Your Weekly Creator Marketing Update: "my community is not your commodity, we’re people, not data points on a pitch deck"
22.07.2025
This week we take a look at two articles that are almost at the polar-opposite side of the spectrum in terms of language and approach. One that focuses on the idea that turning people into data points is harming influencer marketing, while we’re also reading that “performance is the new currency”. If anything, these two articles show how polarising the industry often is, and how the businesses in the articles are trying to be as catchy as possible in their opinions in order to make themselves stand out in the best possible way.
From sauna socials to run clubs: Are community event leaders the new influencers?
📌 TL;DR
The article explores the shift from online communities to intimate, real-life (IRL) gatherings, with a focus on how millennials and Gen-Z’ers are seeking more authentic in-person experiences over digital engagement. At the forefront of this trend is Jasmine Douglas, founder of Babes on Waves and Busy Babes, who has built a vibrant offline wellness and networking community for women of colour.
Brands are increasingly interested in tapping into these micro-communities, but success requires authentic, long-term partnerships that prioritise trust and shared values over marketing metrics. The rise of the host (those who bring people together in real life) is positioned as a new influential archetype.
🔍 MY THOUGHTS
📋“The host’s capital is their ability to gather people. An influencer or a content creator is focused on producing content — their value is aesthetic or performance-based. But a host creates sustainable, in-person belonging. We believe that the host is the next influential archetype because they hold the most valuable thing in culture today: social capital.”
➡️I think this an interesting take - as well as a departure - from the existing influencer archetypes. While content is often the (desired/expected) output, the idea of a host operating in a (mostly) offline environment developing community-driven ecosystems where people can authentically enjoy topics that they are interested. Being able to cultivate and monetise these opportunities (carefully) is a throwback to the pre-internet era, and almost reminiscent of something akin to Tupperware parties.
📋“My community is not your commodity, we’re people, not data points on a pitch deck. When a brand leads with ‘what’s in it for us’, it shows they don’t actually understand how the community works. It’s not a transactional space; it’s built on trust, care, and long-term investment.”
➡️I absolutely adore this quote. Over the past few years we have seen an increase in the amount of people that see and treat content creators as human ad-buys.
I think there is a lot of equity left on the table for brands that actively choose to add tangible value to influencers, communities & the people that follow them versus dropping in and-out with a paid post when it suits the brand.
📋The success of a partnership, Roth explains, hinges on shared investment. “The easiest way to show up is usually the least effective,” he says. “The strongest outcomes come from co-creation — when both sides are committed, not just contractually, but culturally. It’s not: ‘Here’s a cheque, goodbye.’ It’s: ‘We’re in this with you, across the next 15 events.’ That’s how you build real community.”
➡️This article might drive some interesting internal discussions around what influencer marketing means to your business. The value that content creators/influencers bring to the table can vary greatly depending on who you talk to, and there no right or wrong answer here - but aligning on your (influencer) department's raison d'être is a recommended exercise that I think would help increase the quality of influencer marketing strategies.
💡 Bottom line
As always - I think a balanced approach is key. Being present and harnessing these types of events can add significant value to any influencer strategy - but it does come with a significant investment of resources, effort and time into actual face-to-face time and there has to be a reason for the brand to show up and provide genuine value.
If done correctly, I do believe an approach like this provides an opportunity to create a layer of advocacy and authenticity that would be incredibly hard to develop in an environment where influencers are only dealt with via e-mail and contracts.
The Influencer Marketing Bubble Has Burst
📌 TL;DR
We’re starting strong with a rage-bait title (and it should be noted this post is also sponsored by Awin)
According to the author, influencer marketing is undergoing a major shift: from vanity metrics such as likes and reach » » » » measurable, performance-driven outcomes. As marketers face growing pressure to prove ROI, traditional awareness-focused campaigns are being replaced by partnerships that drive tangible results: sales, clicks, and conversions.
Affiliate marketing has emerged as the leading model in this evolution, offering brands a scalable and accountable way to engage creators. By tying payouts directly to performance, affiliate programs reward creators for what actually works and give brands clearer insight into impact.
Success stories from brands like McGee & Co. and Etsy show that when influencer efforts are backed by data, tracking tools, and performance-based incentives, both sides win. Creators earn ongoing commissions and brands drive revenue growth.
🔍 MY THOUGHTS
📋According to Nielsen, 70% of marketers plan to prioritize performance-based marketing over brand-building initiatives. Essentially, brands are rethinking their approach to creators by moving away from awareness plays and toward outcome-driven partnerships that tie spend directly to results.
➡️These numbers absolutely make sense, and it represents the trend in influencer marketing we have seen over the past few years. I would like to highlight that the section in the Nielsen report includes a portion that is omitted from the article (in italics below):
Marketer tactics may not drive top KPI results: Marketers’ top KPIs are long-term ROI and full-funnel ROI. At the same time, however, 70% of respondents plan to prioritize performance marketing over brand building initiatives. A shift to performance marketing, without supporting brand-building marketing, could limit long-term ROI and may cause brand decay.
📋Affiliate marketing offers brands a smarter path forward. It brings accountability to creator partnerships by tying payouts directly to performance—whether that’s sales, leads, or another desired action. No more guessing. Just clear results.
Leading home décor brand McGee & Co. is one that made the switch, partnering with affiliate platform Awin and influencer management solution CreatorIQ to manage influencer partnerships and track conversions seamlessly, while offering creators performance-based commissions, exclusive perks, and customizable discount codes.
In doing so, McGee & Co. creators now had better flexibility to promote products their audiences genuinely connect with, and as a result, the brand saw an impressive 300% year-over-year revenue increase from their influencers, proving the power of performance-driven partnerships.
➡️I’m a big fan of utilising affiliate marketing within the wider context of influencer marketing and the article is right in that it should be at least considered as part of any influencer marketing approach.
What I would avoid is shifting large portions of influencer marketing budget to just this type of performance play, as it can have longer-term knock-on effects and will require an incredibly large amount of affiliates to sustain in order to avoid fatigue and performance drop offs through repetition. Not to mention the idea that ideally, the influencers that would be part of an approach like this would have an existing relationship with the brand. Going in cold to content creators to sell your product from day one without any brand-building or pre-existing relationship could work, but it is an approach I try to avoid. Personally, I think the affiliate/sales play is much more suited for more mature influencer programs that are able to tap into the trust that has been established with audiences.
💡 Bottom line
I don’t agree with the headline and I don’t agree with the pushy narrative, but I do agree with the fact that a well-rounded influencer marketing approach should always include the ability to work with a dedicated sub-set of content-creators to drive (and track) conversions through the creation of discount codes at scale.
🏭Industry Headlines
📖Premier Foods to upweight influencer marketing activity
“Premier Foods has also highlighted the role of the marketing function in driving impactful innovation for the food business, as it appoints a new CMO.”
📖Influencer marketing survival playbook: How the creator economy is shaping up in the back half of 2025
“Amid the so-called cultural wars, marketers are pulling back on diversity, equity and inclusivity-driven campaigns, disproportionately impacting multicultural creators. Meanwhile, lifestyle and mid-sized influencers are feeling the squeeze as brands prioritize micro and niche content creators. Simultaneously, the creator lifespan has increasingly been a talking point on the heels of the TikTok ban, forcing creators to think about building businesses off-platform.”
📖More creators, less money: Creator economy expansion leaves mid-tier creators behind
“There’s almost no middle class anymore,” said Paul Desisto, owner of PD Talent, a talent management company. “It goes to the really in-demand creators. The brands, if they are going to spend, are going after those.”
📖What do creators really want? Ownership
“Where is the creator economy really heading? We’ve spent years analyzing creators through a marketing lens: audience size, average engagement, impressions, views. But creators today are more than metrics. They’re modern brands shaping culture, driving commerce, and holding the attention of some audiences that marketers dream of reaching.”