💰 Creators break the bank (finally)
Issue #367
Last year, Publicis Group’s CEO Arthur Sadoun started talking about creators as a channel in themselves. He thinks the emergence and growth of the creator economy is part of a changing marketing role in brands. Basically the modern marketer must be across, to use Sadoun’s words, hundreds and thousands of media channels at the same time, with custom content that fits every screen, that shows up less like an ad and more like a real conversation, using influencers to recommend their brand with reach now rivalling with some of the biggest publishers. And that was just the creative side of the challenge for marketers he outlined. It puts creators and the creator economy centre stage in solving a multi-billion dollar problem for marketers. Happy Thursday, Simon.
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Big money finds creators
The creator economy is getting a serious cash injection. A stunning 52 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals happened in the first half of 2025, a 73% jump from last year. This isn't just small fish; private equity firms are now major players, and they signal a new level of financial maturation. Goldman Sachs projections of $480 billion by 2027 confirm what many have suspected: the financial world no longer sees creator businesses as a passing trend.
Shorts wins the ad wars
The advertising math on YouTube Shorts is starting to make sense for brands. With over 200 billion daily views, the platform offers cost for ads (CPMs) around $5 - roughly half what advertisers pay on Reels or TikTok. The real opportunity lies in audience access: 45% of Shorts viewers don't use TikTok, offering brands a fresh pool of consumers who haven't been saturated with the same content and partnerships. This cost efficiency combined with unique reach explains why ad spend is shifting toward the platform.
Small creators get their cut
The affiliate marketing model has always favoured top-tier creators, relegating smaller influencers to standard, often minimal, commission rates. But there’s now a new tool on the block from influencer marketing platform Later. It’s called "Mavely Boosts", and it can help creators earn more money from affiliate links. This is Later’s attempt to level this playing field by offering real-time commission increases, and smaller creators stand to earn potentially up to three times higher than traditional programs to creators regardless of follower count.
Cool Tools
It's always felt a little weird that every group chat lives on a server somewhere. This app sidesteps that entirely by running on a peer-to-peer Bluetooth network. You can only message people nearby, but the trade-off is that there's no data trail and you don't even need a phone number. It's an interesting solution for keeping conversations truly local.
Hot Tips
Some of the best design inspiration isn't on Pinterest; it's in the weird shapes on your toast. We saw a creator lean into this - it's called pareidolia - and use it to break out of creative ruts. They just start tracing the shape they see with Illustrator's Pencil tool. Because the live preview shows your path as you draw, it feels less like you're forcing a design and more like you're discovering one.
Viral Hits
It all starts with TikTok creator Luke Holloway, who’s famous for turning absurd dating app conversations into catchy songs. The I Have One Daughter trend began with a video featuring someone hilariously misreading a simple question, and the confusion is so ridiculous that it’s gone viral. Now, creators are jumping on the format to re-enact their own cringey or chaotic text exchanges. The more baffling, the better. Watch the trend in action here, here, and here.
Stuff from us
We manage social for Ru’ya Careers UAE, a career platform that supports Emirati youth in growing their careers. So we created a bilingual Instagram carousel breaking down the Big Five personality framework for this post, with the primary aim of communicating in a way that’s reflective, accessible, and designed to resonate. It’s part of the ongoing rhythm we keep to help Ru’ya show up consistently - and meaningfully - on social media.
Happy Thursday
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This week’s newsletter was written by Way Lin Lee and Simon Kearney (we’d love to hear your comments). Edited by Jeko Iqbal Reza and Andre Howson. GIF produced by Ilka Tishia Dalilah.