• by Cory Treffiletti , Featured Contributor, December 4, 2024

Last week I wrote about what the industry needs to consider when bringing creators into the fold.  It was a great piece -- I was happy with it -- however, many of you checked out and were off to Thanksgiving, so I recommend you go back and read up.  I want to continue the conversation this week because I think it’s an important one.

Creators don’t need us, but we need creators.

Creator content is evolving.  It’s not all on YouTube and TikTok or Instagram Reels, or filmed on an iPhone.  Creator content is high quality with high production value.  Creators have sets and high-end mics.  They have editors who edit daily, and they are extremely smart at finding out how to break down content into digestible chunks and syndicate it around on various platforms.   Creator content can be long-form, and insightful.  It is showing up on OTT and CTV platforms.  It has crossed into other forms of media, with creators authoring books, organizing events, fostering communities.   I would argue creator content is what mainstream media and entertainment companies want to be when they grow up.

Creators have figured out how to weaponize social media to their advantage, and I applaud them for it.  They really have it all figured out, and they are nimble.  They can do more in a week than most media companies can do in a year.  They have fewer people to make decisions, and are edging their way toward taking over.

The ad industry needs creators simply because they provide the appearance of authenticity, which sells products.  If you have an ad or a product placement in a show like “Yellowstone,” it can impact your brand, but it is not as direct or complementary as having a creator select your brand and include it in their set or speak about it in a sponsored post.  The audience for creators is more passionate than a typical “Yellowstone” fan.  An audience for a creator will watch everything that creator does.  Most people don’t know the name Taylor Sheridan -- who created “Yellowstone” -- and while they may love that show, that love doesn’t carry over “Landman” or “Tulsa King” because he writes them.  They may watch those shows because of similar content, but it’s not a guarantee in the way that creator carry-over can be. 

We need creators, so we should start looking at what they do, and how our ad-tech tools can help support them.  Maybe we should be asking them by setting up a community that can help shape what the future of ad tech should look like.  Don’t invite them to the ad-tech events as arm candy that brings a younger audience.  Bring them in as advisors, and let’s work together to help shape what the industry will look like for the next 20 years.  That would be a benefit to everyone involved and would definitely be worth our time.  Don’t you agree?