Recap of Edelman’s panel at Brands & Culture 2025
If 2024 marked a turning point for the creator economy, 2025 is where the expectations shift. As trust in institutions continues to erode and audiences increasingly seek out individuals over entities, creators have emerged as one of the most credible voices in the marketing and media ecosystem.
That was the driving insight behind Edelman’s panel at this year’s Brands & Culture conference: Creators at the Helm: Breaking into Culture and Transforming Brand Partnerships. The conversation brought together representatives from the three cornerstones of the modern marketing industry: platforms, creators, and brand leaders to unpack what partnerships look like in an era where creators aren’t just content producers—they’re cultural architects; platforms aren’t just distribution channels—they are trust brokers; and brands aren’t just trying to be seen—they want to resonate culturally.
Trust Has a New Voice
According to Edelman’s Trust Barometer, 60% of consumers now trust what a creator says about a brand more than what the brand says about itself. That statistic isn’t just a signal of shifting media habits - it’s a mandate for brands to evolve how they show up in culture.
As content creator and Gen Z historian Kahlil Greene explained during the session, “We’re not just influencing consumer behavior - we’re shaping how people think, what they care about, and who they vote for.” Greene’s approach is rooted in timing and relevance: tapping into the social pulse not through trends alone, but through genuine connection with what people are already discussing.
That means creators are no longer an executional detail - they are strategic inputs. When positioned properly, they don’t amplify a message; they help shape it.
Who’s Really Telling Your Brand’s Story?
The panel emphasized a shift from top-down messaging to bottom-up storytelling. Creators, with their lived experiences and cultural proximity, are able to deliver nuance and context that brand-led campaigns often miss.
Ashley Levey, Senior Director of Brand Channels and Content at LinkedIn, reinforced this shift. “Working with creators is how we stay close to what matters,” she said, noting that creator content now outperforms other formats across the funnel, from awareness to conversion. On LinkedIn, video is growing twice as fast as any other format, and creator-led content is increasingly a driver of both brand equity and business value.
I addressed a familiar trap: “We’re often asked who the perfect creator is,” she said. “But that question skips over the most important part: why you’re partnering in the first place.”
Culture Moves Fast—So Must Brands
Panelists agreed that cultural resonance requires more than speed - it requires proximity. Brands that wait for the perfect brief or perfect fit often miss the moment entirely. Instead, the recommendation was to build systems that allow for responsive, relevant collaboration, especially when stepping into new or unexpected spaces.
Jessica Grigoriou, SVP of Marketing for Condiments at Unilever, spoke to the value of leaning into creative risk when the payoff is real cultural connection. “There’s a common misconception that you have to stay in your category,” she said. “But the best brand moments happen when you enter unexpected spaces - food, sports, nostalgia - and find authenticity through the right creator.”
She emphasized that creators often bring a level of storytelling, humor, or specificity that makes a campaign feel earned, not engineered. The key is listening to what’s already happening around the brand and letting creators build on that momentum in their own way.
Rethinking the Operating Model
Following this conversation, there is a clear call to action: If you don't have creators in your mix you're not building your brand. Creators must be embedded earlier and more deeply in the brand-building process. That means rethinking not just budgets, but briefs, timelines, and trust.
Co-creation requires a new operating model, one that recognizes creators not as media buys, but as long-term partners with their own audience insight, creative POV, and cultural fluency. It's a mindset shift from message control to message credibility.
The creator economy may still feel new to some marketers, but the most successful brands have already moved past testing. They’re building structures to sustain these partnerships—and ensuring creators are not just at the table, but driving the agenda.
Still treating creators as a tactic, not a strategy? It’s time to rethink the model. Partner with Edelman to unlock what’s next in Creator Marketing, get in touch.
