By Dillon Kenneth Hogan, Director, Digital Activation, OMD U.S.

SXSW stands as a testament to the convergence of creativity, technology, and culture on a global stage. Every year, thousands of innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, and enthusiasts flock to Austin, Texas, to partake in this extraordinary event. With its eclectic mix of interactive showcases, groundbreaking discussions, and unforgettable performances, SXSW is more than just a conference; it’s an immersive experience that captivates and inspires all who behold its wonder.

The conference spans industries far and wide, drawing nearly 300,000 guests each Spring. SXSW showcased the countless ways industries are continuously evolving and was a gleaming demonstration of humanity and community in the seemingly isolating world of technological innovation.

Approximately 1500 AI-centric panels dominated discussions, exploring its impact on media and culture.

While AI was the star of the show at SXSW, several key themes emerged during the conference, drawing crowds eager to learn about the creator economy and the power of storytelling in media, and human connectivity in an era marked by AI innovation.

Creators and the Power of Storytelling

“Loyalty is the long game.” – Jessica Cruel

In today’s digital landscape, brands constantly seek to establish trust with their audience and earn brand loyalty. One very present tactic that many brands can agree on is Creators.

Among the many conversations about how different brands are approaching this, a highlight was a panel with Condé Nast, a company with a laser focus on storytelling in media—leveraging its ability to build trust with consumers and achieve brand loyalty.

At “Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Lessons in Creating Culture,” a panel led by Conde Nast thought leaders Jessica Cruel, Editor-in-Chief of Allure, elaborated on the brand’s strategy of using editorial pieces and collaborating with creators.

By employing editorial pieces that house product information backed by clinical research, Allure establishes trust with consumers by providing informative content that aligns with their interests and needs, helping the brand overcome an increasing level of distrust felt by consumers.

“Consumers are savvier than you think,” Cruel warns during the panel. According to a study by Edelman, 66% of consumers worldwide do not trust advertisements they see online.

Editorial content paired with strategic collaboration with creators who embody transparency and authenticity, Allure can further strengthen its audience’s trust and loyalty to the brand.

One notable creator that Allure has collaborated with is beauty influencer and makeup artist Nikkie de Jager, also known as NikkieTutorials. NikkieTutorials has built her empire on credibility through honest product reviews, leading her to become a pillar of trust for her audience and within the beauty community.

A creator’s dedication to authenticity is crucial to garner results for creator collaborations. Studies have shown that 71% of social/video platform users say that qualities related to a creator’s authenticity motivated them to buy from a brand.

Brands can apply a similar approach to their marketing plans to reach their specific business objectives. How is success measured today with creator collaborations?

Quantifying Influence: Measuring Success in Creator Collaborations

Creators should be treated as key components of strategy – not an afterthought.

I sat down with Kevin Blazaitis, President of Creo, and he explained how to measure success in creator collaboration, how brands are leveraging creators today, and how marketers can apply these learnings to their campaigns.

“Historically, brands used engagement metrics as the primary way to measure success of creator collaborations. It’s important to understand who an influencer is and who they resonate with organically, but what actions are creators driving? What are a brand’s KPI’s when working with influencers?”

It’s critical for marketers to understand the specific business goals their clients are trying to achieve by working with creators through identifying appropriate KPI’s not only to ensure the success of a campaign, but also where creators fit strategically into marketing plans.

“Brands are including creators on marketing plans much earlier than before – and that is

intentional.” Kevin Blazaitis elaborates on how the inclusion of creators into marketing plans early can contribute to holistic success of campaigns.

“Influencers are being pulled upstream because their content needs to be planned for usage across paid, owned, and earned channels.”

In a campaign called the “66-Day Journey,” Gymshark collaborated with fitness influencers to document their fitness journey using Gymshark products. The campaign generated over 350 million impressions across social, with more than 120,000 pieces of user-generated content created by participants.

Additionally, Gymshark saw a significant increase in brand engagement and sales, with a reported 35% boost in online sales during the campaign period.

Redefining Creation: The Impact of AI on the Creator Economy

The creator economy is valued at $250B and continues to grow with no sign of stopping

From content generation to audience analysis, AI technologies are empowering marketers and creators to tap into their agility and creativity like never before by solving three issues holding them back: time, skills, and confidence.

In the panel “AI in Video: Revolutionizing or Replacing Creators?”, SVP of Product at Vimeo, Zohar Dayan, illustrates the current impacts of AI on creators and what we as marketers can expect in the near future. And the question still stands – will AI replace or revolutionize the creator economy?

Zohar Dayan assuages the concerns of potential negative impacts of AI in the creator space with this sentiment,

“To really understand the disruption of technology, automation, and AI, I think it’s interesting to go back in history and see the technological advancements that ended up changing the world.”

Dayan highlights the invention of the printer and the telephone as key examples, he continues, “If AI stays true to the trends of the past it won’t replace humans – it will enhance what humans can do and enhance the entire creativity and storytelling of those who tap into it.”

In discussion with Kevin Blazaitis at Creo, Kevin spoke to AI technologies that have been created that both creators and marketers can tap into,

“During Advertising Week 2023, Google rolled out several things like sample prompts for video creators, technology that assesses a creator’s content and suggests potential brand affinities, even down to caption generation – these things have all been made better by AI.”

Further, AI technology can unlock targeting opportunities like never before. In collaboration with Influential, L’Oréal Paris aimed to promote its True Match Foundation to a younger demographic.

Through Influential’s AI technology, L’Oréal Paris was able to streamline analysis of a creator’s audience interests, engagement levels, and content preferences to select the most suitable influencers for the campaign.

The results were impressive: the campaign saw a significant increase in brand awareness and engagement. Specifically, L’Oréal Paris reported a 15% lift in brand favorability and a 21% increase in purchase intent among the target audience.

Key Takeaways for Marketers and Brands to Remember

• Trust and authenticity among consumers are key
  • Consumers are savvier than you think and can sniff out inauthentic messaging. This reigns true across creators who are integrated into marketing efforts.

• Creators should be treated as key components of marketing plans
  • Pulling creators upstream during the planning phase allows for further integration across all parts of a marketing plan. Creators are no longer only a social tactic.

• The creator world is growing with no signs of stopping
  • The creator economy is currently valued at $250B and it continues to grow. Embracing creators has the power to unlock powerful opportunities for brands to reach their audience and achieve their business goals.

• AI technology is revolutionizing the creator economy
  • Tapping into AI has the power to reshape how marketers collaborate with creators. AI offers a unique opportunity to streamline productivity, reduce costs, and tap into audience data like never before.

In the ever-evolving landscape of tech, there’s a deep sense of humanity driving innovation that is deeply profound. I’m eager to see how industries will continue to innovate, connect, and inspire.  

Reporter

Dillon Kenneth Hogan

Director, Digital Activation, OMD U.S.