U.S. marketers are committing substantial budgets to creator marketing, with 71% now investing between $1 million and $3 million on creator marketing annually, while simultaneously wrestling with challenges of maintaining authenticity at scale, according to new research from creator-focused social agency Billion Dollar Boy, which surveyed 2,000 senior marketing professionals across the U.S. and UK.
The study indicates that U.S. brands are making bolder financial commitments compared to their UK counterparts, with 37% of U.S. respondents investing over $3 million annually, versus just 19% of UK marketers allocating equivalent amounts.
Key Challenges in Scaling Creator Campaigns
As investment increases, marketers face operational complexities. The research identifies two primary concerns, each cited by approximately one-third of respondents: “maintaining authentic, high quality content and consistent brand messaging” (33.88%) and “managing relationships at scale and ensuring creator preference for the brand’s partnerships” (33.58%).
Image source: Billion Dollar Boy
Other significant challenges reported by marketers include:
Finding appropriate insight, strategy and creative expertise (31%)
Identifying and vetting suitable influencers at scale (29%)
Proving effectiveness against business objectives (28%)
Navigating platform changes and new social media trends (26%)
Budget management and supplier negotiations (24%)
Handling due diligence, compliance, and legal requirements (23%)
Regional differences emerge in these concerns. U.S. marketers express more worry about navigating platform changes and new social media trends, with 27% citing this as a top concern compared to 24% in the UK. This difference potentially reflects uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States.
UK marketers, meanwhile, show greater concern about managing creator relationships at scale, with 36% identifying this as a primary issue, compared to 31% in the U.S.
Agency Support Remains Critical
Despite industry narratives suggesting brands are increasingly handling creator marketing in-house, the research reveals that fewer than 1% of marketers manage creator activity without agency support. Instead, brands are partnering with specialized agencies to scale their creator marketing efforts.
The most common agency partnerships include:
Creator Marketing Agencies (29%)
Social Media Agencies (26%)
Creative Agencies (15%)
Regional preferences are also evident here. U.S. marketers rely more heavily on creator marketing agencies (38% compared to 19% in the UK), while UK marketers more frequently partner with creative agencies (21% versus 12% in the U.S.).
Industry Growth Continues
The global creator marketing industry is projected to grow in value by 36% this year, according to the report. This growth coincides with brands seeking more than logistical support from their agency partners. Marketers now seek strategic partners that provide creative leadership aligned with brand values, robust creator networks, rigorous vetting processes, and expert teams to manage and measure campaigns effectively.
Ed East, CEO of Billion Dollar Boy, notes that marketers recognize creator marketing is “no longer an emerging channel but the frontline of brand-building,” though challenges with maintaining authenticity and managing relationships at scale persist as investment grows.
The study highlights that operational hurdles prevent some brands from realizing the full potential of creator marketing. East suggests that success in the increasingly competitive creator economy requires marketers to “identify a framework that supports fast, confident execution” and partner with specialists who can deliver “performance, trust, and cultural relevance at scale.”
U.S. marketers are committing substantial budgets to creator marketing, with 71% now investing between $1 million and $3 million on creator marketing annually, while simultaneously wrestling with challenges of maintaining authenticity at scale, according to new research from creator-focused social agency Billion Dollar Boy, which surveyed 2,000 senior marketing professionals across the U.S. and UK.
The study indicates that U.S. brands are making bolder financial commitments compared to their UK counterparts, with 37% of U.S. respondents investing over $3 million annually, versus just 19% of UK marketers allocating equivalent amounts.
Key Challenges in Scaling Creator Campaigns
As investment increases, marketers face operational complexities. The research identifies two primary concerns, each cited by approximately one-third of respondents: “maintaining authentic, high quality content and consistent brand messaging” (33.88%) and “managing relationships at scale and ensuring creator preference for the brand’s partnerships” (33.58%).
Image source: Billion Dollar Boy
Other significant challenges reported by marketers include:
Regional differences emerge in these concerns. U.S. marketers express more worry about navigating platform changes and new social media trends, with 27% citing this as a top concern compared to 24% in the UK. This difference potentially reflects uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States.
UK marketers, meanwhile, show greater concern about managing creator relationships at scale, with 36% identifying this as a primary issue, compared to 31% in the U.S.
Agency Support Remains Critical
Despite industry narratives suggesting brands are increasingly handling creator marketing in-house, the research reveals that fewer than 1% of marketers manage creator activity without agency support. Instead, brands are partnering with specialized agencies to scale their creator marketing efforts.
The most common agency partnerships include:
Regional preferences are also evident here. U.S. marketers rely more heavily on creator marketing agencies (38% compared to 19% in the UK), while UK marketers more frequently partner with creative agencies (21% versus 12% in the U.S.).
Industry Growth Continues
The global creator marketing industry is projected to grow in value by 36% this year, according to the report. This growth coincides with brands seeking more than logistical support from their agency partners. Marketers now seek strategic partners that provide creative leadership aligned with brand values, robust creator networks, rigorous vetting processes, and expert teams to manage and measure campaigns effectively.
Ed East, CEO of Billion Dollar Boy, notes that marketers recognize creator marketing is “no longer an emerging channel but the frontline of brand-building,” though challenges with maintaining authenticity and managing relationships at scale persist as investment grows.
The study highlights that operational hurdles prevent some brands from realizing the full potential of creator marketing. East suggests that success in the increasingly competitive creator economy requires marketers to “identify a framework that supports fast, confident execution” and partner with specialists who can deliver “performance, trust, and cultural relevance at scale.”