Influencers are now creative directors

The Future. Because influencers are no longer dependent upon brands to make a living, brands are now approaching them as true collaborators. If brands hope to monetize influencer audiences, they may need to offer creators more incentives to work with them. This could reverse long-standing power dynamics, from brands telling influencers what they want to asking them what they should do.

From transactional to collaborative
Brands are tapping influencers for “creative ideation and thoughtful strategic direction” to make content that’s “durable, lasting and impactful,” says Zach Blume, co-founder of the creative shop Portal A, in Digiday.

• Wild Turkey has been using celebrity creative directors, like Matthew McConaughey, to stand out in the whiskey marketplace for years.

• Online retailer PrettyLittleThing appointed former Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague as its UK and EU creative director in August 2021.

• Diet Coke hired model Kate Moss as its first creative director in over a decade for its 40th anniversary in July 2022.

• Louis Vuitton tapped Pharrell last month to replace the late Virgil Abloh as its men’s creative director.

1:1 emotional bond
If influencers know what resonates with consumers better than brands, they stand to gain a lot of money by leading the creative process.

How much more they’ll make for a more collaborative or longer-term relationship will ultimately come down to the influencer, the brand, and the nature of their relationship.

Still, in a fragmented advertising landscape getting harder to break through, influencers have become more appealing than ever.