Steer the brand presence and message, not every creative choice
Kantar's three actions for CMOs on creator investment: don't fall into the engagement trap (platform metrics tell you what the algorithm rewards, not what builds your brand); match your creator strategy to your campaign goals; steer the brand presence and brand message - make verbal brand mentions and the core message non-negotiable - then give creators freedom over every creative choice.
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StatEngagement and effectiveness align in only 1 in 3 pieces of creator contentStatOnly 6% of creator content is both highly engaging and strongly brand-buildingQuote"Platform engagement metrics tell you what the algorithm rewards, but are on their own poor predictors of whether that investment will deliver for your business."StatA net 61% of marketers plan to increase creator spend in 2026StatCreator content is the second fastest-rising brand touchpoint since 2022StatCreator content beats other digital advertising on awareness and consideration liftStatCreator content wins on involvement and relevance but runs -7 points on brandingStatA creator saying the brand name out loud lifts brand linkage by 22 points - half never doStatThe branding toolkit in creator content, ranked by liftStatProduct benefits communicated is the top driver of long-term effectiveness in creator contentPrincipleThe five powers of creator effectiveness: cultural, algorithmic, engagement, brand, salesStatHigh scores on Kantar's creator impact algorithm mean +45% more awareness