Global socially-led agency We Are Social has identified five key trends that are set to redefine how brands partner with creators in the future.
The report, entitled Next Gen Influence, highlights how an increasingly professionalised landscape, new production norms, changed audiences and demand for authentic ‘always on’ content has permanently shifted the creator landscape towards more authentic, realistic and impactful content.
It outlines five emerging trends – the right to reinvention (following the narrative of an influencer’s journey), relatable realism (identifiable lifestyle content), influential allies (creators using their platform to make a difference), credible creativity (often tapping into humour) and extreme influence (tapping into unusual or extreme topics).
Within each trend, the report also names a selection of fast-growing creators, each representing the next generation of influence.
These range from John Pork, an AI-enhanced travel influencer (who also happens to be a pig) and Kahlil Greene, a Gen Z TikTok historian who uses his platform to rewrite his audience’s understanding of history.
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These social trends, the report says, offer brands new pathways for engagement, encouraging partnerships that embrace authenticity and cultural relevance.
“The ‘creator economy’ is a force of industry, but it ladders up directly from the work, whims, and playfulness of individuals,” said We Are Social global chief strategy officer Mobbie Nazir.
“The same grassroots energy that makes it so vibrant and pliable is what makes it quick to change, and harder to keep a handle on.
“One glance at the social content made by today’s creators – its tone, topics, and production norms – shows a culture that’s changed dramatically in the decade since influence’s infancy, driven by individual creativity and cultural shifts,” he continued.
“Our report examines today’s creator economy not for its surface level shifts, but for the deeper motivations that’ll impact brand-creator collaboration in the long term.”
