Creator marketing expenditure in Europe 2016-2020

Creator marketing spending in Europe has more than quadrupled in the last half decade. In 2020, investments reached 1.3 billion euros, marking a 14-percent increase from the previous year’s value of 1.2 billion.

What is creator marketing?

Creator marketing refers to the collaboration between an online content creator and a brand to market a product or service. While the terms creator marketing and influencer marketing are used interchangeably sometimes, both strategies can involve varying levels of cooperation and produce different marketing results. For example, content creators can act as creative directors for brands looking to benefit from their storytelling abilities and insights into certain social media platforms. As a case in point, Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg, a Swedish gaming content creator and face of one of the most popular YouTube channels worldwide, recently partnered with energy drink company GFUEL, exposing the brand to millions of potential customers.

Creator marketing on TikTok

TikTok has become one of the most popular social networks worldwide. Thanks to its impressive user base and focus on short-form video, the app has also become a highly attractive marketing destination. By partnering with TikTok creators, companies can boost brand awareness, unlock new audiences, and stay up to date with the latest trends. Social video has become a much more appealing marketing format than sponsored photo posts because of its unmatched entertainment value. As many users are also growing wary of staged or inauthentic influencer posts especially on Instagram, brands are turning to (TikTok) creators and embracing the slogan “Don’t make ads. Make TikToks” more eagerly each year.