Brave Group's Robyn Jones on influencers
As advertising budgets come under scrutiny from the c-suite that’s looking for greater marketing effectiveness, and influencer marketing matures, expect a rise in the number of content creators you’ll find on agency payrolls.
Why? Embedding content creators within agency teams is proving to be a smarter, faster, and more authentic path to brand relevance and sustainable commercial results, and a natural step toward a truly integrated agency offering that meets the evolving demands of modern marketing.
If you read global advertising news, you’ll see that there is a significant shift in how advertising teams now treat content creators.
Global market growth
Bloomberg reports that global influencer marketing spend is projected to grow 36% between 2024 and 2025, reaching $33bn. Brands are responding to economic pressure, tightening ad budgets and evolving consumer expectations by turning to innovative social-first strategies.
There was a time when agencies would gingerly experiment with influencer collaborations. But nano- and micro-influencers are pulling serious weight and today sit at the core of marketing’s strategic blueprint. Why? Influencers and creators are helping agencies create more effective marketing campaigns. This reflects a broader, industry‑wide transformation that now recognises social media and social creators, and the influence they have on buying journeys.
Consumer goods companies like Unilever are leading the shift, Bloomberg reveals. The multinational plans to dedicate up to 50% of its advertising budget to social media, up from 30%. Unilever plans to hire 20 times more influencers, because consumers are becoming more sceptical of traditional corporate branding.
Social media explosion
Creator-driven platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn) now command outsized consumer time and increasingly outsized ad revenue growth versus legacy channels. Recent forecasts even suggest creator platforms will eclipse ‘old media’ ad revenues by the end of 2025, a symbolic passing of the torch.
Three forces are driving this move:
- Creator content works, and moves fast. Kantar’s global Media Reactions study shows consumer receptivity and impact are strongest where advertising feels “native” to the environment; creator content consistently sits in the sweet spot for attention and acceptance. In short, when people choose the feed, brand messages carried by credible creators land better.
- The ROI case is maturing. Nielsen’s Annual Marketing Report underlines how channel balance and reach drive returns. Within that, creator campaigns are increasingly cited for outperforming comparable social/video without creators. A recent Nielsen analysis found creator work delivers ~2.4x the ROI of digital video or TV baselines. The precise multiple will vary by category and craft, but the direction of travel is clear.
- The market has reorganised around influence. Networks are industrialising creator capability not as an add-on, but as a core system. Agencies are now launching operating systems to integrate creator strategy, data and measurement across the funnel. Advertising firms are also building creator residencies and hiring TikTokers, YouTubers and streamers into creative departments. This is a genuine reskilling of the industry. It just makes sense. Good influencers bring unparalleled expertise in content creation that resonates with today’s audiences. They understand that authenticity, relatability, and timeliness resonate and drive traffic.
Effective, efficient marketing
By embedding them within the agency, we eliminate the back-and-forth of external collaborations, allowing for quicker, more budget-friendly production of high-quality content without the overhead of full campaigns. At Brave, our social media managers serve as content creators on campaigns and manage comprehensive content plans from start to finish. This makes our processes seamless from concept to delivery. This is especially valuable in regulated industries or when targeting niche demographics, where influencers can craft compliant, targeted assets that agencies can deploy across channels like geofenced ads or social media stories.
Moreover, influencers act as internal consultants, providing insights into consumer behaviour that inform broader strategies. Agencies are now hiring them not just for public-facing work but for confidential roles in product development, brand positioning, and even sustainability initiatives.
A win-win approach
This ‘win room’ approach (where influencers join brainstorming sessions) helps brands navigate shrinking budgets while doing more with less, especially amid economic uncertainties. In Africa, where digital adoption is surging but marketing budgets can be tight, this model allows agencies to leverage influencers’ established trust and creativity to bridge the gap between brands and consumers who increasingly shun blatant advertising.
For us at Brave, it’s simple: the work is better when it’s real, relevant, and resonates. And that’s precisely what creators bring to the table: authentic voices and seamless integration that connects with audiences in a way nothing else can.
