LTK, the first and largest influencer marketing platform, has unveiled findings from its second annual brand study conducted in partnership with Northwestern University’s Retail Analytics Council. The study provides valuable insights into creator marketing trends as the industry is projected to reach $24 billion by the end of 2024. With creators becoming a top digital marketing investment, brands are recognizing their potential to engage audiences and drive impactful results across multiple channels.

Key Findings from the Study

1. Increased Investment in Creators

   • A staggering 93% of brands anticipate allocating a larger portion of their marketing budgets to creators in 2025.
   • 41% of brands are investing at least half of their digital marketing budget on creators this year, a notable increase of 14% from the previous year.

2. Multi-Channel Creator Utilization

   • Marketers are leveraging creator content across an average of four different channels beyond social media, including:
     • Content Marketing: 56%
     • Sponsorships: 44%
     • Connected TV (CTV): 43%
     • Display Advertising: 43%
     • Affiliate Marketing: 31%
   • Media boosting is a key strategy, accounting for 30% of brands’ total creator marketing budgets, with 82% utilizing creator content in social ads.

3. Connected TV Advertising Growth

   • CTV ads are emerging as a significant growth area, allowing brands to utilize authentic creator content for shoppable advertising spots. LTK’s CTV offering enhances brand messaging and optimizes reach.

4. Creator Marketing as a Retail Media Priority

   • For retail media networks, creator marketing is paramount, with 82% using creators to enhance awareness and leverage customer data. Earned media value is the primary metric for assessing effectiveness.

5. Expansive Audience Reach

   • Brands recognize the importance of creators’ extensive audiences, with 58% noting that creators helped increase brand or product awareness over the past year.

6. Multidimensional Impact of Creators

   • Brands report measuring multiple goals through creator marketing, including audience growth, awareness, engagement, and brand sentiment. Creators are also used to inform inventory decisions and enhance customer lifetime value.

7. AI Utilization in Creator Partnerships

   • The leading use of AI by marketers is in identifying creators for collaboration, surpassing other applications like creative asset generation. LTK Match, powered by AI, helps brands efficiently find ideal partners, with over 60% of creators cast being new to brand partnerships.

Expert Insights
“Creators are no longer a niche portion of the marketing mix – they are essential to driving brand growth and audience engagement,” said Rodney Mason, Head of Marketing, Brand Platform at LTK.

Frank Mulhern, Professor and Director of Retail Analytics Council at Northwestern University, added, “This study confirms that creators are driving measurable, multidimensional value for brands compared to more traditional marketing strategies.”

As the digital marketing landscape evolves, the LTK study underscores the critical role of creator marketing in driving brand success. With significant investments planned for 2025, brands are recognizing the multifaceted impact of creators across various channels, making them integral to future marketing strategies.