Let’s answer the million-dollar question:
Why are creators eating brands’ lunch, and why are CMOs and CEOs suddenly acting like content creators themselves?
This isn’t just a vibe shift. It’s a structural change in how influence, attention, and trust operate today. If you’re a marketer, exec, or founder, ignoring this movement isn’t just risky, it might leave your brand irrelevant.
Because they’re not pretending.
And here’s the data to back it up:
As McLuhan would say: “The medium is the message.”
In this case, the creator is the brand.
And their native format wins.
This isn’t ego. It’s strategy.
Brands used to “rent” attention. Now, they’re trying to co-create it.
That’s why the best brands today aren’t just running influencer campaigns, they’re building creator ecosystems.
These brands understand what Deleuze called “rhizomatic systems”, networks without a single center, but with infinite entry points. In a creator-driven world, control is out. Collaboration is in.
Some brands are still clinging to the old model, focusing on reach, polish, and control.
They obsess over ego metrics: views, followers, surface-level engagement. But these don’t move culture.
They don’t build trust. They’re not sticky.
Meanwhile, creators are building actual communities. Niche ones. Passionate ones. High-intent ones.
Let’s get practical. If you’re working with creators or trying to act like one, measure what matters:
Creators aren’t billboards. They’re bridges.
Here’s the truth: Not every brand needs to act like a creator.
If it’s not in your DNA, don’t fake it. What you need is clarity.
Ask:
If you can’t answer those, a TikTok trend won’t save you.
Being a creator isn’t a tactic. It’s a philosophy. As Chama often references, creators operate in affective economies (per Han), where resonance matters more than reach, and emotion trumps production value.
Brands used to have the power. Now creators do.
But this doesn’t mean brands are obsolete. It means they need to evolve. Fast.
The future belongs to brands that act less like institutions and more like collaborators.
To those that can ask honest questions:
And use creators as co-pilots, not just bullhorns.
This is the new marketing literacy.
It’s philosophical, cultural, and deeply human. And it’s already happening.
If you need a hand with Brand Strategy to define better how you will launch your company and how you will connect with your ideal audience, let me help you.
Book a strategy session with Chama today and let’s co-create with you your brand persona, one that resonates with your why’s and show to the world you’re here to help your customers.
