This publish was created in partnership with Nielsen
For as we speak’s most progressive corporations, creators have turn out to be important companions in each advertising technique and model storytelling.
Throughout the Cannes Lions Worldwide Competition of Creativity, ADWEEK and Nielsen co-hosted “Decoding the Creator Economic system,” an invite-only occasion that includes two panels. One explored how manufacturers and creators can use knowledge to drive better impression, whereas the opposite centered on constructing genuine partnerships that develop new audiences.
(L-R) Nielsen’s Amilcar Perez, Unilever’s Mario Dughi, TikTok’s Kim Farrell, Bru on the Radio’s Josh “Bru” Brubaker
Creation on the intersection of analytics and authenticity
Within the first panel dialogue, “Unlocking Creator Impression: Information-Pushed Methods for Manufacturers,” audio system centered on the evolution of the creator financial system and the impression of insights-driven methods inside content material collaborations.
Mario Dughi, world advertising director at Unilever, highlighted the shift as one from affect to co-creation. “It’s not leveraging folks for his or her audiences however tapping into their creativity in a manner that is sensible for our manufacturers,” he stated.
Content material creator Josh “Bru” Brubaker of Bru on the Radio agreed, and shared that from the creator’s perspective, it’s extra in regards to the high quality of partnerships than the amount—collaborating with manufacturers that you just really imagine in and match the pursuits of your viewers. The query all the time on his thoughts when signing offers, he stated, is “how do I keep true to myself and what my viewers has come to like about me?”
The discuss then moved to the attributes that outline a high-performing creator. Kim Farrell, world head of creators at TikTok, shared that, in her view, the three key traits of standout creators are authenticity, deep neighborhood understanding, and data-savviness.
“The creators we see actually utilizing TikTok Studio and going deep into their analytics are wanting on the viewership second by second and the engagement price,” Farrell defined. “They’re dwelling and respiration the info.” This data is used to each develop their very own profile and converse to manufacturers successfully about what they create to the desk for potential collaborations.”
Panel moderator and chief income officer of Nielsen, Amilcar Perez, emphasised the rising position of knowledge for creators. He shared that Nielsen is working with creators like MrBeast to offer analytics that quantify the worth of their viewership. “Nielsen helped the entire trade for a few years with TV forex,” he stated. “So, now it’s time to assist the content material creator forex as effectively.”
What particular knowledge factors and content material attributes are most engaging on the model facet when exploring potential collaborations? Dughi stated that his crew is artistic chemistry with the model, engagement, and sentiment. For every side, each amount and high quality matter.
At Unilever, he’s additionally centered on the variety of occasions content material is saved as an incremental extra metric. “Most of our movies are cleansing hacks and ideas, so that they have to be helpful—and a save is an effective indication of whether or not folks discover the content material to be actually helpful.”
Farrell added that shares is admittedly highly effective: “Is that this a creator who generates dialog folks need to share that content material elsewhere or co-create with it?” She additionally highlighted the facility of neighborhood within the feedback. “Whenever you’ve began to slender down creators you’re pondering of working with, take a look at how they interact with the feedback and take a look at the feedback they’re getting from that viewers.”
(L-R) Savage X Fenty’s Vanessa Wallace, iHeart Media’s Hetal Patel, ADWEEK’s Alison Weissbrot
Utilizing trusted voices to create partnership content material that performs
Following the primary panel, a second panel dialogue, “Tuning In New Audiences: The Creator-Platform Revolution,” explored how creator-brand alliances can drive progressive content material and mutual viewers progress.
Vanessa Wallace, CMO of Savage X Fenty, kicked off the dialog, speaking about how creators—particularly micro-influencers—assist manufacturers attain new audiences with authenticity and private connection.
Constructing on that concept, Hetal Patel, president of promoting intelligence at iHeartMedia, famous that creator content material faucets right into a time-tested advertising instrument that dates again to the early days of radio: the human voice. “Audio is a really intimate medium,” she continued. “However on the similar time, it brings artistic freedom that’s unmatched by another medium—storytelling at its best.”
Creators, the panel agreed, are expert storytellers, particularly when given the liberty to tailor content material and model messaging to their voice. However getting manufacturers comfy sufficient to supply that freedom requires mutual belief.
Wallace shared that Savage X Fenty’s content material collaborators are supplied with a quick, temper boards, and speaking factors, however in the end, “to ensure that it to resonate on that content material creator’s platform, it needs to be of their voice.”
“From a measurement standpoint, too,” added Patel, “when manufacturers give speaking factors as an alternative of precise scripts and let the influencer deliver their very own realness to it, you see higher efficiency. So, it’s a win-win.”
Tying the dialog to the earlier session, the panelists mentioned how viewers insights and a strategic media combine can improve collaborative content material. Creators are more and more versatile throughout mediums, permitting their content material to satisfy their viewers at a number of entry factors for a wider attain.
“It begins with the buyer, the place they digest and eat that content material. And I feel the objective for a model is to be genuine wherever they present up,” stated Wallace. A key sign Wallace stated Savage x Fenty depends on is product suggestions. “We get suggestions each month on what merchandise are working, what they love, the fabrications, the match.” Shortly responding to direct shopper insights, she shared, makes manufacturers higher.
Constructing on that time, Patel defined that data-driven viewers understanding is essential. Analytics are a forex to assist advertising hypotheses and make the best strategic choices to grasp “what’s the precise actuality on the bottom,” she concluded.
