August 8, 2025  |  SIGN UP

Jim Cooper
DIGIDAY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Making sense of the scope, speed and scale of the creator economy seems to be getting more challenging with each passing week.

For example, our coverage of creator/influencer-based marketing this week spanned pieces that looked at the rising (double digit increases in some cases) creator fees and the confusion on the part of brands and agencies on what to pay for what to how the influencer marketing playbook is being recast as the lines between search and social continue to blur, creating a fresh frontier for brand discoverability.

Even in this week’s quarterly earnings reports creators and social platforms featured as darlings, with multiple CEOs extolling their value as a marketing channel. Here’s L’Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus: “Social media conversations for all things beauty remain incredibly dynamic with 6,500,000,000 beauty searches on TikTok in the first half alone, up over 50% from last year.” … Read more below ICYMI – Happy Friday!

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THE CREATOR ECONOMY

As creator fees rise, so does the confusion over what to pay

Where fees once mapped cleanly to scale — macro, micro, niche — those lines have blurred. Two creators with near identical followings can command radically different rates. With no clear benchmarks, pricing can — and often does — run on instinct, perception and whoever’s holding the purse strings that day.

THE CREATOR ECONOMY

Earnings season rundown: CEOs are betting big on the creator economy

AI might be the main storyline of this quarter’s earnings season but the creator economy is shaping a compelling subplot. Mentions on earnings calls over the last month suggest more CEOs aren’t just acknowledging it — they’re positioning it as a meaningful lever for growth.

SPONSORED BY WRIKE

Does your team utilize visual collaboration?

Visual collaboration tools can connect an organization's strategy, creative and execution — if used effectively. In this on-demand webinar, hear marketing and creative leaders talk about what this looks like and how visual collaboration tools improve internal communications and maximize productivity.

MARKETING ON PLATFORMS

Meta’s Superintelligence Labs is already becoming part of the pitch to marketers

Despite it still being very early days for Meta’s Superinteligence Lab, three of the ad execs Digiday caught up with confirmed it’s already entering the conversation in some way or another. The level of details still vary from rep to rep.

SPONSORED BY ADSTRA

Is composability the future of identity?

The next phase of identity is about extending investments across organizations through composability. However, most departments still operate without access to the identity infrastructure that marketing teams use every day. That's why it's key for companies not to keep their capability for composable identity locked up inside marketing.

Read more

PUBLISHING IN THE PLATFORM ERA

The publishers’ guide to being gaslit by tech platforms (the AI edition)

Over the weekend, the Olympics racked up 17 billion impressions, 2 billion video views, and 49 million posts, according to X. Over the weekend, the Olympics racked up 17 billion impressions, 2 billion video views, and 49 million posts, according to X.

THE PROGRAMMATIC MARKETER

The Trade Desk shares plunge after posting Q2 revenues of $694 million

The Trade Desk’s stock price dropped markedly in the early hours after making the disclosure, with certain market observers labelling the Q2 performance as “lackluster,” even with revenue guidance of “at least $717 million” in the coming quarter.     

SPONSORED BY DIRECTV

How pause ads reach viewers during TV’s can’t-miss moments

Advertisers may think viewers hit pause to take a break from the content they’re watching. But 81% of viewers pause to avoid missing a scene, to rewatch a segment, or to watch with someone else. That makes pause ads highly effective for reaching viewers during TV’s can’t-miss moments.