蘑菇AV

US brands will spend $13.7 billion on influencer marketing by 2027, up from $10.5 billion this year, according to a March 蘑菇AV forecast.

It has partnered with mainstream celebrities and influencers like Ariana Grande, Venus Williams and Tom Brady in the past, and recently began women's college and professional athletes鈥� mental health promotions. In March, BetterHelp launched a 鈥淪top the Madness鈥� campaign with free online therapy for student athletes with women college basketball stars Kiki Rice, Zoe Brooks and Chance Gray.

The news: YouTube unveiled Open Call at Cannes Lions 2025, a new platform-native feature allowing advertisers to post campaign briefs that monetized creators can directly respond to with self-produced content. The initiative removes the need for traditional influencer matchmaking, giving brands centralized control over content submissions, approvals, and performance via Google Ads. Our take: As costs rise and brand safety concerns mount, Open Call could tilt the branded content ecosystem in favor of marketers. It simplifies creator discovery, improves ROI measurement, and could lead to longer-term omnichannel partnerships. YouTube鈥檚 move positions it as a central hub for scalable, data-informed influencer marketing.

The news: YouTube unveiled Open Call at Cannes Lions 2025, a new platform-native feature allowing advertisers to post campaign briefs that monetized creators can directly respond to with self-produced content. The initiative removes the need for traditional influencer matchmaking, giving brands centralized control over content submissions, approvals, and performance via Google Ads. Our take: As costs rise and brand safety concerns mount, Open Call could tilt the branded content ecosystem in favor of marketers. It simplifies creator discovery, improves ROI measurement, and could lead to longer-term omnichannel partnerships. YouTube鈥檚 move positions it as a central hub for scalable, data-informed influencer marketing.

Latin America鈥檚 digital revolution is marching full steam ahead, with consumers spending more than a third of their day online. As social commerce and retail media propel the region鈥檚 digital economy to new heights, the runway for growth remains long.鈥�

TikTok Shop has emerged for many brands as a pivotal marketplace for discovery and sales. Some 50% of US consumers take product recommendation suggestions from influencers on TikTok Shop, according to February 2024 data from PartnerCentric.

43% of creators and influencers in North America say AI tools help them streamline their workflows, according to April 2025 data from URLgenius. However, nearly a third (30%) say they haven鈥檛 noticed any impact.

The news: Lowe鈥檚 launched a home improvement creator network as part of a strategy to reach younger audiences through social media personalities. The network, which Lowe鈥檚 framed as key to deepening its connection with Gen Z and millennial consumers, features MrBeast as its first high-profile partner. Our take: Reaching younger generations is crucial for sustained growth, and as influencer marketing surges, Lowe鈥檚 strategy could prove effective at bridging the gap with young homeowners. Influencer collaborations are most likely to be effective when the creator is seen as unbiased and honest, authentic, entertaining, and educational.

The news: TikTok tweens and teens who make popular 鈥淕et ready with me鈥� skincare routine videos may be harming their skin. The takeaway: Amid the closer social media scrutiny, skincare health brands should be clear about products that are not made for young skin. Social media teams need to be aware and proactive when interacting with tween and teen content creators.

The news: Cannes Lions 2025 kicks off June 16, with media companies and platforms turning the festival into a proving ground for brand innovation. Spotify is merging live acts like Cardi B with audiobook tastings and celebrity panels, while Canva hosts CMO roundtables alongside design influencers. Google, Uber, and Influential are anchoring talks on TV, sports, and creator-driven engagement鈥攚ith yacht-side podcasts and fundraising activations adding a new layer of purpose. Our take: This year鈥檚 Cannes isn鈥檛 about opulence鈥攊t鈥檚 about ownership. Brands that bring substance, not just spectacle, will emerge with more than headlines鈥攖hey鈥檒l leave with lasting partnerships and fresh strategic playbooks.

The news: Google launched 鈥淧ortraits鈥� on Thursday, a new experiment that creates AI-generated versions of influencers that offer users notes and advice using the voice of the individual they鈥檙e based on. Described as 鈥減ersonalized AI coaching built alongside real experts,鈥� Portraits is built in partnership with the AI celebrity鈥檚 real-life counterpart. Our take: Google鈥檚 experiment, while it may not connect with every audience member, could prove effective at increasing time spent with Google鈥檚 AI offerings, drawing attention away from competitors like Meta AI and potentially unlocking a new revenue stream if Google monetizes in the future.

And Cannes' Social and Creator Lions awards added five subcategories:. Creator Collaboration. Creator-Led Content Strategy. Community Building. Cross-Platform Storytelling. Excellence in Craft. Last year, Enberg said Cannes faced backlash from marketers for giving its top creator award to CeraVe鈥檚 campaign with Michael Cera, instead of creator-produced work.

The news: TikTok announced updates to its ad capabilities focused on the evolving creator ecosystem at its fifth annual TikTok World event. Updates included an analytics tool for audience insights at different stages of the buying cycle, promotions targeting audiences likely to take action, and multiple changes to TikTok One. Our take: TikTok鈥檚 new offerings are key to reassuring advertisers and creators that the platform鈥檚 influencer tools still outperform rivals. The features will convince advertisers that TikTok is essential to connect with relevant creators, while showing creators that TikTok remains the best place to make partnerships.

LGBTQ+ influencers note drop in Pride deals: The change, attributed to pressure from the administration, could have consequences for brands.

A successful affiliate strategy means casting a wide net: Captiv8 data shared with 蘑菇AV shows that each influencer size category has strategic benefits that shouldn鈥檛 be overlooked.

Their connection to creators suggests that branded campaigns built on influencer partnerships鈥攅specially those using short-form video鈥攕tand a better chance at cutting through. Traditional media channels may struggle to resonate unless they embrace vertical-first storytelling and prioritize platform-native content.

In H1 2024, 32.3% of influencer affiliate conversions included a coupon, up from 8.8% the prior year, according to Awin data. 3. Creator partnerships enhance affiliate effectiveness. The key case for affiliate marketing is the growth of social shopping and influencer marketing as a lower-funnel channel.

Marketers looking to bolster their influencer strategies must navigate a growing number of agencies, platforms, and vendors. Here鈥檚 a breakdown of the key players in the space.