• by Maria Rodriguez , March 20, 2025

Just got back from SXSW 2025, and the energy in the creator space is more electric than ever. If there’s one thing that stood out in every conversation -- from panels to side chats over coffee -- it’s that this is the year of collaboration and co-creation.

Creators aren’t just part of the marketing conversation anymore -- they’re leading it. They’re shaping trends, driving engagement, and influencing how brands connect with consumers in real time. The smartest brands are adapting to this shift by embracing new ways of working across teams, disciplines, and platforms.

From Silos to Seamless Collaboration

One of the biggest takeaways from Jamie Gutfreund’s panel, “Pricing Transparency and Equity in the Creator Economy" (and many others), was how internal brand structures are still built in silos, while consumer interactions are fluid and interconnected. A customer doesn’t separate a brand’s ecommerce, social media, and PR efforts -- they experience the brand as a whole. But internally, marketing teams often struggle with fragmented communication, leading to missed opportunities.

This is where creators are shifting mindsets. Sitting at the center of digital culture, they’re pushing brands to think holistically, crafting social-first strategies that permeate all touchpoints. Instead of campaigns being an afterthought tacked onto a larger marketing plan, creators are showing brands how to build stories that start on social media and seamlessly extend into paid media, ecommerce, events, and beyond.

Multi-Creator Activations: The Power of Collective Influence

Another major shift we’re seeing is the move from solo creator partnerships to multi-creator activations. Instead of banking on one creator to carry a campaign, brands are curating groups of creators, each with different strengths, audiences, and creative approaches, to generate content that works across multiple channels.

If you think about it, creators have been doing this from the start. Look back at the Vine era when creators like Adam Waheed, Juanpa Zurita, Lele Pons, King Bach, and Brittany Furlan constantly collaborated, appearing in each other’s videos to grow their audiences. YouTubers like David Dobrik, Emma Chamberlain, Casey Neistat, and MrBeast built massive followings not just through individual content but by cross-pollinating audiences through collaborations, challenges, and partnerships.

That’s where the real magic happens—when different talents and creative styles come together to create something bigger than one person could do by themselves. Brands are finally catching on, shifting from one-off influencer deals to strategic, multi-creator activations that feel more organic, dynamic, and engaging.

Qatar Airways nailed this with its Safety Video featuring Adam Waheed, Khaby Lame, and others. By blending humor, storytelling, and global reach, the brand transformed a traditionally dry piece of content into something highly engaging and shareable.

Expect to see more brands lean into this strategy, integrating creator content not just into social feeds, but into paid media, commercials, and broader omnichannel marketing efforts.

What’s Next: The Intersection of Culture, Commerce & Community

Looking ahead, the brands that will win in this space are those that embrace flexibility and rethink how they work with creators. It’s no longer just about hiring influencers to promote a product -- it’s about building collaborative relationships where creators play a role in shaping the brand narrative.

Creator marketing has evolved beyond simple brand awareness. It’s now driving commerce, shaping culture, and building communities. The companies that understand this shift, break down their internal silos, and approach creators as true creative partners will be the ones leading the next wave of marketing innovation.