← External Forces: Digital & Technology (all topics)
Creator economy & UGC monetisation
What it is
Independent creators publishing on short-video, streaming and social platforms, monetised through platform revenue share, brand integrations, affiliate commerce and direct subscriptions. Influencer marketing has become a distinct line in advertising budgets rather than a digital sub-category
The Advertising Standards Council requires disclosure of material connection in paid promotion
Impact on industries
- Reaches audiences that conventional media buying no longer delivers, particularly in regional languages and among younger consumers
- Performance-linked and affiliate structures make spend measurable, which is why budgets have shifted from brand advertising toward creators
- Attacks agency and broadcaster revenue directly, since brands contract creators without an intermediary and without conventional inventory
- Brand safety and disclosure risk sit with the advertiser, and AI-generated creators are beginning to compete for the same budgets