Spotlight Stories |
Spotter Showcase: Invite-Only Event To Connect Top Creators With CMOs And Agency Leaders BBC Studios Eyes YouTube And Digital Content Expansion With Success Of ‘Bluey’ Kitchen Magic To Content Gold: Cookin’ Savvy’s Angie French On Achieving Digital Success Out2Win Lands $1.3 Million In Seed Funding To Advance AI-Enhanced Athlete Marketing
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Great Reads |
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Spotter, a platform connecting brands with top YouTube creators, is hosting its first-ever Spotter Showcase on March 27 in New York City. This invite-only event will give CMOs and marketers direct access to leading YouTube stars like MrBeast, Dude Perfect, and others, who will share content calendars, audience data, and ideas. With streaming surpassing cable TV viewership, the showcase aims to help brands align with creators commanding massive digital audiences. |
Presenters will include discussions on how creator-led entertainment shapes culture and brand impact. For creators, it offers opportunities to secure brand partnerships through Spotter's network, while advertisers gain insights into audience data and content alignment. The event underscores the shifting landscape where brands must partner with digital creators to capture cultural moments and audience engagement. |
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Professional networking events are taking center stage in the creator economy this April, offering crucial connections amid industry volatility and monetization challenges. With U.S. creators generating billions from social media and influencer marketing spending projected to exceed $10 billion this year, these gatherings provide strategic opportunities for navigating changing landscapes. The NAB Show (April 6-9, Las Vegas) brings global decision-makers together around emerging trends including AI, creator economy, streaming, and cloud virtualization. |
Its three destinations—Create, Connect, and Capitalize—represent distinct workflow components within the media ecosystem. Other key events include Mom 2.0 Summit (April 3-5, Orlando) targeting parent influencers, Influencer Marketing Show USA (April 22-25, Florida) connecting brands with creators, Content 360 Singapore (April 23-24) focusing on marketing strategies across Asia, TubeFest (April 25, UK) offering practical video marketing insights, and Fluence Festival Africa (April 20, Johannesburg)—the continent's only dedicated influencer event. |
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Lunar X is building a "21st century Disney" for the creator economy by acquiring equity stakes in successful creator businesses. Differing from traditional management agencies, Lunar X co-owns and operates creator companies, providing liquidity to creators while handling operations, finance, and scaling. With a portfolio approach, Lunar X leverages cross-channel distribution, advertising deals, shared resources, and talent development to empower creators and elevate production quality beyond individual capabilities. |
By prioritizing content over personality and reducing key-person risk, Lunar X aims to build a long-term, sustainable digital media firm owning marquee IPs across diverse verticals. As the creator economy ebbs and flows, Lunar X navigates industry cycles with strategic timing while exploring new frontiers like live events and addressing challenges like short-form content cannibalization through diverse revenue streams. |
Campaign Insights |
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Best Buy plans to launch a program enabling influencers and content creators to build branded digital storefronts on its website this spring. The electronics retailer aims to drive traffic, engagement, and sales by joining competitors like Amazon and Walmart who already offer commissions to influencers featuring products. |
As influencer marketing continues growing, projected to exceed $32 billion by late 2025, the initiative could appeal to tech reviewers, gaming creators, and others recommending electronics. However, experts caution that creator fatigue poses a challenge as more retailers pursue similar programs, emphasizing the need for a solid strategy tailored to Best Buy's specialized consumer base. |
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Polestar, the Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer, has appointed KateCo. PR as its influencer marketing agency in Australia. The partnership will see KateCo. PR managing Polestar Australia's influencer marketing efforts, including overseeing the ambassador program and content creation. |
This move aligns with Polestar's ambitions to increase its footprint in the Australian market, capitalizing on the growing consumer interest in sustainability-focused luxury brands. Kate Keane, founder of KateCo. PR, expressed excitement about bringing Polestar's story to life, leveraging the agency's expertise in high-impact brand communications to engage new audiences and drive meaningful conversations around sustainable mobility. |
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The PGA Tour is expanding its successful Creator Classic series with two additional events scheduled for the 2025 season following strong viewership metrics from previous competitions. The third Creator Classic will be held at The Philadelphia Cricket Club in conjunction with the Truist Championship (formerly Wells Fargo Championship) on May 8-11. |
The venue change from Quail Hollow Club was necessitated as the Charlotte course prepares to host the 2025 PGA Championship. The fourth installment will return to East Lake Golf Club ahead of the 2025 Tour Championship, where the inaugural event generated impressive engagement with nearly 60 million golf fans across social platforms during a four-week period. |
The debut Creator Classic became YouTube's #2 trending video after competition, accumulating over 2.7 million views. These events build on the PGA Tour's December announcement of a Creator Council comprising up to 10 leading golf content creators. Andy Weitz, PGA Tour's chief marketing officer, emphasized that this initiative reflects the Tour's evolution to connect with a new generation of fans consuming golf content through different channels. |
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BBC Studios is scaling up its digital content strategy for the hit preschool series "Bluey" after receiving YouTube's Diamond Creator Award for reaching 10 million subscribers. The company plans to triple its investment in original digital Bluey content this year, commissioning over 80 new YouTube episodes across seven series. This expansion capitalizes on the success of previous Bluey digital offerings like "Book Reads" which garnered 75 million views. |
BBC Studios is developing a multi-platform approach, creating short clips for TikTok while producing lean-back compilation videos designed for connected TV viewing on YouTube. New character-focused YouTube channels are planned, alongside exploring new revenue streams through digital experiences, subscriptions, and e-commerce product releases tied to Bluey's forthcoming theatrical movie. The company states its increased digital investment is driven by profitability, allowing funds to be reinvested into more content. |
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Vestiaire Collective, a leading platform for pre-loved luxury fashion, has launched a systematic educational campaign targeting fashion influencers to transform how they present fashion choices to their millions of followers. The company is providing data, expert insights, and firsthand experiences to educate creators on the environmental impacts of fast fashion and promote more sustainable alternatives like pre-loved luxury items. |
By informing influential voices, Vestiaire Collective aims to shift the narrative around fashion consumption, positioning pre-loved as a smart financial decision with a lower cost-per-wear than fast fashion. The program includes data-based modules, expert discussions, marketing psychology workshops, content creation guides, peer learning, and field experiences. With a multi-pronged approach spanning creator education, platform innovation, and policy advocacy, Vestiaire Collective is working to drive meaningful change in the fashion ecosystem and combat the overconsumption crisis fueled by social media content. |
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The partnership between Dreaminfluence and Irvine Partners aims to bridge the global divide in the creator economy. Dreaminfluence, a Danish tech platform that connects brands with relevant creators, has given Irvine Partners exclusive rights to its platform across Africa. This solves key challenges for both sides - providing creators in volatile currency markets like Nigeria with stable U.S. dollar earnings, while giving brands cost-effective access to high-quality English content. |
Dreaminfluence's AI tools help creators understand their value and brands streamline influencer campaigns. With Africa's untapped $3 billion influencer marketing potential, strong mobile adoption, and Irvine's local expertise, the partnership is poised to unlock sustainable income opportunities for creators across the continent. As the influencer market grows, fueled by better measurement solutions like Dreaminfluence's upcoming TikTok integration, this collaboration represents a concrete step toward economic empowerment through the creator economy. |
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March Madness advertising inventory has sold out earlier than usual this year, driven by strong buyer demand. According to Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery ad sales executives, over 50% of the inventory was sold in advance, marking an accelerated marketplace compared to previous years. |
The rising popularity of streaming live events, coupled with the increasing prominence of college athlete influencer marketing deals stemming from new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules, are cited as potential factors fueling the robust ad sales. Female college basketball stars have seen a surge in sponsorships, with women accounting for 63% of social media sponsorships during last year's March Madness. |
While sponsored posts featuring male athletes generated higher engagement, the trend highlights the growing creator economy around college sports. As marketable student-athletes drive fan interest and viewership, brands are capitalizing on the opportunity, contributing to the earlier than normal sell-out of March Madness ads in 2025. |
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Anorak Travel is a specialized influencer marketing agency focused exclusively on the travel industry. Their strategic approach elevates influencer campaigns from tactics to comprehensive marketing strategies. Before selecting creators, Anorak develops detailed strategy documents outlining objectives, target audiences, key messages, campaign concepts, and measurement frameworks. |
This methodology ensures influencer collaborations align with broader marketing goals rather than ad hoc requests. Anorak respects creators' voices while providing guidelines, insisting on fair compensation beyond just free trips. They innovate through sustainable practices like repurposing existing creator content. With expertise in tourism's unique challenges and a meticulous, strategy-first mindset, Anorak transforms influencer marketing into an effective tool for driving tangible business results for travel brands. |
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According to a new report by EMARKETER, YouTube Shorts represents a relatively untapped opportunity for brands to engage audiences and drive conversions through creator partnerships. The research highlights the massive reach of YouTube Shorts with over 2 billion monthly logged-in users globally in 2023. |
It also notes that online users are 98% more likely to trust creator recommendations on YouTube compared to other platforms. Despite this potential, many brands have yet to fully leverage YouTube Shorts, providing an early mover advantage. The report emphasizes that creators have cultivated engaged communities on YouTube, and brands can tap into these deep connections through Shorts collaborations. |
Brands already investing in YouTube Shorts partnerships, like Urban Decay and Eight Sleep, are seeing positive results in increased purchase intent and high video view counts. As short-form video continues influencing consumer behavior, the report concludes that brands should take advantage of YouTube Shorts to build relationships with trusted creators and drive business outcomes. |
Interesting People |
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Narcity Media is adapting to survive industry disruption by pivoting towards a creator-centric model that empowers local independent creators. The media company has developed creator marketplaces that directly connect creators with monetization opportunities, providing them with distribution infrastructure and benefiting from curation of localized content. Facing challenges like regulation and revenue shifts, Narcity refocused on its core audience, embraced AI, and doubled down on the local creator economy to emerge more resilient. |
Its hyper-local, bilingual approach across Canada and the U.S. builds authentic community connections. Led by founder Chuck Lapointe, Narcity exemplifies how media companies can develop mutually beneficial relationships with creators by providing platforms and meaningful support rather than controlling content production. The company's forward-looking initiatives will further innovate creator-centric features and bring advertising dollars back to local economies from big tech giants. |
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Angie French, an unintentional "off-platform influencer" and home cook, has partnered with her husband's content marketing company, Family Features, to launch her Cookin' Savvy brand on Culinary.net. Despite lacking social media experience, Angie brings an authentic voice honed over decades of sharing practical cooking tips. |
The partnership leverages Family Features' production capabilities and technical expertise to distribute Angie's family-focused, adaptable recipes across platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. With a focus on simplicity, themed series, and encouraging experimentation, Cookin' Savvy has rapidly grown its following, exceeding initial subscriber targets. |
Angie's case highlights an untapped talent pool in the creator economy—real-world experts without conventional online presences. Her unexpected second act as a 60-something digital creator showcases the potential for brands to find compelling influencer voices through partnerships that blend authenticity with professional execution. |
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Netflix and other streaming platforms are aggressively pursuing deals with popular YouTubers like Dude Perfect and Mark Rober. This move is driven by the success of MrBeast's "Beast Games" on Netflix, which has generated over $100 million in profits for Amazon and prompted MrBeast to demand over $150 million per season for renewal. While Netflix has had challenges with Rober's promotion of merchandise, Amazon's business model aligns better with creator sponsorships. As the creator economy expands, streaming giants recognize the value in signing top YouTube talent to bolster their content offerings and engage new audiences. |
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Industry News |
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Oracle has emerged as a leading contender to serve as the cloud technology partner for managing TikTok's U.S. operations. Sources suggest ByteDance favors Oracle over other providers, as TikTok already utilizes Oracle servers to store data of U.S. users. The deal would allow ByteDance to maintain a hands-on role in TikTok's operations, with Oracle as a partner. President Trump has also shown support for Oracle's involvement. With a looming April deadline to finalize a sale to a U.S. buyer, this potential partnership could resolve uncertainties surrounding TikTok's future in the country. |
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AI startup OpusClip has secured $20 million in funding led by SoftBank's Vision Fund 2, valuing the company at $215 million. OpusClip has developed an AI tool for creating and publishing short videos, attracting over 10 million users who have created 172 million clips generating 57 billion views collectively. |
The company also launched OpusSearch, an AI tool enabling creators and businesses to search their video catalogs by topic, speaker, or object to maximize content monetization. OpusSearch allows building topic-specific channels, responding quickly to trends, and transforming archives into new revenue streams. OpusClip plans to use the funding to expand its AI research and product offerings as AI adoption accelerates across the creator economy. |
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Out2Win, an athlete marketing intelligence platform, has secured $1.3 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered platform. The company maintains profiles of over 250,000 college athletes and serves brands like Rhoback, Olipop, universities like Michigan State and San Diego State. Out2Win's platform features the Out2Win Score, a modernized version of the Q-score that benchmarks athlete marketability by analyzing social metrics, university NIL performance data, and brand spending patterns. |
The funding round drew investors across sports, business, and technology sectors. The capital will advance Out2Win's AI capabilities, scale marketing efforts, and launch new features tailored to the athlete marketing industry's evolving needs. Out2Win recently published its 2025 March Madness Athlete Marketability Report highlighting that during the 2024 tournament, brands executed nearly 800 social media sponsorships with college athletes, generating over 4.4 million sponsored engagements. |
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The Mom 2.0 Summit is an annual conference that brings together parent content creators, marketers, and media professionals for structured networking and career growth opportunities. Founded in 2008, the event has evolved into a powerful marketplace where connections can lead to major career breakthroughs like book deals, TV appearances, and corporate job offers. |
The 2025 Summit, scheduled for April 3-5 in Orlando, will feature renowned keynote speakers like Brené Brown and programming focused on leadership, monetization strategies, and community building - reflecting the maturing priorities of parent creators in the modern creator economy. |
The event's unique integration of all participants, combined with its resort venue designed for focused conversation, facilitates natural networking that has historically generated tangible business outcomes. With a deliberate "matchmaking" structure, the Mom 2.0 Summit provides an efficient environment for creators to connect with potential partners, clients and employers. Its ability to forecast emerging cultural trends further cements its value as an influential nexus point for the creator industry. |
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Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has reportedly bounced back to its original $44 billion valuation after facing a sharp decline post-acquisition. According to the Financial Times, X's revenue has stabilized, generating $1.2 billion in adjusted earnings for 2024, similar to pre-acquisition levels. |
However, Bloomberg reports a conflicting valuation of around $32 billion based on a recent $1 billion equity raise involving Musk himself. Despite the differing valuations, it's evident that X has undergone a financial turnaround after its valuation plummeted below $10 billion last September, as estimated by Fidelity Investments. The contrasting reports highlight the uncertainty surrounding X's true worth under Musk's leadership. |
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Whalar, an independent creator and social media agency, has partnered with Kantar to leverage its LINK AI solution for enhancing the effectiveness of creator marketing campaigns. This AI technology can predict which creative assets will perform best on specific platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It provides insights to optimize content alignment with platform attributes beyond just audience metrics, focusing on breakthrough, engagement, persuasiveness, and branding. |
The partnership allows Whalar to evaluate creators' potential as long-term brand ambassadors and enhance media mix modeling. By integrating LINK AI, Whalar aims to bring a deeper understanding and validation to creator campaigns, ensuring the right creative assets are optimized for maximum brand impact. |
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Creator management firm Fixated has raised $10 million in a funding round led by Eldridge Industries. Fixated offers advanced management services beyond securing brand deals, helping creators with content strategy across multiple platforms. The company is led by co-founders Zach Katz and Jason Wilhelm, who previously worked at FaZe Clan and TalentX respectively. Fixated's client roster includes popular creators like Zach Justice, chess influencers Andrea and Alexandra Botez, and contortionist Sofie Dossi. |
The investment from Eldridge, headed by Todd Boehly, gives them a "vast minority" stake in Fixated. The founders observe a shift in creator ambitions away from traditional Hollywood careers towards building multi-platform businesses directly engaging their audiences. Eldridge's investment portfolio includes A24, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a stake in The Hollywood Reporter. |
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A top Republican lawmaker, Rep. John Moolenaar, Chair of the House's Select Committee on Countering China, has issued stern warnings about the proposed TikTok deal. He states ByteDance must fully divest control of TikTok to a third party and have no ongoing influence over operations, data sharing, content or algorithms for the arrangement to comply with U.S. law. |
Moolenaar criticizes ByteDance's previous mitigation attempts like Project Texas as insufficient and believes any deal allowing ByteDance continued control over algorithms or staffing would violate legal requirements. He cautions that failure to fully separate could destabilize the tech sector through lawsuits and penalties against companies involved. Republicans expect briefings on the deal framework this week as the April 5th deadline for enforcing the TikTok ban approaches. |
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Snapchat has unveiled advanced AI-powered video filters exclusively for subscribers of its premium Snapchat Platinum tier. The initial launch includes three AI Lenses that integrate animated animal companions, create floral bouquet effects, and allow background processing while users continue other activities. Completed AI videos automatically save to Memories for easy sharing. |
Positioned as Snapchat's latest innovation in AR, ML, and AI, these consumer-facing capabilities represent some of the most advanced currently available on social platforms. As Snapchat expands its ad-free subscription offering, the company aims to provide exclusive, cutting-edge features to premium users in the competitive creator economy space. |
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Ukreate, a Miami-based tech company, has entered a strategic partnership with Billion Dollar Brands and influencer marketing strategist Rhett Ullmann. The collaboration aims to develop new approaches for connecting brands with content creators by leveraging Ukreate's algorithmic matching technology and campaign management tools. The platform implements solutions like automated creator discovery based on brand requirements, integrated payment infrastructure, performance analytics, and direct monetization channels for creators. |
The partnership addresses fragmentation and transparency issues in the influencer marketing industry, providing an alternative to traditional talent management models by enabling direct brand-creator relationships. With a focus on mid-tier and micro-influencers seeking consistent revenue streams, Ukreate positions its self-service technology as a means to reduce friction and inefficiencies in the creator economy. |
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The creator economy faces a major challenge when it comes to using mainstream music in content. Copyright claims can strip monetization from videos, forcing creators to use generic stock music or avoid music altogether. Lickd is a subscription platform that licenses popular songs directly to creators while integrating with YouTube's Content ID system to prevent copyright strikes. |
Founded in 2016, Lickd negotiates licensing deals with major labels and publishers. Its proprietary "Vouch" technology informs Content ID when a creator has legally licensed a song, allowing monetization. With over 1.5 million tracks available, Lickd provides creators access to music their audiences recognize. |
Data shows using mainstream music boosts watch time by 35%, doubles views, and increases likes by 76% compared to generic music. Lickd operates a tiered pricing model based on channel size, with top creators paying significantly more for the same songs. The company aims to unlock an untapped revenue stream for the music industry by enabling creators to legally use popular tracks. After years of resistance, major labels are signing on, recognizing the missed opportunity and marketing benefits of having their music featured by influential creators. |
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Daisy, a Nashville-based startup, has raised $3.9 million in seed funding to pay creators for amplifying brand campaigns on social media. Founded in 2024, Daisy connects brands with a pool of verified influencers who can boost content engagement through tasks like commenting, sharing, or reposting posts for a fee. The platform uses an algorithm to match creators with relevant campaigns based on factors like their content category and follower count. By incentivizing creators to authentically interact with brand content, Daisy aims to bridge influencer and performance marketing. The startup currently runs around 40 campaigns per month and pays top creators around $2,500 monthly. With over 1,500 active users collectively reaching 500 million followers, Daisy has generated $1 million in revenue since launch. |
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A new study commissioned by TikTok reveals the platform supports 4.7 million jobs across the United States through its business accounts. The research by Oxford Economics found approximately 7.5 million businesses maintain active TikTok accounts, with 3.1 million employees directly engaged in creating content, marketing campaigns, or customer communications on the platform. An additional 1.6 million employees indirectly benefit from leads, insights and feedback generated by their company's TikTok presence. |
The impact spans all 50 states, with California, Texas, Florida and New York seeing the highest number of jobs tied to the platform. 74% of businesses surveyed reported TikTok allowed them to scale operations, while 64% expressed concern that a potential US ban could negatively impact growth and job creation. As negotiations continue around a deal for TikTok's US operations, the study highlights the app's deepening economic integration across American businesses. |
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Meta executives are preparing for a pivotal Federal Trade Commission antitrust trial beginning April 14 that could potentially force the company to divest Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial has already disrupted Meta's leadership structure, with Chief Marketing Officer Alex Schultz temporarily relocating to Washington D.C. for two months and Instagram head Adam Mosseri warning staff about his limited availability. Nearly all C-suite executives will testify during the seven-week trial, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg for an estimated 10 hours. |
This leadership distraction comes at a critical juncture as Meta navigates TikTok's potential ban, launches competing video products, courts creators for Facebook, integrates AI into WhatsApp, and manages Reality Labs' ongoing investments. The Trump administration shows no signs of easing antitrust enforcement against tech giants. Last month, the FTC launched an inquiry into platform "censorship" and reiterated its commitment to the Amazon case while reportedly investigating Microsoft. |
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YouTube star MrBeast's real moneymaker is not creating viral videos but selling chocolate through his company Beast Industries' majority stake in Feastables. Documents show Feastables generated $250 million in sales and over $20 million profit last year, while MrBeast's media business had similar sales but lost almost $80 million. |
Beast Industries is seeking to raise around $200 million to expand into video games, beverages and wellness products, leveraging MrBeast's position as the second most followed person on social media. The contrasting financials highlight how top influencers are diversifying revenue streams beyond creator content into more lucrative consumer product businesses. |
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Twenty-five-year-old Valerie Chapman has transformed dual career setbacks into opportunity, building a lucrative LinkedIn influencer business that generates $10,000 monthly. With over 16,000 followers, she argues the professional platform offers untapped monetization potential exceeding TikTok's capabilities despite lacking a formal creator fund. Unlike traditional social platforms, LinkedIn's high-value professional audience—comprised of CEOs, founders, and decision-makers—allows creators to command premium rates for brand partnerships. |
Chapman primarily collaborates with tech companies through her "Gen Z Woman in Business" video series and other content initiatives. The platform's recent video feature expansion has created significant new opportunities for creators willing to approach it with a sales mindset. Chapman identifies multiple revenue streams available to LinkedIn creators, including brand partnerships, digital products, online courses, workshops, and e-books offering passive income potential. |
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"Half-swiping" on Snapchat has emerged as a significant source of dating anxiety for teenagers, particularly among teen girls. The feature, which allows users to preview messages without marking them as read, has sparked emotional turmoil when teens see crushes active on the app while their messages remain unacknowledged. Snapchat introduced a countermeasure for premium subscribers: an "eyes" emoji that appears when someone is viewing their message without marking it read. |
This solution has created additional stress, with message senders now obsessively monitoring their app for the revealing emoji. Psychologist Sophia Choukas-Bradley explains that teen girls are particularly affected because they're "socialized from an early age to be caretakers" and more vigilant about rejection signals. Dating advisor Elle Liemandt, with 189,000 TikTok followers, receives frequent questions about half-swiping from distressed girls. |
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TikTok is offering some low-performing employees a choice during its current performance review cycle - either go on a performance improvement plan (PIP) or leave the company with severance pay. Sources indicate the severance packages vary, with one including a month of continued pay without working and an additional month's pay. While details are limited, it appears TikTok instructed managers last year to give more low scores to identify underperformers. The tough evaluations come amid political uncertainty over TikTok's future in the US market and reports of employee burnout from intense performance pressures at the company. PIPs are seen as very difficult to pass at TikTok, making the severance option appealing for some lower-rated staff. |
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Consumer brands launched by creators and celebrities are surging to unprecedented levels, with at least three new product lines debuting this week alone. Makeup artist Mikayla Nogueira unveiled skincare brand Point of View, TikTok star Alix Earle relaunched canned cocktail line SipMargs, and reality star Harry Jowsey introduced lotion brand Pash, while actress Millie Bobby Brown expanded her coffee offerings. Investor sentiment is cooling toward these ventures, with complaints that many new products lack differentiation or quality. |
Unlike established successes like Skims or Rare Beauty, recent creator brands primarily follow alternative business models - relying on partnerships, rebrands, white-label manufacturing, or brand incubators rather than standalone startups with significant investor backing. Most of these new launches represent low-risk licensing deals or partnerships with established manufacturers. SipMargs tapped Earle primarily for marketing, Pash appears developed by contract manufacturer C-Care, Brown's coffee operates through white-label supplier Collab Coffee, and Rivera's chip brand emerged from brand incubator Redbud Brands. |
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U.S. influencer marketing spending will exceed $10 billion in 2025, reaching this milestone a year earlier than previously forecast. The market is experiencing a dramatic growth rate of 23.7% this year, up significantly from earlier projections of 16%, according to a new Emarketer report. This accelerated growth will add approximately $1.37 billion to the market in 2025, pushing total influencer marketing expenditure to $10.52 billion. |
The figures specifically track revenue generated by U.S.-based creators from brand payments promoting products on social media and video platforms hosting user-generated content, excluding paid media and non-social channels. Jasmine Enberg, Emarketer's vice president and principal analyst, notes that while explosive growth in social media sponsored content is slowing, brands are strategically diversifying their influencer budgets beyond traditional social posts. Marketers are increasingly directing creator partnerships toward paid social ads and expanding to non-social channels including television, digital out-of-home advertising, and podcasts. |
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TikTok faces an unprecedented executive exodus as its forced sale deadline approaches, with at least eight senior leaders departing since January including music chief Ole Obermann, global litigation head Emily Stubbs, and North American ad sales director Sameer Singh. These departures come as President Trump oversees negotiations with "four different groups" of potential buyers for TikTok's U.S. operations, valued between $50-70 billion. |
The company must sever ties with Chinese parent ByteDance by April 5 or face a nationwide ban, though Trump has indicated willingness to extend this deadline. Interested buyers are evaluating complex acquisition structures, including whether deals would encompass TikTok's U.S. users, brand, advertising systems, and user interface. Some negotiations involve potential government economic interests in the new entity. Beyond the looming ban, internal reorganizations have concentrated power among CEO Shou Zi Chew's closest lieutenants. |
Adam Presser, Chew's right-hand executive, has absorbed multiple leadership functions as the CEO signals intentions to "remove unnecessary layers" of management. Despite shedding over 1,000 U.S. employees since July—nearly double the departure rate of major tech competitors—TikTok continues aggressively recruiting with 2,200 active job openings across major U.S. cities, with no mention of the potential ban in job descriptions. |
