The Interactive Advertising Bureau has released new findings that outline a sharp rise in creator-driven advertising. The report signals a shift in how brands plan budgets, assess channels, and measure outcomes. The numbers reveal that creator spending has moved far beyond novelty status. It now sits solidly in the top tier of paid media priorities, right behind social media and paid search.
Spending in this sector has grown from $13.9 billion in 2021 to $29.5 billion in 2024. IAB expects that figure to reach $37 billion next year. This projected 26% jump places creator advertising at roughly four times the growth pace of total media spending. That pace is difficult to ignore, especially for marketers who once treated creator programs as side projects.
Brands Now Treat Creators as a Distinct Channel
A key detail in the study is the shift from tactical use to channel-level investment. Nearly half of all surveyed advertisers classify creators as a “must buy,” a label usually reserved for foundational channels. This ranking reflects real budget shifts. It also shows how creator partnerships have become predictable enough for annual planning, not just campaign-level experimentation.
IAB’s CEO David Cohen described the trend as a sign of commitment. He noted that while brands are investing more heavily, they also expect better structure and clearer measurement. This points to a market that is still maturing. It also reflects a familiar theme: high spend often outpaces the operational frameworks required to support it.
Brands Are Using Creator Content Across the Funnel
The report outlines how marketers are using creator content to reach audiences, influence perception, and support direct sales activity. The primary goals include:
Top Campaign Objectives
Building brand awareness (43%) Reaching new audiences (41%) Improving brand reputation and trust (35%) Driving online sales and conversions (32%)
The presence of sales in the top four objectives shows a broader shift. Brands see creators as credible partners across the entire buyer path. It also reinforces one of the report’s central themes: creative storytelling still matters, but performance metrics are now part of the same conversation.
Nearly 40% of buyers list ROI as their primary KPI for creator campaigns. This aligns creator programs more closely with the accountability standards applied to paid search and digital display.
Finding the Right Creator Remains a Sticking Point
One of the most challenging pieces of the creator economy is creator selection. A third of advertisers say identifying the right partner is the biggest hurdle. This makes sense. The creator space is crowded, fragmented, and full of inconsistent signals.
Brands report that creator reputation and audience alignment are the top deciding factors. More than half of respondents prioritize both. These criteria reinforce that relevance and trustworthiness continue to drive partnerships. The report notes that many marketers still rely heavily on manual evaluation, which slows programs and increases internal workload.
IAB’s Zoe Soon stated that the current ecosystem feels more like matchmaking than structured buying. She pointed to the need for better discovery tools. Anyone who has tried to manually assess audience authenticity across a spreadsheet of creator profiles will likely agree.
AI Brings Efficiency, but Brands Voice Clear Concerns
Nearly three-quarters of buyers already use or plan to use AI within a year. The focus is on speed and quality control, not replacement. Current AI use cases include:
AI Applications in Creator Workflows
Content editing (49%) Creator briefs (46%) Content personalization (45%)
Even with these advantages, 95% of advertisers express concerns about AI’s role in creator campaigns. The biggest concern is the loss of human connection. Marketers invest in creators because of their ability to speak to audiences in relatable ways. Removing that connection undermines why the channel works in the first place.
Measurement, Standards, and Transparency Are the New Priorities
The report highlights a clear gap between rising spend and the infrastructure needed to support it. Brands want stronger attribution models. They also ask for consistent reporting frameworks and better fraud prevention. The goal is the same across all requests: clearer links between creator investment and actual business outcomes.
The demand for standardization mirrors what we’ve seen across other maturing digital channels. Once budgets hit scale, leadership wants cleaner reporting, predictable performance, and auditable metrics. The creator economy now sits at that transition point.
IAB’s Methodology Paints a Focused Picture
The study limits its projection to brand-directed creator advertising. It does not combine affiliate income, merchandise sales, fan tips, or other revenue sources that often appear in broader market estimates. This narrower view helps isolate ad dollars that brands intentionally allocate to creators. For marketers, this makes the forecast more relevant to budgeting and planning.
This approach matches the way many brands already structure their accounting. It draws a clear line between influencer spend and generalized creator commerce.
The growth curve described in this report feels aligned with what marketers are seeing across campaigns. Brands want scale. They want repeatable outcomes. They want creator content that matches business goals. And they want clear proof that the investment is paying off.
The report makes one thing obvious: creator advertising is now a central pillar of media strategy, not an optional add-on. With higher spending comes higher expectations. Brands want stronger reporting, smarter selection tools, and better operational frameworks. As the market evolves, those who succeed will be the ones who treat creator programs with the same seriousness as their other core channels.