The Business of Creator Brands: How Online Influence Is Reshaping Store Shelves

Walk into any Tesco lately and you’ll spot something interesting on the shelves. WillNE and James Marriott’s iced coffee brand Rodd’s sits right next to Nico Omilana’s halal confectionery line Shades. And what do they have in common? They’re both creator brands. These YouTubers have gone from making videos to catering to our caffeine addiction, sweetening our snack drawer, and showing up at local grocery stores.

Our Founder, James Hacking, gives us the scoop on creator brands and the untapped opportunity ahead. 

Today, creator brands aren’t equivalent to creators slapping their names across products in the name of a business. They are completely flipping the script on how brands get built, using their communities as genuine partners in the whole process.

THE POWER OF ONLINE COMMUNITIES

Katie Sturino nailed this with the launch of Megababe. Instead of guessing what people wanted, she got 400 of her Instagram community members involved in shaping the actual launch. And it paid off big time – 20% of DTC sales on the first day came from her Instagram broadcast channel. That’s what happens when you treat your audience like collaborators instead of just eyeballs to sell to.

Kit Keenan looked at what her followers were constantly asking for through affiliate links and just… built those products. Why overcomplicate it when your audience is telling you what they want to buy.

It gets even more interesting when you see how this plays out across the market. Logan Moffitt posts about cucumbers, and suddenly supermarkets can’t keep them stocked. The whole Dubai chocolate craze had the biggest UK supermarkets rushing to make their versions. And Sprite created a new flavor because of a TikTok tea hack.

Think about that for a second. A social media post can now directly influence what major corporations decide to manufacture.

A QUICK REALITY CHECK 

Of course, not every creator brand makes it. Plenty launched with massive hype only to disappear. You can ride on that initial enthusiasm for maybe one or two purchases, but if you don’t have the resources to keep up, you’re one Lunchable away from losing relevance. 

This is where established CGP players come in. The smart ones are starting to see creators not as just another marketing channel, but as actual business partners with unparalleled expertise within a category and a hyper-engaged audience. 

HOW WE ARE RESPONDING

At Socially Powerful, we’re responding by developing a framework for brands to help engage creators beyond content creation and how to work with them in various capacities, from consulting during product development to potentially launching a new brand.

It’s a win-win situation. Creators benefit from the brand’s R&D, supply chain, and distribution expertise, while brands can tap into creators’ unparalleled expertise within a category and their hyper-engaged audience.  

Let’s build a strategy that moves the needle. Get in touch and discover what social-first content really looks like.