Building Lasting Creator Partnerships

In today’s challenging economic climate, where marketing budgets are under intense scrutiny, brand advocacy has emerged as a critical investment area. Our survey of 150+ senior marketers reveals that four in five say they plan to increase investment in brand advocacy over the next year, underlining growing recognition of its potential to break through a crowded digital landscape.

Yet, only 10% report advocacy to be a core part of their overall strategy. This disconnect highlights a costly mistake. Brands are willing to increase investment but are doing so without a clear blueprint. The result is a hollowed-out approach that manufactures fleeting buzz, sacrificing the lasting influence that has the power to build a self-sustaining earned ecosystem that
breaks through the crowded market.

While advocacy is multi-faceted, social media is a primary growth engine. It’s where brands can own the conversation, capture consumer attention, and drive product discovery. In an era of infinite choice, and fleeting brand loyalty, people trust
people. True advocacy enables brands to build sustainable marketing ecosystems that fuel peer-to-peer discovery and stay relevant.

Our study reveals that the number one challenge preventing this is the struggle to compete for attention in a crowded market, closely followed by the inability to identify and maintain relationships with authentic creator partners, the key to unlocking earned media, the social proof that builds trust and drives action.