of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.
Earlier this year, Unilever announced that it would allocate half of its advertising budget towards social media and adopt a new “influencer-first” strategy, a bold move led by new CEO Fernando Fernandez.
This moment is what Emily Anderson, Global Brand Strategy Lead at TikTok, called a “major turning point” for the creator economy. After years of hearing viral success stories like the Stanley tumbler becoming a staple for Gen Z girlies, CMOs had a firm example of a major global holding company revealing just how much money they would spend on creator partnerships.
But during a fireside chat with Future Commerce’s Phillip Jackson at K:BOS, Anderson noted that CMOs are officially catching up with what consumers have long known: creators have a significant cultural impact, driving trends in everything from music to fashion to food. It’s just that now, there are more tools and methods to measure the impact of this influence, and “the more we're able to measure it, the more we're able to prove over and over again that it works,” Anderson said. And that means, “the more opportunities [creators] are going to have to make money off of their great ideas.”
TikTok’s Global Brand Strategy Lead, Emily Anderson, on stage with Future Commerce Co-Founder and CEO Phillip Jackson at K:BOS event, hosted by Klaviyo.
A Full-Funnel Tool for Entertainment and Influence
Creators are now strategic brand assets. They’re no longer just sources of entertainment but also inspiration, education, and guidance. They are driving the full funnel, from awareness to conversion, which means brands need to think more holistically about how they strategize, build, and measure these partnerships.
“The storytelling was so compelling and the eCommerce systems were so strong that it was really simple to get from awareness to conversion in a sustained environment, and that's the technical explanation for how we got here,” Anderson said. “But there is also a cultural explanation, which is about the change that TikTok influencers have sparked in influencing overall.”
By that, Anderson means that for the first 15 years of influencer marketing’s existence, creators were making “digital billboards”—ultra-perfect visuals that replicated what one would see on a billboard. But TikTok creators shook up the model by leaning heavily into more human storytelling that was easygoing and even authentically messy. Anderson likened it to how Marlon Brando redefined the male movie star by embracing a more easygoing vibe. “TikTok creators were like, ‘What if we just acted like relaxed, normal people?’ What if we really showed who we are and really connected with these audiences in a more human and authentic way? Drop the stage performance.” Anderson explained that TikTok creators were so effective at this method that they single-handedly collapsed the funnel, using their authentic personalities to create content that was inspired by their own experiences.
Turning Analytics into Impact
TikTok is providing analytical tools and measurement capabilities to help creators understand their true impact and also give brands insight into how their creator posts and campaigns are performing.
“With the increased impact that these creators have, and the fact that they know that impact, they've been able to advocate for themselves,” Anderson said. “I represent the platform, but my platform is dedicated to helping creators and money, so that has been something that's been really a great benefit. You can literally open the video and see the metrics on the right-hand side of the page, the number of reactions you're getting, the real-time comments, and then also in real time, the number of people they get to convert.”
As marketing teams continue to face shrinking budgets, these more robust measurement tools can help them get maximum value from their partnerships and, most importantly, prove the value of every dollar they spend.
“Where the industry is at, where the economy is at, we don't have bigger budgets, which means we're all being expected to do more with much less, and that means we're all being expected to prove that what we're doing is working,” Anderson said. TikTok is supporting markets through deep reporting and tools that facilitate more bottom-funnel actions. For example, there’s a feature through the TikTok creator marketplace that allows creators to pin calls-to-action at the top of the comment section. This is an easy and undisruptive way for creators to include a more targeted next step once their followers engage with content. Then, creators can see on the back-end how people engage with these components, through metrics such as view rate, clicks, and even whether consumers view and return to a call-to-action.
The Future of the Creator Economy
It’s not just the creator economy growing; the entire ecosystem is expanding to include more tactics and touchpoints that will serve as powerful levers for brands to leverage and reach consumers effectively. Gone are the days of one-off posts. Instead, brands are taking an integrated approach that includes affiliate programs, always-on ambassadors, and user-generated content (UGC).
“Now, there are many different ways to get your hands on a creator asset that's not just a one-on-one collab for a performance marketer whose goal is to get the most returns with as little investment,” Anderson said. “It’s all about optimizing your media plan, so you're not going to do a bunch of one-on-one collaborations.”
Anderson pointed to UGC as an especially effective tool to help brands get more mileage (and value) from their investments in creators and broader fan engagement efforts. She believes that brands will continue to expand their use of UGC to support not only social media but also other brand and performance marketing channels, such as email marketing and connected TV (CTV). Using generative AI, brands can make small tweaks to this content, such as changing background music and text on screen, to optimize the creative for these different channels.
TikTok is supporting brands through the next era of the creator economy by expanding its suite of tools, including:
- TikTok One, a centralized platform for both brands and creators on TikTok to discover, create, and manage campaigns and collaborations. Brands can easily search for creators, create campaign briefs, and share them with potential partners.
- Content Suite, which helps brands easily access UGC videos that can be edited and incorporated into campaigns, including insights on how well they will perform.
TikTok will continue to expand its suite of solutions to prepare both brands and creators for the next era of the creator economy, where Anderson believes “creator strategy” will exist on its own, rather than simply part of a particular strategy or channel.
“Right now, creators are a creative lever across all channels,” she said. “You can run a creator ad on social, you can run it on email, and so forth. I believe in the future, the biggest and most sophisticated brands will treat creators as a channel itself. It will be a creator strategy that is always on with those performance parts of the ecosystem.”
Earlier this year, Unilever announced that it would allocate half of its advertising budget towards social media and adopt a new “influencer-first” strategy, a bold move led by new CEO Fernando Fernandez.
This moment is what Emily Anderson, Global Brand Strategy Lead at TikTok, called a “major turning point” for the creator economy. After years of hearing viral success stories like the Stanley tumbler becoming a staple for Gen Z girlies, CMOs had a firm example of a major global holding company revealing just how much money they would spend on creator partnerships.
But during a fireside chat with Future Commerce’s Phillip Jackson at K:BOS, Anderson noted that CMOs are officially catching up with what consumers have long known: creators have a significant cultural impact, driving trends in everything from music to fashion to food. It’s just that now, there are more tools and methods to measure the impact of this influence, and “the more we're able to measure it, the more we're able to prove over and over again that it works,” Anderson said. And that means, “the more opportunities [creators] are going to have to make money off of their great ideas.”
TikTok’s Global Brand Strategy Lead, Emily Anderson, on stage with Future Commerce Co-Founder and CEO Phillip Jackson at K:BOS event, hosted by Klaviyo.
A Full-Funnel Tool for Entertainment and Influence
Creators are now strategic brand assets. They’re no longer just sources of entertainment but also inspiration, education, and guidance. They are driving the full funnel, from awareness to conversion, which means brands need to think more holistically about how they strategize, build, and measure these partnerships.
“The storytelling was so compelling and the eCommerce systems were so strong that it was really simple to get from awareness to conversion in a sustained environment, and that's the technical explanation for how we got here,” Anderson said. “But there is also a cultural explanation, which is about the change that TikTok influencers have sparked in influencing overall.”
By that, Anderson means that for the first 15 years of influencer marketing’s existence, creators were making “digital billboards”—ultra-perfect visuals that replicated what one would see on a billboard. But TikTok creators shook up the model by leaning heavily into more human storytelling that was easygoing and even authentically messy. Anderson likened it to how Marlon Brando redefined the male movie star by embracing a more easygoing vibe. “TikTok creators were like, ‘What if we just acted like relaxed, normal people?’ What if we really showed who we are and really connected with these audiences in a more human and authentic way? Drop the stage performance.” Anderson explained that TikTok creators were so effective at this method that they single-handedly collapsed the funnel, using their authentic personalities to create content that was inspired by their own experiences.
Turning Analytics into Impact
TikTok is providing analytical tools and measurement capabilities to help creators understand their true impact and also give brands insight into how their creator posts and campaigns are performing.
“With the increased impact that these creators have, and the fact that they know that impact, they've been able to advocate for themselves,” Anderson said. “I represent the platform, but my platform is dedicated to helping creators and money, so that has been something that's been really a great benefit. You can literally open the video and see the metrics on the right-hand side of the page, the number of reactions you're getting, the real-time comments, and then also in real time, the number of people they get to convert.”
As marketing teams continue to face shrinking budgets, these more robust measurement tools can help them get maximum value from their partnerships and, most importantly, prove the value of every dollar they spend.
“Where the industry is at, where the economy is at, we don't have bigger budgets, which means we're all being expected to do more with much less, and that means we're all being expected to prove that what we're doing is working,” Anderson said. TikTok is supporting markets through deep reporting and tools that facilitate more bottom-funnel actions. For example, there’s a feature through the TikTok creator marketplace that allows creators to pin calls-to-action at the top of the comment section. This is an easy and undisruptive way for creators to include a more targeted next step once their followers engage with content. Then, creators can see on the back-end how people engage with these components, through metrics such as view rate, clicks, and even whether consumers view and return to a call-to-action.
The Future of the Creator Economy
It’s not just the creator economy growing; the entire ecosystem is expanding to include more tactics and touchpoints that will serve as powerful levers for brands to leverage and reach consumers effectively. Gone are the days of one-off posts. Instead, brands are taking an integrated approach that includes affiliate programs, always-on ambassadors, and user-generated content (UGC).
“Now, there are many different ways to get your hands on a creator asset that's not just a one-on-one collab for a performance marketer whose goal is to get the most returns with as little investment,” Anderson said. “It’s all about optimizing your media plan, so you're not going to do a bunch of one-on-one collaborations.”
Anderson pointed to UGC as an especially effective tool to help brands get more mileage (and value) from their investments in creators and broader fan engagement efforts. She believes that brands will continue to expand their use of UGC to support not only social media but also other brand and performance marketing channels, such as email marketing and connected TV (CTV). Using generative AI, brands can make small tweaks to this content, such as changing background music and text on screen, to optimize the creative for these different channels.
TikTok is supporting brands through the next era of the creator economy by expanding its suite of tools, including:
- TikTok One, a centralized platform for both brands and creators on TikTok to discover, create, and manage campaigns and collaborations. Brands can easily search for creators, create campaign briefs, and share them with potential partners.
- Content Suite, which helps brands easily access UGC videos that can be edited and incorporated into campaigns, including insights on how well they will perform.
TikTok will continue to expand its suite of solutions to prepare both brands and creators for the next era of the creator economy, where Anderson believes “creator strategy” will exist on its own, rather than simply part of a particular strategy or channel.
“Right now, creators are a creative lever across all channels,” she said. “You can run a creator ad on social, you can run it on email, and so forth. I believe in the future, the biggest and most sophisticated brands will treat creators as a channel itself. It will be a creator strategy that is always on with those performance parts of the ecosystem.”
Earlier this year, Unilever announced that it would allocate half of its advertising budget towards social media and adopt a new “influencer-first” strategy, a bold move led by new CEO Fernando Fernandez.
This moment is what Emily Anderson, Global Brand Strategy Lead at TikTok, called a “major turning point” for the creator economy. After years of hearing viral success stories like the Stanley tumbler becoming a staple for Gen Z girlies, CMOs had a firm example of a major global holding company revealing just how much money they would spend on creator partnerships.
But during a fireside chat with Future Commerce’s Phillip Jackson at K:BOS, Anderson noted that CMOs are officially catching up with what consumers have long known: creators have a significant cultural impact, driving trends in everything from music to fashion to food. It’s just that now, there are more tools and methods to measure the impact of this influence, and “the more we're able to measure it, the more we're able to prove over and over again that it works,” Anderson said. And that means, “the more opportunities [creators] are going to have to make money off of their great ideas.”
TikTok’s Global Brand Strategy Lead, Emily Anderson, on stage with Future Commerce Co-Founder and CEO Phillip Jackson at K:BOS event, hosted by Klaviyo.
A Full-Funnel Tool for Entertainment and Influence
Creators are now strategic brand assets. They’re no longer just sources of entertainment but also inspiration, education, and guidance. They are driving the full funnel, from awareness to conversion, which means brands need to think more holistically about how they strategize, build, and measure these partnerships.
“The storytelling was so compelling and the eCommerce systems were so strong that it was really simple to get from awareness to conversion in a sustained environment, and that's the technical explanation for how we got here,” Anderson said. “But there is also a cultural explanation, which is about the change that TikTok influencers have sparked in influencing overall.”
By that, Anderson means that for the first 15 years of influencer marketing’s existence, creators were making “digital billboards”—ultra-perfect visuals that replicated what one would see on a billboard. But TikTok creators shook up the model by leaning heavily into more human storytelling that was easygoing and even authentically messy. Anderson likened it to how Marlon Brando redefined the male movie star by embracing a more easygoing vibe. “TikTok creators were like, ‘What if we just acted like relaxed, normal people?’ What if we really showed who we are and really connected with these audiences in a more human and authentic way? Drop the stage performance.” Anderson explained that TikTok creators were so effective at this method that they single-handedly collapsed the funnel, using their authentic personalities to create content that was inspired by their own experiences.
Turning Analytics into Impact
TikTok is providing analytical tools and measurement capabilities to help creators understand their true impact and also give brands insight into how their creator posts and campaigns are performing.
“With the increased impact that these creators have, and the fact that they know that impact, they've been able to advocate for themselves,” Anderson said. “I represent the platform, but my platform is dedicated to helping creators and money, so that has been something that's been really a great benefit. You can literally open the video and see the metrics on the right-hand side of the page, the number of reactions you're getting, the real-time comments, and then also in real time, the number of people they get to convert.”
As marketing teams continue to face shrinking budgets, these more robust measurement tools can help them get maximum value from their partnerships and, most importantly, prove the value of every dollar they spend.
“Where the industry is at, where the economy is at, we don't have bigger budgets, which means we're all being expected to do more with much less, and that means we're all being expected to prove that what we're doing is working,” Anderson said. TikTok is supporting markets through deep reporting and tools that facilitate more bottom-funnel actions. For example, there’s a feature through the TikTok creator marketplace that allows creators to pin calls-to-action at the top of the comment section. This is an easy and undisruptive way for creators to include a more targeted next step once their followers engage with content. Then, creators can see on the back-end how people engage with these components, through metrics such as view rate, clicks, and even whether consumers view and return to a call-to-action.
The Future of the Creator Economy
It’s not just the creator economy growing; the entire ecosystem is expanding to include more tactics and touchpoints that will serve as powerful levers for brands to leverage and reach consumers effectively. Gone are the days of one-off posts. Instead, brands are taking an integrated approach that includes affiliate programs, always-on ambassadors, and user-generated content (UGC).
“Now, there are many different ways to get your hands on a creator asset that's not just a one-on-one collab for a performance marketer whose goal is to get the most returns with as little investment,” Anderson said. “It’s all about optimizing your media plan, so you're not going to do a bunch of one-on-one collaborations.”
Anderson pointed to UGC as an especially effective tool to help brands get more mileage (and value) from their investments in creators and broader fan engagement efforts. She believes that brands will continue to expand their use of UGC to support not only social media but also other brand and performance marketing channels, such as email marketing and connected TV (CTV). Using generative AI, brands can make small tweaks to this content, such as changing background music and text on screen, to optimize the creative for these different channels.
TikTok is supporting brands through the next era of the creator economy by expanding its suite of tools, including:
- TikTok One, a centralized platform for both brands and creators on TikTok to discover, create, and manage campaigns and collaborations. Brands can easily search for creators, create campaign briefs, and share them with potential partners.
- Content Suite, which helps brands easily access UGC videos that can be edited and incorporated into campaigns, including insights on how well they will perform.
TikTok will continue to expand its suite of solutions to prepare both brands and creators for the next era of the creator economy, where Anderson believes “creator strategy” will exist on its own, rather than simply part of a particular strategy or channel.
“Right now, creators are a creative lever across all channels,” she said. “You can run a creator ad on social, you can run it on email, and so forth. I believe in the future, the biggest and most sophisticated brands will treat creators as a channel itself. It will be a creator strategy that is always on with those performance parts of the ecosystem.”
Earlier this year, Unilever announced that it would allocate half of its advertising budget towards social media and adopt a new “influencer-first” strategy, a bold move led by new CEO Fernando Fernandez.
This moment is what Emily Anderson, Global Brand Strategy Lead at TikTok, called a “major turning point” for the creator economy. After years of hearing viral success stories like the Stanley tumbler becoming a staple for Gen Z girlies, CMOs had a firm example of a major global holding company revealing just how much money they would spend on creator partnerships.
But during a fireside chat with Future Commerce’s Phillip Jackson at K:BOS, Anderson noted that CMOs are officially catching up with what consumers have long known: creators have a significant cultural impact, driving trends in everything from music to fashion to food. It’s just that now, there are more tools and methods to measure the impact of this influence, and “the more we're able to measure it, the more we're able to prove over and over again that it works,” Anderson said. And that means, “the more opportunities [creators] are going to have to make money off of their great ideas.”
TikTok’s Global Brand Strategy Lead, Emily Anderson, on stage with Future Commerce Co-Founder and CEO Phillip Jackson at K:BOS event, hosted by Klaviyo.
A Full-Funnel Tool for Entertainment and Influence
Creators are now strategic brand assets. They’re no longer just sources of entertainment but also inspiration, education, and guidance. They are driving the full funnel, from awareness to conversion, which means brands need to think more holistically about how they strategize, build, and measure these partnerships.
“The storytelling was so compelling and the eCommerce systems were so strong that it was really simple to get from awareness to conversion in a sustained environment, and that's the technical explanation for how we got here,” Anderson said. “But there is also a cultural explanation, which is about the change that TikTok influencers have sparked in influencing overall.”
By that, Anderson means that for the first 15 years of influencer marketing’s existence, creators were making “digital billboards”—ultra-perfect visuals that replicated what one would see on a billboard. But TikTok creators shook up the model by leaning heavily into more human storytelling that was easygoing and even authentically messy. Anderson likened it to how Marlon Brando redefined the male movie star by embracing a more easygoing vibe. “TikTok creators were like, ‘What if we just acted like relaxed, normal people?’ What if we really showed who we are and really connected with these audiences in a more human and authentic way? Drop the stage performance.” Anderson explained that TikTok creators were so effective at this method that they single-handedly collapsed the funnel, using their authentic personalities to create content that was inspired by their own experiences.
Turning Analytics into Impact
TikTok is providing analytical tools and measurement capabilities to help creators understand their true impact and also give brands insight into how their creator posts and campaigns are performing.
“With the increased impact that these creators have, and the fact that they know that impact, they've been able to advocate for themselves,” Anderson said. “I represent the platform, but my platform is dedicated to helping creators and money, so that has been something that's been really a great benefit. You can literally open the video and see the metrics on the right-hand side of the page, the number of reactions you're getting, the real-time comments, and then also in real time, the number of people they get to convert.”
As marketing teams continue to face shrinking budgets, these more robust measurement tools can help them get maximum value from their partnerships and, most importantly, prove the value of every dollar they spend.
“Where the industry is at, where the economy is at, we don't have bigger budgets, which means we're all being expected to do more with much less, and that means we're all being expected to prove that what we're doing is working,” Anderson said. TikTok is supporting markets through deep reporting and tools that facilitate more bottom-funnel actions. For example, there’s a feature through the TikTok creator marketplace that allows creators to pin calls-to-action at the top of the comment section. This is an easy and undisruptive way for creators to include a more targeted next step once their followers engage with content. Then, creators can see on the back-end how people engage with these components, through metrics such as view rate, clicks, and even whether consumers view and return to a call-to-action.
The Future of the Creator Economy
It’s not just the creator economy growing; the entire ecosystem is expanding to include more tactics and touchpoints that will serve as powerful levers for brands to leverage and reach consumers effectively. Gone are the days of one-off posts. Instead, brands are taking an integrated approach that includes affiliate programs, always-on ambassadors, and user-generated content (UGC).
“Now, there are many different ways to get your hands on a creator asset that's not just a one-on-one collab for a performance marketer whose goal is to get the most returns with as little investment,” Anderson said. “It’s all about optimizing your media plan, so you're not going to do a bunch of one-on-one collaborations.”
Anderson pointed to UGC as an especially effective tool to help brands get more mileage (and value) from their investments in creators and broader fan engagement efforts. She believes that brands will continue to expand their use of UGC to support not only social media but also other brand and performance marketing channels, such as email marketing and connected TV (CTV). Using generative AI, brands can make small tweaks to this content, such as changing background music and text on screen, to optimize the creative for these different channels.
TikTok is supporting brands through the next era of the creator economy by expanding its suite of tools, including:
- TikTok One, a centralized platform for both brands and creators on TikTok to discover, create, and manage campaigns and collaborations. Brands can easily search for creators, create campaign briefs, and share them with potential partners.
- Content Suite, which helps brands easily access UGC videos that can be edited and incorporated into campaigns, including insights on how well they will perform.
TikTok will continue to expand its suite of solutions to prepare both brands and creators for the next era of the creator economy, where Anderson believes “creator strategy” will exist on its own, rather than simply part of a particular strategy or channel.
“Right now, creators are a creative lever across all channels,” she said. “You can run a creator ad on social, you can run it on email, and so forth. I believe in the future, the biggest and most sophisticated brands will treat creators as a channel itself. It will be a creator strategy that is always on with those performance parts of the ecosystem.”
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