The New Creator Operating Model: How brands can rapidly evolve their creator marketing strategies

Reports 30 Sep 2026

Our new report examines how brands can evolve their creator marketing strategy – get your copy now!

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The creator economy is on a seemingly unstoppable upward trajectory, with creator-generated revenue estimated to hit $376.6 billion by 2030. And with 81% of Gen Z buying on an influencer recommendation this year, it’s little wonder brands are rushing to invest.

However, marketers are quickly learning that money invested doesn’t always guarantee results, and there is a staggering amount of wasted spend and missed opportunity due to outdated creator marketing practices.

This is what we’re tackling in our new report – We Are Social Decodes: The New Creator Operating Model – which aims to demystify what it takes to run a successful creator strategy. We’re providing frameworks to drive fresh thinking, and systems to drive greater impact.

Instead of taking a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach to creator marketing, we’re introducing a new creator marketing model to help brands succeed, grounded in three principles:

Innovate across your ecosystem: Creator marketing should not be treated as a bolt-on tactic; it must be strategically embedded across the entire brand ecosystem, from comms to new product development.
Map the sources of influence: Brands must stop casting based on follower count, reach, or brand fit alone. We Are Social introduces four distinct creator archetypes – Personalities, Authorities, Advocates, and Amplifiers – and urges marketers to assess where a creator’s influence comes from, and if that source can deliver what the brief requires.
Learn while it’s live: Brands should not treat creators and assets as the final deliverable. Instead, they can fuel an ongoing feedback loop, with live creator content acting as an early warning system to reveal what the algorithm is rewarding, identifying future opportunities.

To read more and hear how brands like KFC, Samsung, Netflix, Booking.com and more have elevated their creator marketing strategies, download the report now.

The New Creator Operating Model: How brands can rapidly evolve their creator marketing strategies

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