At Traackr’s 2025 IMPACT occasions, senior advertising leaders from L’Oréal, Coty, Meliá Accommodations Worldwide, Michelin, Charlotte Tilbury, Dove, Snap, YouTube, and extra got here collectively to debate one massive query:
How can manufacturers transfer from operating 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 some other enterprise operate.
Right here’s what probably the most future-ready manufacturers are doing (and how one can steal their greatest performs).
1. Creators Are Strategic Progress Companions—Not Simply Channels
Why pay a creator as soon as when you may construct an empire collectively?
Creators right this moment 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 customers’ belief. Manufacturers that wish to keep related on this new panorama should transfer past commissioning content material and begin co-creating worth.
“Plenty of these concepts and initiatives are untapped. I believe 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, Prime 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, displaying what it appears like when manufacturers spend money on long-term relationships constructed on belief and shared imaginative and prescient.
“We built-in creators proper from the beginning. It isn’t 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 Progress Lever—For You and Your Creators
The best 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 research my analytics in and out. 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 prime partnerships and floor hidden stars.
Key Takeaway: Suggestions isn’t a formality—it’s a suggestions loop that advantages everybody.
3. Cross-Staff Alignment Is a Aggressive Benefit
Too typically, paid media, natural content material, and creator activations function in silos—resulting in fragmented messaging and wasted spend.
“You’ve gotten the creator, the natural group, the paid media group—and nobody’s speaking. That’s the place issues collapse. With out coordination, you danger losing funds 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 Power Multiplier
A few of the greatest content material isn’t commissioned—it’s spontaneous. However these breakout moments typically go unnoticed with out the proper programs.
“Considered one of our creators posted a couple of product fully organically—we caught it straight away and boosted it. That one second become an enormous attain and measurable affect. Velocity 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 a substitute of guessing what to advertise, Coty’s group analyzes creator efficiency in actual time, after which amplifies the content material that greatest aligns with model objectives and viewers match.
Key Takeaway: Spot high-performing organic content material early and transfer shortly to amplify what’s already resonating.
5. Efficiency Is Extra Than Vainness Metrics
Likes and attain are not sufficient. At the moment’s main manufacturers are measuring efficiency based mostly on affect: conversions, site visitors, and extra.
“We moved from self-importance metrics to a unified measurement mannequin—now we observe the whole lot from model consciousness to eCommerce affect throughout markets. It’s the one option to scale successfully.” — Santiago Garcia Solimei, Head of Social Media and Manufacturers PR at Meliá Accommodations Worldwide
However advocacy solely scales when it’s measurable. Begin by asking the proper 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 Hotels used Traackr to carry 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 normal 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 occurring 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 tips on 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 Change
AI isn’t right here to steal jobs—it’s right here to kill guesswork. Which means utilizing AI to uncover insights sooner, spot efficiency developments, and optimize with precision.
“AI is excellent at fixing puzzles. It might get us to a solution sooner, but it surely’s not going to crack a thriller. The creator house is wealthy with each, and it’s essential know the distinction.” — Nikki Howley, VP of Enterprise Improvement at Sundogs
That’s why good entrepreneurs are utilizing AI to energy selections, not exchange instinct. However there’s a danger—Nick Tran warns that the trade could also be approaching “Peak Social,” the place the whole lot begins to really feel the identical.
Keep in mind, AI can assist you establish what works, but it surely’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 developments however constructing programs. Traackr provides you the infrastructure to arrange globally, optimize intelligently, and strategize sustainably.
When accomplished proper, creator advertising doesn’t simply drive consciousness—it creates need at scale.
