A few weeks back, the JSA team attended VidCon Anaheim, the preeminent conference for the creator economy. While we gathered dozens of insights and chatted about plenty of new trends, we wanted to share three core takeaways we found especially compelling for everyone in the creator ecosystem, from investors and brands to creators themselves.
The Creator Economy is All Grown Up 🏆
A core discussion point at VidCon, the creator economy has reached a new level of maturity. The past few years have seen massive spikes and dips in investment, a symptom of the space being a relatively new category. But it’s no longer a cottage industry – it has found its footing as creators have proven their ability to draw and engage audiences, and more traditional investors and businesses have taken note. Case in point, Coca-Cola has allocated nearly half of its $5 billion marketing budget to TikTok creators alone.
DTC Creator Commerce for Monetization 💰
As companies like MrBeast’s Feastables and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS have become North Stars for social-first brands, owned, sustainable DTC commerce has become the new goal for creators rather than focusing on chasing endorsements and brand deals. To sustain monetization in the long term, creators need to shift to an entrepreneurial mindset and build brands that resonate with their followers in a meaningful way. Opting for ‘consumables’ (i.e. items that can be re-purchased) over ‘collectibles’ (i.e. a one-time purchase) was another key takeaway in paving the way for long-term monetization.
CTV is a Critical Space for YouTube-First Content 📺
As YouTube remains the social platform with arguably the greatest monetization potential, YouTubers and brands now need to optimize their content for connected TVs. Despite rampant cord-cutting and the demise of linear television, roughly 70% of YouTube’s creator content is consumed on TVs. Prioritizing YouTube’s CTV dominance is equally important for legacy media companies. Disney, for example, started posting free episodes of old series on the platform, which serves as a testing ground for shows to reboot for Disney+.
Despite past concerns over the ‘Creator Economy Winter,’ this year’s VidCon left us feeling more confident and hopeful than ever that the creator economy has a bright future ahead.
#VidCon #creators #creatoreconomy
