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- Influence Weekly #415 - Unilever On Mixing Creators With ‘Marketing Science’
Influence Weekly #415 - Unilever On Mixing Creators With ‘Marketing Science’
Apple Reportedly Developing ‘Creator Studio’ Bundle For Pro Apps, IOS 26.2 Code Suggests
Nii Ahene
November 14, 2025
Spotlight Stories
Unilever On Mixing Creators With ‘Marketing Science’
How Adolescent Content Turned Self-Expression Into Strategy For IPSY’s ‘I Play Beauty’ Campaign
Snap Signs $400 Million Deal With Perplexity To Integrate AI Search Into Snapchat
Apple Reportedly Developing ‘Creator Studio’ Bundle For Pro Apps, IOS 26.2 Code Suggests
Great Reads
Influencer marketing merger and acquisition activity rebounded in 2025 after transaction volume dropped 68.4% year-over-year in 2024, according to Quartermast Advisors' new report. The boutique M&A advisory firm documented 189 influencer marketing acquisitions since 2014, with agencies accounting for 57.1% of all deals.
Traditional agency holding companies emerged as primary buyers. Publicis Groupe led with four acquisitions, including the sector's largest deal - purchasing tech-enabled agency Influential for $380 million in July 2024. Later acquired social commerce platform Mavely from Nu Skin Enterprises for $250 million in January 2025, while Publicis bought influencer marketing platform Captiv8 for $175 million in May 2025.
Valuation multiples varied by business model. Agencies typically traded between 4.8x and 9.1x EBITDA with a 6.1x median, while marketplaces commanded premium multiples between 10.0x and 27.3x EBITDA. North America accounted for 44.4% of acquisition targets, with Europe following at 39.7%. The report forecasts continued M&A growth in 2026 driven by improving economic conditions.
Unilever expanded its creator marketing strategy through its Cleanipedia platform, which works with 2,000 influencers across global markets to create cleaning content for TikTok and Instagram. The initiative supports the company's home care division, which includes brands like Cif, Persil, Domestos, and Surf.
CEO Fernando Fernandez, who took control in March, pledged to increase social media spending from 30% to 50% of brand and marketing investment. Cleanipedia evolved from a 2013 cleaning tips website into a creator platform after the pandemic drove interest in home cleaning content and the emergence of #CleanTok.
The platform delivered measurable results, with content around Persil Wonder Wash's 15-minute cycle challenge generating a 5.2% uplift in favorability. Ad recall for Cleanipedia content exceeded UK averages, according to Unilever data. The company runs a program called Shine to train micro and nano influencers on product knowledge and content creation, positioning creators as trusted voices over traditional brand messaging.
Visa partnered with Karat Financial to launch AI-powered financial tools for creators in 2026, announced at Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon. The collaboration addresses payment infrastructure gaps revealed in Visa's "Monetized: 2025 Creator Report," which surveyed over 1,000 creators between May and August 2025.
The pilot "creator agent" program launches in the United States in 2026, expanding to Australia in fiscal year 2027. Features include automated payment management, invoice reminders, AI assistance for evaluating brand deals, and centralized buyer databases. Karat Financial, which has extended $1.5 billion in credit to creators with $25,000 average limits, uses social metrics rather than traditional credit scores for underwriting.
The move follows Mastercard's February 2025 creator-focused card launch and comes as WPP forecasts the creator economy reaching $185 billion in 2025.
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Campaign Insights
Microsoft recruited social media influencers to promote its Copilot AI assistant as it competes against OpenAI's ChatGPT in the consumer market. The campaign addressed a usage gap, with Copilot attracting 150 million monthly active users compared to ChatGPT's 800 million weekly users and Google's Gemini with 650 million monthly users.
The company partnered with influencer Alix Earle, who has 12.6 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Her promotional video generated 15.4 million views and used the hashtag #copilotpartner. Microsoft also worked with fashion creators Brigette and Danielle Pheloung, who have a combined 3.4 million followers, and Brandon Edelman, who has 1.7 million followers.
Microsoft Consumer Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi declined to disclose payment amounts but said the company positioned itself as a "challenger brand" in consumer AI. The campaign attempted to reposition Copilot from workplace productivity tool to lifestyle assistant, generating hundreds of millions of views across platforms according to Microsoft's internal metrics.
Chewy expanded its creator commerce platform to over 600 influencers in November 2025, scaling up from its initial launch last year ahead of the holiday shopping season. The pet retailer's Storefronts platform allows creators to curate product collections and earn commissions through affiliate links and unique sales codes.
Participating creators include Cody Taurus, who has over 1 million TikTok followers focused on Shiba Inu content, and Kat Braden with 2.6 million followers. The platform provides performance dashboards and allows segmentation by pet breed, size, and type.
The expansion targets a market where Americans spent $136.8 billion on pets in 2022 across 66% of households. Recent research from universities found petfluencers generate stronger consumer responses than human influencers due to higher perceived sincerity.
Chewy joins retailers like Sephora, Lowe's, and Walmart in expanding creator commerce programs. The affiliate marketing sector projects $215.86 billion in consumer spending for 2025.
TikTok and iHeartMedia launched a partnership to expand TikTok creators across audio platforms including podcasts, broadcast radio, and live events. The companies announced the collaboration November 11, building on their July "Next Up: Live Music" singing competition.
The partnership centers on the TikTok Podcast Network, which will develop up to 25 new podcasts hosted by TikTok creators. iHeartMedia established co-branded podcast studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta with audio and video infrastructure. The podcasts will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts on the iHeartRadio app and other podcast platforms, with highlight clips appearing on TikTok.
The companies introduced TikTok Radio, a broadcast and digital radio station available nationwide. The format pairs TikTok creators with iHeartRadio personalities and follows programming structures similar to KIIS FM in Los Angeles and Z100 in New York. Content includes lifestyle topics, personal narratives, and cultural trend analysis across both podcast and radio formats.
Beauty membership platform IPSY partnered with creative agency Adolescent Content to launch the "I Play Beauty" campaign, repositioning beauty routines as a legitimate hobby. IPSY, which serves 20 million members in the United States, worked with Adolescent Content's Chief Creative Officer Ramaa Mosley to create content that challenged cultural perceptions of beauty as vanity.
The campaign featured emerging creators and micro-influencers rather than established celebrities, showcasing everyday beauty moments like applying makeup on public transportation. Adolescent Content cast creators with follower counts ranging from 2,000 to 500,000, filming across multiple U.S. locations with three separate crews coordinating virtually.
IPSY's Chief Marketing Officer Stacey Politi reported that early results exceeded subscription and engagement goals by 30 percent. The campaign rolled out across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, and connected television platforms.
Adolescent Content utilized its network of 50,000 youth respondents and 6,000 creators to identify cultural trends before they reach mainstream audiences. The agency positioned the campaign as a long-term brand platform rather than a traditional advertising moment.
Augmentum Media, a UK-based influencer marketing agency founded in 2021 by Sambhav Chadha and Aditya Mahapatra, reported that 60% of its business comes from affiliate-led influencer programs. The agency works with wellness brands including Lululemon, Nestlé, Cetaphil, Huel, and Fabletics.
Chadha stated the agency reaches out to 500 to 5,000 influencers monthly per client and converts 15% to 25% into affiliates. For client Fussy, a UK sustainable deodorant brand, Augmentum increased monthly influencer outreach from 25 to 300 seeds and converted 75 to 80 into affiliates within three months. The campaign generated over 10,000 new customers and achieved a return on ad spend exceeding 5x.
The agency's client base is currently 60% UK and 25% US, but Chadha plans to flip this ratio by end of 2026. Augmentum spent approximately $300 on marketing last year, with 60% to 70% of new clients coming through referrals.
Unilever announced plans to shift its marketing strategy for the 2026 FIFA World Cup away from traditional television advertising toward creator marketing and paid social media. The consumer goods company will deploy creators across North America to promote four personal care brands: Rexona, Dove, Axe and Lifebuoy.
The company described this as a move from "one-to-many" channels like television toward a "many to many" approach that prioritizes paid social and influencer marketing. Unilever executives are planning to combine this creator-focused strategy with its primary sponsorship of the World Cup tournament.
The strategy represents a departure from conventional World Cup marketing approaches, which typically emphasize television advertising given the event's massive global viewership. Unilever positioned the creator partnerships as "force multipliers" for its World Cup sponsorship investment. The company expects creators rather than traditional sports commentators to drive conversation around the 2026 tournament.
Dancing With the Stars cast creators including Alix Earle, Whitney Leavitt, and Robert Irwin for Season 34, driving the show's highest viewership in five years. The premiere episode drew 5.5 million total viewers, while the October 21 Wicked-themed episode reached 6.63 million viewers, marking the largest same-day audience since 2020-21.
Social interactions for the show increased 58% year-over-year, while fan voting jumped 163%. Earle's TikTok videos documenting the Wicked night approached 30 million views. The show's hashtag went viral multiple times across TikTok through creator content rather than official promotion.
The strategy reflects traditional media's growing dependence on creators to attract younger audiences. Data shows Gen Z spends three times longer watching creator content than linear TV. Other reality shows including Love Island, The Bachelor, and America's Got Talent have similarly incorporated creator casting to boost engagement and extend viewership beyond broadcast television.
California Governor Gavin Newsom launched an influencer-focused campaign strategy for Proposition 50, his redistricting ballot measure. His team conducted livestreamed interviews with content creators including Substack writer Heather Cox Richardson, YouTube personality Brian Tyler Cohen, and TikTok creator Mrs. Frazzled instead of traditional media appearances.
Newsom's staff maintained daily text communication with roughly 100 influencers, similar to their approach with beat reporters. The campaign sent weekly emails to these creators containing messaging, opposition response points, and Newsom videos. Campaign events included dedicated camera positions for content creators.
The strategy emerged after January's Los Angeles fires when conservative critics dominated social media coverage of Newsom's response. Cohen, whose YouTube channel has nearly 5 million subscribers, hosted a three-hour livestream featuring Newsom and 17 other content creators. MeidasTouch co-founder Ben Meiselas noted his liberal digital network generates 500 to 750 million monthly views across its programs.
Senior political adviser Lindsey Cobia described the influencer approach as integrated into all campaign operations rather than a separate program.
Yas Island Abu Dhabi partnered with travel planning company Pickyourtrail to launch "Smash the Ordinary," a marketing campaign featuring Bollywood actress Sahher Bambba alongside AI influencer Naina. The campaign launched in November 2025 and marked what the companies called the first collaboration between human and AI influencers promoting a destination.
The partnership produced Instagram reels showing both personalities experiencing Yas Island attractions including Warner Bros. World, Ferrari World, and SeaWorld. Pickyourtrail provides customized travel planning services for consumers.
Liam Findlay, CEO of Miral Destinations, which operates Yas Island, said the campaign aimed to redefine tourism storytelling by combining technology with human connection. Hari Ganapathy from Pickyourtrail stated the campaign demonstrated how AI could enhance understanding of travel experiences.
The campaign represented an attempt by tourism destinations to use emerging digital marketing formats. No financial terms, audience metrics, or performance data were disclosed for the collaboration.
Apple appears to be developing "Apple Creator Studio," a subscription bundle for professional creative applications, according to code references discovered in iOS 26.2 beta. Developer Aaron Perris found the reference, following his discovery of App Store IDs for iPad versions of previously Mac-exclusive apps including Pixelmator Pro, MainStage, Motion, and Compressor.
The bundle could combine Apple's professional creative tools like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, currently priced at $4.99 monthly or $49 annually per app. Apple Insider suggested the service would compete with Adobe Creative Cloud, which offers over 20 applications for $69.99 monthly.
Apple has focused on creator tools throughout 2025, redesigning the Camera app in iOS 26 with professional video settings and adding studio-quality audio recording to AirPods models. The company acquired Pixelmator in a 2024/2025 deal, expanding its creative software portfolio. iOS 26.2 is expected to launch in December, though Apple has not officially announced the Creator Studio service.
Interesting People
YouTube creator MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, generated $473 million in revenue through his holding company Beast Industries in 2024. His chocolate brand Feastables contributed over $250 million to that total and began expanding into the Saudi market.
The 27-year-old creator, who has over 450 million subscribers across platforms, participated in Dubai's 1 Billion Followers Summit and launched a "1 Billion Acts of Kindness" campaign with UAE partners. He founded charity organization Beast Philanthropy and previously raised $20 million through his #TeamTrees fundraiser in 2019.
MrBeast plans to open Beast Land, a theme park in Riyadh. His business model involves reinvesting YouTube earnings into larger video productions and consumer brands. YouTube reached 8.37 million users in the UAE by late 2025, representing 74.1% of the country's internet population according to Digitalreportal. Beast Industries expects to reach $900 million in revenue next year according to Business Insider reporting.
YouTuber Charlie Chang revealed he operates 50 YouTube channels that generate $300,000 per month in revenue. Chang, who started on YouTube in 2008 and pivoted to personal finance content in 2017-2018, employs 50 team members across his channel portfolio.
Chang's revenue model differs from typical YouTubers, with 80% of income coming from affiliate marketing, 10% from Google AdSense, 8% from brand deals, and 2% from other sources. He said some individual videos earn over $100,000 through affiliate marketing arrangements.
The creator focuses on evergreen educational content in specific niches rather than viral videos. His team includes project managers, thumbnail editors, and video editors, with most employees working remotely overseas. Chang also produces content in multiple languages to expand international reach.
Chang advocates a volume-based approach, stating "most channels will fail, do volume to find the winners." He recommends creators focus on narrow audiences and specific topics, suggesting newcomers create 50-100 videos on a single passionate topic before developing related products or services.
The creator economy reached new institutional recognition as Goldman Sachs projected the industry would be worth $480 billion by 2027. Syracuse University launched the nation's first Center for the Creator Economy to study the professional class of 200 million global creators, including 27 million in the United States.
Despite the industry's growth, income inequality persists among creators. Goldman Sachs data showed only 4% of creators earn over $100,000 annually. Aneesh Lal, founder of B2B creator agency The Wishly Group, reported his LinkedIn influencers typically earn between $20,000 and $25,000 monthly within six months of starting.
Labor protections remain limited across the industry. California and Illinois enacted laws requiring child influencers receive portions of their earnings, while other states lack similar protections. Pay disparities affect creators of color, who earn less than white counterparts despite driving cultural trends.
The business model expanded beyond social media posts, with creators like Michelle Phan co-founding beauty subscription service IPSY and Jackie Aina launching fragrance brand FORVR MOOD sold at Sephora.
YouTube creator Petra Luna launched CatCrazy Inc. in late 2025, converting her 225,000-subscriber channel focused on feline nutrition into a freeze-dried cat food company. The company released its first product, Puckin' Crazy Chicken Feast, priced at $24 per bag with 24 freeze-dried pucks providing 12 meals.
Luna assembled a 10-person team including a food scientist and creative director to develop the USDA-approved chicken formula over two years. The product underwent testing with more than 60 cats at local shelters plus the team's 24 personal cats.
CatCrazy contracts with a U.S. pet food manufacturing facility for production and sources chicken domestically. Luna previously worked in entertainment marketing for NBC Universal, 20th Television, and Sony Pictures before transitioning to pet care content creation in 2019 following the death of two cats from tainted treats.
The freeze-dried pet food market reached $2.1 billion globally in 2024 and is projected to exceed $5 billion by 2032. Luna plans to expand internationally and develop three to five flavors based on subscriber feedback polls.
A UK-based food influencer with 60,000 Instagram followers now earns up to £4,000 per video, but warns the career requires constant content creation with significant hidden costs. The chef-turned-creator generated £20,000 from brand partnerships in 2024, representing just 25 percent of her total income. She pays 20 percent agency fees plus expenses for editing software, ingredients, and event wardrobe.
Brand deals depend on maintaining high engagement rates, requiring daily TikTok posts and frequent Instagram content. The influencer estimates needing two to three monthly brand partnerships to live comfortably on Instagram income alone. She cautions that while gifts arrive regularly, they don't cover expenses, and the mental health toll includes constant comparison with competitors and audience scrutiny over personal decisions like pregnancy announcements.
Mexican Twitch streamer Aldo Geo transitioned from software development to full-time content creation after the pandemic disrupted his career building QR code invoice apps. The creator attended TwitchCon San Diego from October 17-19, participating in meet-and-greets and Twitch Rivals Minecraft competitions.
Geo built his audience through GTA V roleplay servers starting in 2020, eventually growing from 100 to 1,000 viewers within weeks through the "Safiyo Minecraft" multiplayer series. He later abandoned roleplay content, seeing his viewership drop to 70 concurrent viewers before rebuilding around his personality-driven streams combining gaming, chat interaction, and YouTube reactions.
At TwitchCon, Twitch previewed a new vertical video feature allowing simultaneous horizontal and vertical streaming optimized for mobile viewers. Geo noted that mobile users comprise the majority of his audience metrics. The streamer is expanding beyond Twitch to TikTok and YouTube while maintaining live streaming as his primary content format.
Industry News
Visa's 2025 Creator Report revealed that 68% of content creators identify as small business owners while 86% finance operations through personal funds and 62% manage business income through personal accounts. The research surveyed creators across the economy, which represents approximately 200 million creators worldwide and is projected to reach $500 billion by 2027.
Only 19% of creators used business credit or debit cards, with 75% relying on personal cards for business expenses. Most creators received payments through processors like PayPal and Stripe, while just 20% implemented financial management systems such as Sage and Xero.
The report found 71% of creators described themselves as self-taught in financial management, with 66% lacking formal business strategy training. While 80% expressed confidence in social media management, only 53% felt confident in financial management and 38% in tax compliance. Delayed payments negatively impacted 37% of creators through stress, while 26% experienced production delays due to payment issues.
TikTok and iHeartMedia announced the launch of "TikTok Podcast Network," featuring up to 25 podcasts hosted by TikTok creators focusing on lifestyle content and cultural insights. The partnership builds on their summer collaboration that created "Next Up: Live Music," a singing competition for emerging creators.
The podcast network will operate from iHeartMedia studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, equipped for audio and video production. iHeartPodcasts will distribute content across all podcast platforms, while clips will appear on TikTok itself.
The companies also launched "TikTok Radio," a digital station on iHeartRadio's mobile and desktop apps featuring the podcasts alongside TikTok-popular music. Programming includes segments like "Behind-the-Charts" and "New Music Fridays" with creator-led storytelling.
TikTok creators will receive access to iHeartMedia events including the iHeartRadio Music Festival and Jingle Ball for brand introductions. Statista projects the U.S. podcasting market will reach $26 billion by 2030, growing at nearly 20% annually.
Fox Entertainment acquired Meet Cute, a New York-based rom-com podcast company founded in 2019, to serve as a content incubator for both scripted and unscripted series. Meet Cute has produced over 200 hours of original audio programming and 51 shows, reaching 2.5 million listeners globally.
Meet Cute founder Naomi Shah joined Fox Entertainment as Senior VP, Operations and Strategy, focusing on AI innovation and IP expansion. Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted at Fox Entertainment Studios, will oversee Meet Cute operations. Financial terms were not disclosed, though Meet Cute previously raised $9.25 million from Union Square Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, and other investors.
The acquisition continues Fox Entertainment's creator-focused investment strategy. In October, Fox acquired equity in Ukrainian vertical video company Holywater, committing to produce over 200 vertical video titles within two years. In June, Fox Advertising invested in The Lighthouse, a creator campus under the Whalar Group.
Snap Inc. announced a $400 million partnership with AI search company Perplexity to integrate conversational search capabilities into Snapchat. The deal, structured as cash and equity payments over one year, will launch in early 2026 and give Snapchat's nearly 1 billion monthly active users access to Perplexity's AI-powered answer engine directly within the Chat interface.
The integration allows users to ask questions and receive information from verified sources without leaving the app. This complements Snap's existing My AI chatbot, which focuses on conversational interactions rather than search functionality.
The partnership represents Snap's strategy to position itself as a platform for AI companies to reach its global audience while diversifying revenue streams. Revenue from the deal will begin contributing to Snap's financials in 2026, adding to the company's subscription segment that grew 54% year-over-year to $190 million in Q3 2025. Snap reported Q3 2025 revenue of $1.51 billion, up 10% annually.
Former OnlyFans CEO Ami Gan launched Vylit, an 18+ content platform targeting the space between social media and creator platforms. The company raised $2.7 million in seed funding led by Windmill Chain Fund and plans to launch in December 2025.
Vylit allows topless content but prohibits full nudity or explicit material, positioning itself as "adult-friendly" rather than explicit. The platform integrates AI-powered discovery and chat capabilities alongside traditional monetization tools. Creators maintain control over privacy settings and can engage with audiences publicly or anonymously.
Gan co-founded Vylit with Kailey Magder after working together at strategic advisory firm Hoxton Projects. The platform partnered with Yoti for age verification and Unitary AI for content moderation. Gan stepped down as OnlyFans CEO in 2023 before founding Hoxton Projects and developing Vylit.
The company aims to blend social discovery features with creator monetization tools, using AI to curate content based on user interests rather than engagement metrics.
Lithuania-based startup Billo transformed from a user-generated content marketplace into a creator marketing platform powered by AI and performance data. The company launched its "Billo 2.0" system in November 2025, integrating three components: CreativeOps, Partnerships Hub, and Billo Labs.
CreativeOps draws data from 326,000 video ads representing $505 million in purchase value and $269 million in ad spend to guide creative decisions. The AI system generates data-backed concepts and matches brands with creators across Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Top creators on the platform delivered videos that beat industry medians for return on ad spend, click-through rate, or hook rate in 68% of eligible campaigns.
The Partnerships Hub enables brands to collaborate with creators beyond video production, including organic posts and revenue-sharing partnership ads. Billo Labs converts campaign data into benchmarks that feed back into the AI system. The broader rollout is expected in early 2026, targeting brands seeking systematic, performance-driven creator campaigns.
The Lighthouse, a creator hub operated by Whalar Group, opened its second campus on November 5-6 in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood. The facility occupies the historic 1872 Pencil Factory at 58 Kent Street and offers production studios, collaboration spaces, podcast studios, and a 6,000-square-foot rooftop terrace overlooking the East River.
The Brooklyn location follows The Lighthouse Venice, which operates in a renovated 1937 post office with capacity for 650 members and annual membership fees starting at approximately $5,000. Members are selected through referrals by The Lighthouse's Creator Council, co-chaired by Colin and Samir, or through an application process.
The expansion comes after Fox Advertising invested in The Lighthouse in June 2025, announced at Cannes Lions. Current partners include Fox Entertainment/Tubi, iHeartMedia, Samsung, Shopify, and Tribeca Festival. The company plans to open a third campus in Europe, Middle East, and Africa in 2026.
Vertigo Marketing Group opened a content creation studio in Patchogue Village, New York, in November 2025. The facility integrates artificial intelligence tools, creator collaboration spaces, and multimedia production environments under one roof.
The studio features multiple specialized production zones, including a TikTok Shop studio designed to help brands optimize for the platform's algorithm through live product demonstrations. Additional facilities include a professional podcast recording space and a photography studio.
Vertigo's implementation of AI tools provides analytics and content development capabilities for clients. CEO Lisa Mirabile said the studio represents the company's commitment to providing brands with tools and expertise needed to create content. Creative Director Julia Christ stated the facility brings together artistry and technology, empowering brands and creators to explore storytelling through AI-powered video and design.
The facility responds to changing content creation requirements in digital marketing, particularly regarding AI integration in the creator economy space.
Snap Inc. brought back classic 2D Bitmoji avatars for Snapchat+ subscribers through a new Comic Bitmoji setting that rolled out in November 2025. The feature responded to user demand including a Change.org petition that gathered nearly 100,000 signatures calling for the return of the original comic-style avatars.
The move partially reversed Snap's 2023 decision to shift entirely to 3D avatars. Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel personally signed the petition demanding 2D Bitmoji's return, according to Engadget. The company positioned Comic Bitmoji as an exclusive premium feature for its 16 million Snapchat+ subscribers.
The technical implementation preserves 3D customization capabilities while rendering avatars in classic 2D style. Snap reported that over 320 million people globally use Bitmoji daily across communication channels. The company has no announced plans to make the feature available to non-subscribers, using it as a potential driver for subscription growth.
TravelCreatorsX launched as the first creator-focused summit embedded within a travel trade show, scheduled for March 7-8, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. The event will operate inside the Travel Adventure Show, which draws more than 20,000 attendees and features 500+ destinations and tourism organizations.
Jorge Cadena, founder of Smart Strategic Marketing, serves as executive producer of TravelCreatorsX. The summit aims to connect content creators directly with tourism boards and travel brands in a trade show environment rather than a standalone conference format.
The partnership positions the creator summit within Travel Adventure Shows' national series, which attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually across 10 U.S. cities. The event targets multiple stakeholders including speakers, brands, destinations, influencers, creators, and talent management agencies seeking partnerships within the travel sector.
Faved, a London-based media buying platform launched in 2021, reported having over 25,000 creators and 300 brands on its platform. Co-founder Stephen Titus said the company adds close to 1,000 creators weekly and averages $1,000 per sponsored post, with rates ranging from $300 to $80,000.
The platform connects vetted creators with brands through transparent pricing and one-click offers. Creators set their own rates publicly, and campaigns typically move from offer to signing within two days. Faved pays creators within 22-25 days, compared to industry standard net-60 or net-90 payment terms.
The company targets creators with 50,000 to 20 million followers and serves brands across education, gaming, lifestyle, and B2B categories. About 20 percent of monthly transactions are renewals from returning clients. Faved has processed over 300 campaigns for client Skillshare and works with brands like Liquid I.V. through agency partnerships.
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TikTok Shop ranked third on Morning Consult's fastest-growing brands list in the US for 2024, behind DoorDash and Fruit of the Loom. The social shopping platform outpaced ChatGPT and Coinbase and was the only social media tool in the top 20. Morning Consult measured growth by comparing purchase interest surveys from tens of thousands of US adults between the first and third quarters.
The platform's performance demonstrates social commerce has moved mainstream in the US market dominated by Amazon. TikTok Shop launched in US feeds in 2023 and now operates as a standalone brand rather than just an extension of the video app, according to Morning Consult's senior director Bobby Blanchard.
Despite this growth, TikTok Shop has struggled to meet ByteDance's expectations compared to its Chinese counterpart Douyin's social commerce success. The platform generated $100 million in US sales on Black Friday 2024, setting up the 2025 holiday season as a test against Amazon and Walmart.
A 29-year-old German baroness is leveraging her aristocratic heritage to build a TikTok following while challenging perceptions of nobility. Leonie von Ungern-Sternberg has gained over 40,000 followers through her "Millennial Baroness Diaries," sharing content about her family's 900-year history, including a distant relative known as the "Bloody Baron." The IE University MBA student openly addresses controversial topics, from her ancestors' Nazi-era resistance to her own eating disorder struggles.
She's now expanding beyond heritage content into lifestyle topics like skincare and books while developing a Substack focused on AI ethics. Von Ungern-Sternberg, who has worked since age 18 and self-financed her education, aims to democratize knowledge about culture and etiquette previously reserved for elite circles. She's currently job-hunting and writing what she calls a manifesto for cultural literacy.
MrBeast's company Beast Industries hired four new executives from September through November 2024, recruiting talent from TikTok, Snapchat, and NBCUniversal. The hires include Noah Wieseneck as VP of brand partnerships from Snap, Kelly Calabrese as VP of global media and brand partnerships from TikTok, Byron Kendal as VP of talent acquisition and technology, and former NBCU executive Corie Henson as president of the studio division.
The hiring spree supports MrBeast's expansion beyond YouTube into a media empire valued at $5 billion following a funding round earlier in 2024. The company operates multiple business lines including its Feastables chocolate brand and generated approximately $224 million in media revenue in 2024, according to leaked investor materials.
Beast Industries employs roughly 450 people, with most working from headquarters in Greenville, North Carolina. CEO Jeffrey Housenbold, who joined in 2023, has focused on making all company operations profitable while maintaining content quality within budget constraints.
Street interview ads are emerging as a labor-intensive antidote to AI-generated content, with brands betting on authentic reactions over scripted spots. Twenty-two-year-old Josh Suggs built 203 Media into a profitable operation generating $218,000 monthly revenue by filming real people testing products in Manhattan's Washington Square Park. The format requires extreme extroversion, with most participants rejecting interview requests and many hired interviewers failing after trial shifts.
Direct-to-consumer brands including Magic Spoon, Ridge Wallet and Dr. Squatch use the content primarily for TikTok and Instagram ads. Suggs employs roughly 30 staff and freelancers, many from New York's acting and comedy networks, who walk thousands of daily steps gathering footage. The Syracuse dropout launched the company in June 2024 after cold-messaging brands on X, sometimes working for free in exchange for social posts. He's now expanding with live shopping offerings and teams in additional cities.