We've all heard it before: "Creators are great for buzz." Sure, they can make your brand feel cool and culturally relevant. But when it comes time to justify budget allocation in a boardroom, the question always comes back to the same thing: What about hard ROI?
Here's the thing—creator marketing has evolved way beyond awareness plays. It's not just effective anymore. It's efficient. And if you're still treating it like a nice-to-have rather than a must-have, you're leaving serious money on the table.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Let's start with the headline stat: In 2023, The Whalar Group commissioned Nielsen to conduct the first-ever Creator Media Mix Model (MMM) study. The result? Creators delivered a 2.41x ROI from 2021–2022. But when we dug deeper into why that number was so strong, things got even more interesting.
The data showed:
- ROI increased by +38% year-over-year
- eCPM (effective cost per thousand impressions) decreased by -35% year-over-year
So what changed? Brands got smarter. They diversified their approach by working with more creators across more platforms, tapping into new audiences and increasing their reach. More creators = better results.
Why People Actually Trust Creators
To understand the why behind those returns, we partnered with Alter Agents to run a Cross-Media Creator Study. What we found was fascinating:
- 77% of consumers say they're first introduced to brands through creators
- 3-in-4 people purchase products based on creator recommendations
- The top reasons people watch creator/brand partnership content? To learn more about the product and how to use it, and to get an honest, trustworthy review.
Think about that for a second. People aren't just passively scrolling past creator content—they're actively seeking it out to inform purchase decisions. That's not top-of-funnel fluff. That's conversion fuel.
Creative Effectiveness: What Actually Works
In a recent meta-analysis using Kantar's Link AI solution, we found that 62% of creator content scored in the 80th percentile and above for both brand power AND short-term sales likelihood—performing 2.3x higher than brand-owned content.
Here's what's wild: traditionally, you'd expect content to be strong at either branding or performance. But when creators introduced a brand and gave a clear call to action, the content crushed it on both measures. That's something even the best brand-produced content struggles to achieve.
The highest-performing content? When creators showcased themselves using the product and explained why they liked it—whether that's using a face wipe to remove makeup, booking a trip on a mobile app, or practicing proper oral hygiene. Authenticity + demonstration = gold.
The flip side? Content where creators had to follow strict brand guidelines and couldn't be creative didn't perform nearly as well. The lesson is clear—give creators room to create.
The Bottom Line
All of this leads to a simple truth: creator content is often the hardest-working line item in the media mix. From discovery (78% of people discover new brands from creators) to conversion ($2.41 return for every dollar invested), creators outperform at every stage of the funnel.
But here's the catch—to unlock that full potential, creator marketing must be measured with the same rigor as any other media channel. The Creator Economy isn't a side bet anymore. It's not influencer marketing 1.0. It's a foundational media channel that deserves its own benchmarks, measurement tools, and creative freedom.
Creators aren't just amplifiers of culture. They're efficient, scalable, and sales-driving partners. The data proves it. But only if we treat them like the media force they've become—and invest accordingly.
If you've been on the fence about shifting budget toward creator marketing, consider this your sign. The numbers are in, and they're not subtle.
