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I do know everyone says this on the finish of yearly, however did 2025 fly by or what? Possibly it’s simply the inexorable march of time inflicting us to understand actuality as consistently accelerating and our personal lives as already half over, however gee, I might swear that it was January only a day or two in the past, and I used to be pumping out a weblog submit about how TikTok was getting banned.
However right here we’re in December, the place time is certainly marching on, our lives stay mysterious, and TikTok could be very a lot unbanned. It’s onerous to imagine that the interval of uncertainty surrounding Gen Z’s favourite app was a part of the identical yr we’re nonetheless in, however it’s true.
No single e-newsletter can observe all of the modifications within the creator economic system that occurred all through 2025. (Properly, it might, however the electronic mail could be too large to load correctly.) Nor might I supply a abstract of the 50+ editions of HBBIP we’ve despatched all year long. (Properly, I might, however I don’t really feel prefer it.) However I’m not simply being lazy—I’m looking for you! In spite of everything, this late into 2025, you’ve already seen loads of Yr-in-Overview newsletters, thinkpieces, and app wrap-ups. The very last thing you want is one other a type of.
What I can do is hint broad modifications within the creator economic system all through 2025, recapping how HBBIP coated every key theme and providing just a few predictions of what’s in retailer for us in 2026.
So how about we simply try this?
The High Model Yr of All Time The Yr (of the Week Yr): 2025
Apologies for probably essentially the most mangled title gag of all time (not simply of the yr), however hey, 2025 was a fairly complicated time.
Fortunately for each of us, I’m not right here to remind you of the information—I’m right here to speak about creator advertising and marketing! And in that respect, 2025 was certainly the largest yr of all time.
‘Inflection level’ sounds buzzwordy, however that’s actually what we noticed. As defined by a mid-year WPP evaluation, 2025 marked the purpose when “Person-generated materials—movies, podcasts and posts put collectively by particular person creators—eclipsed the advert income attracted by skilled media produced by TV networks, cinemas and information corporations.” That’s a fairly large deal.
To inform the story of 2025’s inflection level, and what’s positive to be an much more inflected level in 2026, let’s run by the yr in HBBIP photos, and the big-picture headlines that each one this information supported.
In 2025, HBBIP…
To not brag, however right here at HBBIP we’re within the behavior of choosing winners. A few of that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy; in any case, to be able to be chosen for a characteristic, the model has to have already achieved vital development. Nonetheless, I used to be heartened by the truth that after they appeared in HBBIP this yr, lots of our featured manufacturers went on to even greater and higher issues.
We kicked off this development with one of many very first manufacturers we featured this yr, through a January writeup of the UFC.
UFC Engagement, 2018 – 2024
That staggering development in engagements was in all probability why, come August, the UFC signed a seven-year, multibillion-dollar media rights take care of Paramount. Oh, and by the way in which, we featured Paramount this yr too—the truth is, within the very subsequent version of HBBIP following our UFC highlight.
Paramount Engagement, 2018 – 2024
Coincidence? I believe not! Clearly, I’m one thing of a model matchmaker, and this deal doesn’t get completed with out HBBIP. During which case, if anybody from the UFC or Paramount is listening, do you suppose I can get a minimize?
After all, I can’t discuss HBBIP calling its pictures in 2025 with out…
A screenshot of Hailey Bieber’s Instagram Story displaying CreatorIQ information
Oh, proper: that point Hailey Bieber shared information I pulled about RHODE Pores and skin along with her thousands and thousands of followers on social media. I’m nonetheless pinching myself! That landmark second in my profession and life at massive occurred in April 2025, which was absolutely the final time that anybody heard about RHODE Pores and skin this yr.
Jk: about one month later, RHODE Pores and skin made the quickest return to HBBIP we’ve ever seen, by advantage of being acquired by E.L.F in a blockbuster $1B deal. It was a validation of creator-led advertising and marketing methods, proof that creators are constructing billion-dollar manufacturers, and as soon as once more, in case you suppose this might have occurred with out HBBIP, you’re residing in fantasyland.
You’re welcome, Hailey! To thank me, be at liberty to make a visitor look on HBBIP Stay someday. Then we’ll name it even.
However HBBIP wasn’t simply out right here predicting earth-shattering offers: we had been additionally on the chopping fringe of among the most necessary tales within the creator economic system, together with platform enlargement. Loads of different ‘2026 predictions for creator advertising and marketing’ newsletters are speaking concerning the more and more central position that Substack is taking part in in creator-led campaigns—I see you, Lindsey Gamble!—however we had been speaking about Substack all the way in which again in March, as a result of it’s onerous to disregard development like this:
Substack creator rely, 2018 – 2024
Will 2026 be the yr I implement a paywall? No, I really like you guys an excessive amount of. However possibly, in step with the final theme of our prescient 2025 protection, I’ll begin a Patreon.
However our achievements this yr went past the HBBIP Bump. As a result of 2025 was additionally the yr that HBBIP…
In truth, we had been a bit of behind the occasions on this one. Creator advertising and marketing has been a world endeavor for a very long time, however that breadth wasn’t mirrored in HBBIP’s protection.
As was the case for creator advertising and marketing extra broadly, 2025 was the yr when all that modified.
This was the yr I found the ability of Dove’s Brazilian TikTokers, and discovered that TikTok wasn’t only a stateside phenomenon anymore—the remainder of the world is catching up:
I discovered about what creators have completed for Heineken (rather a lot), and European magnificence (rather a lot rather a lot), however most significantly, I discovered what they’ve completed for European sports activities.
This entailed studying extra concerning the different soccer, which was enjoyable:
High Premier League golf equipment by Impressions, 2022 – 2024
I now know sufficient, for instance, to make a joke about how Arsenal simply missed these standings (that is your yr guys, for positive, this time we imply it), or how sad United followers are normally (much less of a joke and extra of a remark). Forward of an all-out media blitz that may embody the 2026 World Cup, look out for much more creator advertising and marketing/sports activities crossover moments, and continued protection from HBBIP.
Actually, we’ve acquired much more sports activities protection coming proper now, as a result of 2025 was additionally the yr that CreatorIQ…
Introduced right here, with out remark, are just some of the industries that CreatorIQ coated in 2025:
- Activewear
- Automotive
- Cosmetics
- Leisure
- Trend
- Meals & Beverage
- Grocery
- House Items (and HomeGoods)
- Media
- Professional Sports activities
- Retailer
- Skincare
- Streaming
- Tech
- Journey
One takeaway is that I’ve the best job on this planet, as a result of the place else however the creator economic system might I’ve the possibility to jot down about such a wide selection of wonderful manufacturers? However one other takeaway, simply to attach the dots a bit of extra and humblebrag rather less, is that creator advertising and marketing is in all places.
Take grocery. Although it won’t stand out on the above listing, I discovered this yr that grocery is among the creator economic system’s hottest sectors. After I look again on the fervour, enthusiasm, and creativity that characterised my first publicity to creator advertising and marketing round 2016, I can nonetheless see that groundswell alive and effectively within the grocery trade.
Looking back, I ought to have seen this coming. In spite of everything, who doesn’t love Costco?
Costco Impressions, 2018 – 2024
I additionally need to zoom again in on skilled sports activities for a second—one other high-passion area that impressed among the most spectacular, thrilling creator advertising and marketing campaigns I noticed in 2025. Between the aforementioned World Cup, the Tremendous Bowl (keep tuned for some particular content material there), and extra, greater issues are afoot for the promising bond between sports activities and creators in 2026.
Plus, 2025 was once we found that our metrics predict World Sequence outcomes, in order that was fairly neat. It additionally predicted the Tremendous Bowl, as seen under:
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles Engagements, September 2024 – January 2025
2025 continued to go easily for each the Chiefs and the Eagles, they usually all lived fortunately ever after.
I simply threw numerous info at you. What does it imply?
Properly, initially, creators are in all places, they usually’re solely going to get much more omnipresent, as a result of manufacturers are spending extra on their packages than ever.
Influencer advertising and marketing funding is up 171% YoY
Why all this spending? As a result of extra manufacturers are recognizing that creators can do issues that these manufacturers’ social packages can’t:
A chart exhibiting the distinction in affect between owned content material and creator content material
Creators’ unparalleled potential to form tradition was most blatant to me throughout one of many watershed moments of 2025: Hole’s immediately iconic marketing campaign with Katseye. As quickly as I noticed this graph, I knew that I’d be together with it in my 2025 recap, as a result of it’s actually one of many craziest photos I’ve ever revealed in HBBIP:
Hole Engagements, January 2020 to August 2025
However creators aren’t simply shaping a brand new tradition: the infrastructure of the creator economic system is reforming longstanding establishments. Look no additional than the latest announcement that the Oscars are leaping to YouTube. Given how closely invested the NFL has been in YouTube, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the Tremendous Bowl joins go well with.
Past tradition (if such a factor is feasible), the creator economic system is altering our complete understanding of the world at massive. That got here by to me in our most up-to-date version protecting the New York Occasions, the place I featured this eye-opening analysis from Pew:
Share of social media customers getting information from numerous platforms, Pew Analysis 2025
So for these maintaining rating at residence:
- Creators have constructed a brand new tradition
- Creators have absorbed and reframed the outdated tradition
- Athletes are creators
- Journalists are creators
- Workers are creators (can verify)
Actually, whereas I might need already had the e-newsletter, my TikTok presence meant that 2025 was additionally the yr after I too grew to become a creator. I may even show my creator bona fides, as a result of after years of begging, 2025 was additionally the yr after I was lastly gifted free merch:
A really beneficiant present from the parents at LSKD
Thanks once more to my good associates at LSKD—no 2025 spotlight reel could be full with out your kindness.
And thanks to all my readers on your help by key milestones throughout 2025, together with my a centesimal situation! So far as 2025 highlights go, I’d be remiss to not embrace this outdated gem:
2025 in a nutshell
See? 2025 actually was okay for the Chiefs in any case.
However actually: if 2025 was the yr all of us grew to become creators, 2026 would be the yr when extra cultural establishments get with the longer term and be part of the unstoppable rocketship that’s the creator economic system. As per normal, I’ll be strapped to the facet of that rocketship, reporting on all of it. And I hope that you just’ll be proper there with me, studying alongside.
Thanks on your help this yr and subsequent yr, for the following 100 points and past. Have a cheerful new yr, and an exquisite 2026!
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