely focused on creator economy platforms, Creator Ventures targets consumer apps, creative tools, marketplaces, and product-led growth SaaS companies - aiming to guide founders in leveraging creator marketing and distribution. With a disciplined, thesis-driven approach and prioritization of technical brilliance over marketing savvy, Lee's journey represents a new archetype of the creator-investor shaping the future of consumer internet investing.
The rise of AI-powered virtual YouTubers, or "VTubers," is transforming content creation on the platform. One leading VTuber named Bloo, created by YouTuber Jordi van den Bussche, has amassed 2.5 million subscribers and over 700 million views with AI-generated gaming videos. While VTubers are currently controlled by humans, advances in AI aim to fully automate their personalities and content.
Startups like Hedra are developing tools to generate entire AI videos and virtual characters. This AI video revolution raises concerns over misinformation and low-quality "AI slop" oversaturating platforms. However, creators argue AI expands creative possibilities as audience demand drives supply. As AI capabilities grow, the line blurs between authentic human creativity and computer-generated content online.
Industry News
Reddit unveiled new AI-powered advertising tools called "Reddit Community Intelligence" at Cannes Lions 2025. It leverages Reddit's vast user conversations to provide marketers enhanced insights and ad capabilities. The key products are Reddit Insights, an AI social listening tool, and Conversation Summary Add-ons that integrate positive user comments below ads.
Early tests show higher engagement, with Publicis calling Reddit Insights "indispensable." The move comes amid Reddit's strong Q1 2025 results - $392 million revenue (+61% YoY), 108 million daily active users (+31%). Reddit's stock rose 6% after the AI ad tools announcement.
Ykone Group has acquired a majority stake in The Digital Prototype, a Paris-based influencer marketing and talent management firm, as part of Bold Management's strategy to dominate European talent representation. Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal announced July 2.
TDP will merge with and operate under Bold Management's umbrella as the agency's French division. Founded in 2019 by Robin Martin-Chave, TDP brings 20 talents including Julie Sergent Ferreri and Estelle Pigault, executing over 500 brand campaigns annually.
Bold Management, established in 2018 by Enrico De Finis, operates across Milan, Madrid, London, Dubai, and Paris, managing over 100 talents including fashion personalities Veronica Ferraro and Ginevra Mavilla. The combined entity strengthens Bold's position in fashion and beauty influencer representation.
This follows Ykone's 2021 acquisition of 51% of MB New Media Agency, which operated Bold Management. Ykone Group also runs Campaygn, a data analysis platform, and plans additional international acquisitions to expand influencer marketing services across Europe.
Superfiliate, a creator marketing platform, has secured $2.1 million in funding led by software firm HappyStack, bringing its total funding to $5.5 million. The platform automates influencer marketing campaigns, creates personalized landing pages for creators to showcase brand partnerships, and builds tools for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Superfiliate recently launched Meta Ads Suite to facilitate more Instagram ad deals between brands and creators. The funding will allow Superfiliate to expand its sales team, increase marketing, and attend industry events as investor interest in the influencer marketing space grows.
X, previously known as Twitter, plans to introduce a new ad pricing model that charges marketers based on the vertical size of their promotional content. Larger ads taking up the full screen will cost more than smaller ads occupying a quarter of the display. This change aims to address the current incentive favoring oversized ads that can impair user experience.
While details are still lacking, the size-based pricing aligns with X's recent decision to ban hashtags in ads to improve aesthetics on the platform. The announcement comes from X owner Elon Musk, who aims to enhance the advertising approach on the social media platform.
Streamlabs, owned by Logitech G, introduces "Streamlabs Sponsorships," a new platform connecting content creators with brand sponsorships. The platform allows streamers to keep 100% of earnings from initial campaigns, regardless of follower count or partner status, democratizing access to sponsorship opportunities previously limited. It offers guaranteed base pay with potential bonus earnings through conversion actions like app downloads or purchases.
The integrated dashboard lets creators browse campaigns, access assets, schedule sponsored streams, track metrics, and request payouts. Professional brand integration tools like widgets, scenes, and commands are provided. Now live for Twitch streamers, with Logitech G and partner campaigns across gaming, tech and lifestyle categories coming this summer.
The creator economy job market is contracting, with overall job listings declining 25.9% year-over-year in Q2 2025, according to a report from Creator Economy Jobs. Support roles like administrative, customer service, and operations saw the steepest drops, likely due to AI disruption. However, part-time and fractional roles surged 56.7% as companies scaled through flexible work.
Design, creative, and legal positions are in higher demand as businesses prioritize branding and content marketing. While engineering roles dropped, they remain the most in-demand at 21.6% of openings. The U.S. dominated hiring, accounting for 46.8% of roles, with New York City being the top market. Mid-level talent was most sought after. Despite the contraction, several creator economy companies like Electrify Video Partners, Later, and Udemy maintained robust hiring efforts. The report also documented layoffs at Meta, Canva, Spotter, and TikTok in Q2 2025.
Instagram has unveiled a major update allowing users to listen to audio previews of Spotify songs shared to Instagram Stories without leaving the app. Previously, sharing Spotify tracks on Stories only displayed a visual link to the streaming service. This new integration enables immediate audio playback directly within Instagram.
The feature follows Instagram's recent addition of Spotify integration to its Notes tool, permitting real-time song streaming discovery. These moves build on Meta and Spotify's collaboration history, such as launching a Facebook mini-player for Spotify in 2021.
Alongside audio previews, Instagram is rolling out new typography options for Stories and Reels. An initial font inspired by singer Rosalía's handwriting with special character combinations is being introduced.
The audio sharing enhancement eliminates the need to disrupt the Instagram experience when users want to sample songs their friends/creators are listening to. By keeping engagement within the app, Instagram aims to reduce fragmentation and drive increased music discovery on the platform.
For the creator economy, richer music integrations open new avenues for expression, promotion and connecting with audiences through a shared audio experience beyond just visuals.
Dotdigital, a customer experience and data platform, has acquired Social Snowball, a U.S.-based influencer marketing platform, for $35 million. This acquisition integrates influencer marketing capabilities into Dotdigital's core offering, responding to the diminishing effectiveness of traditional paid channels and shifting consumer preferences towards authentic engagement from trusted voices like creators.
The combined technology aims to help marketers leverage first-party data to drive word-of-mouth growth at scale through incentivized creator partnerships and influencer marketing. With over 1,500 Shopify merchant customers, the acquisition accelerates Dotdigital's reach in the e-commerce ecosystem and expands its marketing technology capabilities beyond its previous acquisitions.
Tano, an AI-powered influencer marketing platform, aims to revive authentic brand evangelism by leveraging AI to facilitate genuine connections between brands and creators at scale. Founded by Will Caplan and Sagar Shah, Tano recognizes that creators are individuals with real preferences and interests. Their AI agent "Charlie" helps brands build ambassador programs by identifying aligned creators, handling outreach and communications, and providing transparency into activities and spending.
Tano charges per participating creator, aligning incentives with driving actual revenue. Early clients include established brands like Wild Deodorant and Skin+Me seeking to scale through real relationships. By automating routine tasks, Tano enables more meaningful human interaction while harnessing AI to cultivate verifiable human authenticity as AI-generated content proliferates. Tano envisions a future where genuine enthusiasm from trusted creators sharing products they love outperforms pay-to-play influencer marketing.
TikTok is testing a new feature called "bulletin boards" that allows creators and brands to share public messages directly with their followers. Similar to Instagram's "Broadcast Channels", bulletin boards enable one-to-many communication, with creators posting text, images or videos that followers can react to with emojis.
The feature aims to facilitate direct creator-fan interactions and promote content. This move aligns with the intensifying competition between social platforms, as they borrow popular features from rivals to enhance their offerings for creators and drive engagement on their platforms. The introduction of bulletin boards is part of TikTok's ongoing efforts to expand creator capabilities and boost its commerce and monetization tools.
Taiwan is seeing a significant shift in news consumption habits, with nearly half of Taiwanese consumers now relying on YouTube as a primary news source. According to the Reuters Institute's "Digital News Report" cited in the Taipei Times, 46% of Taiwanese users turn to YouTube for news, up from 38% in 2021. This trend highlights the growing influence of social media and video platforms on how news is consumed.
Traditional outlets are adapting by uploading video content to YouTube and creating short-form stories for social media. However, trust in news among Taiwanese users has declined slightly to 30%. Globally, the report notes the rise of alternative media ecosystems like YouTubers and TikTokers, as well as the emergence of AI chatbots as news sources, further accelerating the transition away from traditional journalism toward video platforms and social media for news consumption.
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Pet influencers are generating substantial revenue for their owners through social media stardom, with successful creators earning thousands per sponsored post and building full-time careers around their animals' online personas. The key to success lies in storytelling, consistent character development, and engaging content that humanizes pets with distinct personalities.
Dmitry Pepper transformed his English bull-terrier mix Biscuit into MisterMainer, accumulating nearly 25 million followers across platforms. His breakthrough came with a viral "wocky slush" video that garnered 4.8 million views. Pepper created recurring characters like Karen Bark, a aggressive New York real estate agent, earning $1,000 to $50,000 per brand deal and approximately $200,000 annually.
Nicole Wade discovered success after posting her cat Princess Honeybelle in a pink sweater, eventually quitting retail to manage the cat's career full-time. With nearly 800,000 followers, Wade earns $44,000 annually through brand partnerships with companies like Oatly and HelloFresh, charging up to $5,000 per promotion.
Airial Travel, a startup founded by former Waymo and Meta engineers, has raised $3 million in seed funding to help turn aspirational travel content from social media into bookable vacation itineraries. The company uses AI to derive customized trip plans from sources like TikToks, considering factors like interests, budgets and logistics.
Airial aims to modernize the $50 billion online travel agency market by providing a more personalized experience. After launching a public beta last year, the San Francisco-based startup plans to release a mobile app in Q3 2023 and explore revenue streams like commissions on bookings, premium AI features, advertising and an influencer program.
Leo Radvinsky, the reclusive billionaire owner of OnlyFans, is seeking up to $8 billion for the adult content platform he transformed into a social media powerhouse. The 43-year-old Northwestern graduate, who immigrated from the Soviet Union as a child, has built his fortune by revolutionizing online pornography from ad-supported videos into subscription-based creator content. OnlyFans now serves over 300 million users through an 80-20 revenue split model favoring creators.
British corporate records show Radvinsky collected nearly $1.3 billion in dividends over five years, with Forbes estimating his total wealth at $4 billion. The platform exploded during 2020 pandemic lockdowns, adding 300,000 daily users in 2021. Radvinsky maintains extreme privacy, declining interviews and avoiding industry events. His journey began with teenage ventures operating adult websites before launching MyFreeCams in 2004, eventually acquiring OnlyFans in 2018.
Devon Asher, a 28-year-old podcast producer in Los Angeles, found success pivoting from working on Hollywood sets to producing video podcasts for influencers like Tana Mongeau and Trisha Paytas. After the pandemic halted productions, Asher strategically used a Venmo payment and video resume to land his first influencer job.
Working in this career allows more prominent roles but less stability as an influencer's needs fluctuate. Asher's responsibilities include handling lighting, cameras, editing, and incorporating trending topics. A positive attitude and understanding of pop culture trends are crucial for video podcast producers collaborating with influencers. While schedules can be hectic, Asher finds this work more enjoyable than traditional Hollywood gigs.