Managing platforms, filming fandom, and approaching AI with care: Takeaways from our creator marketing event

The creator economy is still piping hot: 86% of US marketers worked with influencers last year, per eMarketer.

It’s also rapidly evolving, so Marketing Brew held an event, “The Next Phase of Social & Creator Marketing,” to discuss what creator marketers are thinking about in 2026.

At the event, marketers from ESPN, Cava, and Anthropologie, along with agency leaders, discussed the need for flexible platform strategies, the importance of courting brand superfans, and, of course, how to make sense of—and take advantage of—AI. Marketing Brew compiled some takeaways from the event below.

Crossing that bridge: After the near-shutdown of US TikTok last year, creator marketing stakeholders began realizing the need for having different strategies for different platforms, Maggie Reznikoff, chief client officer at the agency Open Influence, said onstage.

“You truly are renting the platform,” she said. “[The platforms] control the algorithm. They control the policies [and] the access to the audience, so we really counsel our clients to, of course, diversify their platform presence and recognize that just because there is success in their strategy, it doesn’t mean that they own the followers. What’s interesting is that influencers and creators are really good at migrating audiences.”

Open Influence is now including clauses in its contracts with creators stipulating that if a certain platform’s accessibility is impacted, creators have to pivot to another platform, she said.

ESPN is looking to mitigate its reliance on external platforms by enhancing its ESPN app in August, Celia Bouza, ESPN’s VP of multi-platform video, said onstage. It pulled in vertical video content that did well on other platforms into its ESPN app and also enlisted an in-house creator, Omar Raja, for making more content.

Fan behavior: It’s not just about managing brand platform strategy; brand socials are a crucial part of helping a brand succeed. To that end, brand marketers are focused on maintaining a consistent, authentic dialogue with creators and fans, which social listening can help with, Nitya Madhavan, SVP, brand strategy and marketing at Cava, told attendees.

When Cava dropped white sweet potatoes off its menu a few years ago, some online voiced their frustration, she shared; one superfan in particular commented incessantly on brand posts asking them to bring the menu item back. Cava responded by getting the superfan on a call with Cava co-founder Ted Xenohristos to find out firsthand that the brand was going to bring white sweet potatoes back. The menu item officially returned in January—and, of course, the brand created content from the interaction.

Tastemakers: Harnessing fan engagement for creator content is one priority for marketers. Another concern for many is thinking about how AI is impacting creator marketing. Becky Owen, CMO at the agency Billion Dollar Boy, advised onstage the importance for brands and creators to be tasteful about how they’re using AI. Marketers are increasingly reallocating spend to AI-focused creator content, but consumers aren’t as impressed with AI use in creative, she noted. However, if used carefully, AI can resonate with consumers: Billion Dollar Boy, for example, collaborated with fashion brand Versace and worked with 25 generative AI creators to showcase the brand’s Greca Goddess Handbag during New York Fashion Week.

“The reality is…that you still need to be creative to embrace AI,” Owen said.