At Traackr’s 2025 IMPACT occasions, senior advertising leaders from L’Oréal, Coty, Meliá Motels Worldwide, Michelin, Charlotte Tilbury, Dove, Snap, YouTube, and extra got here collectively to debate one huge query:
How can manufacturers transfer from working creator campaigns to constructing scalable programs for advocacy?
The reply? A mindset shift.
Creator advertising isn’t only a cool add-on anymore. It’s a core progress engine that wants the identical strategic pondering, measurement, and cross-team alignment as another enterprise perform.
Right here’s what probably the most future-ready manufacturers are doing (and how one can steal their finest performs).
1. Creators Are Strategic Development Companions—Not Simply Channels
Why pay a creator as soon as when you might construct an empire collectively?
Creators in the present day aren’t simply content material machines. They’re launching manufacturers, constructing empires, and rewriting what advertising partnerships appear to be. However extra importantly, they’re those that maintain shoppers’ belief. Manufacturers that need to keep related on this new panorama should transfer past commissioning content material and begin co-creating worth.
“Quite a lot of these concepts and initiatives are untapped. I feel manufacturers have an enormous alternative right here to exit to creators and say, ‘We love what you do. The place are you headed—and the way can we assist you on that journey?’” — Camilla Krum, High Creator Partnerships Supervisor at YouTube
That sort of co-creative mindset is beginning to take root. At Dove, the group has gone past one-off partnerships and labored to embed creators into the model’s ecosystem, exhibiting what it appears to be like like when manufacturers put money into long-term relationships constructed on belief and shared imaginative and prescient.
“We built-in creators proper from the beginning. It is not nearly paid or owned—our creator group is embedded throughout each touchpoint of the model expertise.”— Sarah Potter, World Dove Director – PR & Social Influencer at Unilever
Key Takeaway: Don’t simply transient creators—co-create with them.
2. Suggestions Is a Development Lever—For You and Your Creators
The simplest creator partnerships don’t finish when the content material goes stay—they evolve. But 85% of creators say they by no means obtain suggestions from manufacturers. That’s not only a missed alternative however a missed system for scaling.
“I examine my analytics inside and outside. But when I don’t get any information again from the model, I don’t actually know what labored for them.” — Content material Creator, IMPACT London 2025
Suggestions isn’t simply helpful for creators—it’s a goldmine for manufacturers. Which content material drove conversions? Which creators sparked significant engagement? Sharing efficiency insights helps strengthen high partnerships and floor hidden stars.
Key Takeaway: Suggestions isn’t a formality—it’s a suggestions loop that advantages everybody.
3. Cross-Crew Alignment Is a Aggressive Benefit
Too usually, paid media, natural content material, and creator activations function in silos—resulting in fragmented messaging and wasted spend.
“You might have the creator, the natural group, the paid media group—and nobody’s speaking. That’s the place issues disintegrate. With out coordination, you danger losing price range and damaging relationships.”— Jamie Gutfreund, Founding father of Creator Imaginative and prescient
When these groups align, manufacturers not solely enhance effectivity but additionally strengthen belief with creators and communities.
Key Takeaway: Construct built-in workflows that unify creator, media, and natural content material groups.
4. Natural Advocacy Is a Pressure Multiplier
A few of the finest content material isn’t commissioned—it’s spontaneous. However these breakout moments usually go unnoticed with out the best programs.
“One among our creators posted a few product fully organically—we caught it immediately and boosted it. That one second was a large attain and measurable affect. Pace made the distinction.” — Luca Rovere, World VP Advocacy & Social Commerce at Coty
At Coty, Luca and his group has systematized what they name pure advocacy—natural mentions from creators who’re already participating with their manufacturers.
As an alternative of guessing what to advertise, Coty’s group analyzes creator efficiency in actual time, after which amplifies the content material that finest aligns with model objectives and viewers match.
Key Takeaway: Spot high-performing natural content material early and transfer rapidly to amplify what’s already resonating.
5. Efficiency Is Extra Than Vainness Metrics
Likes and attain are not sufficient. Right this moment’s main manufacturers are measuring efficiency based mostly on affect: conversions, visitors, and extra.
“We moved from vainness metrics to a unified measurement mannequin—now we monitor every part from model consciousness to eCommerce affect throughout markets. It’s the one method to scale successfully.” — Santiago Garcia Solimei, Head of Social Media and Manufacturers PR at Meliá Motels Worldwide
However advocacy solely scales when it’s measurable. Begin by asking the best questions: Are we measuring worth, not simply quantity? Are we optimizing value effectivity? Are we monitoring creator efficiency over time?
Key Takeaway: Construct smarter benchmarks that may be standardized throughout groups and markets.
Get an in-depth take a look at how Meliá Motels used Traackr to convey consistency to its influencer advertising program throughout international groups by unifying KPIs and market-level benchmarks.
6. Creators Collapsed the Funnel – and That’s a Good Factor
The standard advertising funnel is disappearing. On platforms like TikTok, a single piece of content material can drive consciousness, engagement, and conversion (generally within the span of seconds!).
“We used to construct consciousness first and hope gross sales adopted. Now, the identical piece of content material can drive discovery and conversion in seconds.” — Nick Tran, President and Chief Advertising Officer at Lobos 1707 Tequila and Cîroc Vodka
That shift isn’t theoretical—it’s already taking place on the bottom. At L’Oréal, Jack Timpany, UK TikTok Store Director, shared how his group tracks click-through and conversion information in actual time to pinpoint which creators are literally driving commerce.
“We’re watching efficiency in actual time—click-through charges, conversions—and studying learn how to adapt immediately. Creators aren’t simply consciousness drivers anymore. They’re our commerce engine.” – Jack Timpany, L’Oréal UK TikTok Store Director
Key Takeaway: Creators don’t simply spark curiosity—they drive conversions. Deal with them like full-funnel companions.
7. Use AI to Empower, Not Substitute
AI isn’t right here to steal jobs—it’s right here to kill guesswork. Meaning utilizing AI to uncover insights sooner, spot efficiency traits, and optimize with precision.
“AI is superb at fixing puzzles. It will possibly get us to a solution sooner, however it’s not going to crack a thriller. The creator area is wealthy with each, and you might want to know the distinction.” — Nikki Howley, VP of Enterprise Growth at Sundogs
That’s why sensible entrepreneurs are utilizing AI to energy selections, not exchange instinct. However there’s a danger—Nick Tran warns that the business could also be approaching “Peak Social,” the place every part begins to really feel the identical.
Bear in mind, AI can assist you establish what works, however it’s human technique and storytelling that make content material significant. The manufacturers that stand out would be the ones who use each in tandem.
Key Takeaway: Use AI to take away artistic guesswork and sharpen your instincts.
The Backside Line?
The creator economic system is maturing. It’s not about chasing traits however constructing programs. Traackr offers you the infrastructure to arrange globally, optimize intelligently, and strategize sustainably.
When completed proper, creator advertising doesn’t simply drive consciousness—it creates need at scale.
