Creator marketing has moved from experimental campaigns to a core brand-building lever, but effectiveness has remained uneven. A report by Dentsu has shown that while investment is rising, outcomes have not always kept pace.
The shift has been driven by an algorithm-led media landscape, where attention has become fragmented and relevance has had to be earned rather than bought. Brands have increasingly relied on creators to navigate this environment and drive cultural resonance.
Nearly two-thirds of consumers have engaged with creator content, with engagement levels rising sharply among Gen Z and Millennials. At the same time, 89% of CMOs have planned to maintain or increase influencer marketing investments, signalling continued confidence in the channel.
Despite this, the report has identified a structural issue. While brands have been active in creator collaborations, most have not built a consistent system. Instead, creator marketing has often remained fragmented, relying on one-off partnerships and campaign-led activations.
This approach has resulted in inefficiencies such as unclear objectives, poor creator-brand alignment, and weak measurement frameworks. Campaign effectiveness has dropped when creators have been expected to deliver multiple outcomes — from awareness to conversion — without clearly defined roles.
To address this, brands have shifted towards a system-led model structured around casting, culture, and commerce. This approach has focused on assigning creators defined strategic roles, integrating them earlier into cultural conversations, and linking their output to business performance.
Data has reinforced this transition. Brands adopting a holistic creator strategy have recorded a 38% higher return on investment compared to those relying on isolated campaigns, indicating that structure has become a key driver of effectiveness.
The findings have suggested that future success in creator marketing will depend less on the scale of investment and more on the ability to build connected systems that align creators with long-term brand and business outcomes.
