CreatorIQ, a leader in enterprise creator marketing solutions, has unveiled its inaugural “CreatorIQ Top 100: Brands of the Year 2024” report, marking a groundbreaking shift in the way brands measure success in the creator economy. This report is the first comprehensive ranking of brands excelling in creator-driven marketing, highlighting key benchmarks that define influence, engagement, and long-term brand sustainability in the digital landscape.
A New Era in Marketing Measurement
The CreatorIQ Top 100 report is powered by proprietary data from major social platforms, offering unparalleled insights into how brands leverage creators for sustained success. Unlike one-off viral campaigns, the study reveals that brands with long-term creator partnerships and authentic community-driven strategies outperform competitors that rely solely on fleeting social media moments. This finding underscores a crucial evolution in brand influence—one where sustained engagement and loyalty hold more weight than singular viral success.
This first-of-its-kind global ranking evaluates brands across industries, CreatorIQ utilizing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as Earned Media Value (EMV), engagement growth, and creator retention. The study spans 16 global markets, including the U.S., U.K., France, Korea, Germany, and MENA, setting new industry benchmarks for brand success in the creator marketing space.
According CreatorIQ to Brit Starr, Chief Marketing Officer of CreatorIQ, “Marketing is undergoing a seismic shift. Creator partnerships are now a core component of effective marketing strategies, often delivering greater impact than traditional advertising. Our data proves that regardless of a brand’s size or industry, investing in long-term creator relationships is the key to driving deeper engagement, cultural relevance, and measurable business impact. The brands that fully embrace creators as an integral part of their business strategy will shape the next era of influence.”
Key Findings from the “Top 100: Brands of the Year 2024” Report
CreatorIQ Creator Retention: The Key to Sustainable Brand Growth
CreatorIQ One of the most significant takeaways from the report is the impact of creator retention—the percentage of creators who continue to engage with a brand over time. Brands that maintain strong relationships with their creator communities consistently see higher engagement rates, stronger EMV, and greater long-term impact. The data reveals that creator retention is not just a metric; it is the backbone of sustained brand influence.
- Sports Teams Lead in Creator Retention
- The sports industry dominated the leaderboard for creator retention, with seven of the top ten brands in this category coming from major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL.
- The Los Angeles Lakers led all brands with a staggering 115% year-over-year (YoY) creator retention rate, highlighting the power of sustained fan engagement—even during challenging seasons.
- The New York Yankees followed closely, ranking second in creator retention with an impressive 114.4% YoY rate.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves, an emerging force in digital marketing, secured the eighth spot with a 108.3% retention rate.
- Spotify: A Case Study in Long-Term Creator Engagement
- Spotify emerged as the leading brand in terms of EMV, amassing $6.2 billion in earned media value.
- With an 83% creator retention rate, Spotify demonstrated how long-term partnerships with creators drive massive brand visibility and loyalty.
- Fashion Nova vs. Zara: The Power of Creator Loyalty
- Despite having a smaller creator community than competitors like Zara, Fashion Nova’s creator partnerships proved far more valuable. Each Fashion Nova creator generated an average $107K in EMV—more than four times the industry average of $27K per creator.
Disruptors and Niche Brands Are Transforming the Market
The report also highlights how emerging brands CreatorIQ are rapidly disrupting established industries through strategic creator partnerships.
- Beauty Brands Continue to Thrive
- The beauty sector saw an astounding 4,700% YoY increase in EMV, driven by a 7,300% surge in impressions and a 6,700% jump in engagements.
- TIRTIR, a K-beauty brand, capitalized on the global craze for Korean skincare and cosmetics, achieving 2,059% YoY impression growth, surpassing major players like Dove and Fenty Skin.
- Polite Society Beauty experienced the fastest-growing creator community, expanding its creator base by 501% YoY through a strategic blend of micro and macro creators.
- Fenty Hair, Rihanna’s latest venture, outpaced Beyoncé’s Cécred in EMV, generating $73.2M compared to Cécred’s $50M—a testament to the power of hype-driven creator partnerships.
Platform-Specific Strategies: Maximizing Impact Across Channels
The study also sheds light on how different social platforms play distinct roles in a brand’s success.
- TikTok: The Engine of Viral Engagement
- The top 100 brands on TikTok experienced an average 90% YoY engagement growth, far surpassing Instagram (14%) and YouTube (37%).
- Netflix emerged as the leading brand on TikTok, generating $718.9M in EMV and 15.2 billion impressions, primarily through creator-led content strategies like voice-overs and green screen effects.
- Instagram: The Leader in Brand-Building
- Despite TikTok’s explosive engagement rates, Instagram remains the dominant platform for building brand equity.
- The top 100 brands on Instagram generated 149% more EMV than their TikTok counterparts ($442.1M vs. $177.2M).
- Fashion brands, particularly Fashion Nova, leveraged Instagram’s unique ecosystem to solidify their brand positioning and maintain high-value creator relationships.
- YouTube: The Powerhouse for Streaming and Music Brands
- YouTube remains the leading platform for streaming services and music-related brands.
- Spotify secured $3.9 billion of its total $6.2 billion EMV from YouTube, fueled by video podcasts and curated content.
The Future of Creator Marketing: Lessons from the Top 100
The “CreatorIQ Top 100: Brands of the Year 2024” report is more than just a ranking; it serves as a blueprint for brands looking to build a sustainable presence in the creator economy. Key takeaways from this groundbreaking report include:
- Invest in Long-Term Creator Relationships
- Brands that prioritize creator retention see higher engagement, EMV, and cultural impact.
- Leverage Platform-Specific Strategies
- TikTok for viral reach, Instagram for brand-building, and YouTube for deep engagement in streaming and music.
- Embrace Niche and Emerging Markets
- Disruptor brands are proving that creator-driven marketing is a game-changer, leveling the playing field against legacy competitors.
The full “Top 100: Brands of the Year 2024” report offers additional in-depth insights across multiple industries, featuring household names like Nike, Adidas, Red Bull, Netflix, and Prime Video, all of whom are pioneering the next wave of creator-led brand success.
As the CreatorIQ creator economy continues to expand, brands that fully integrate creators into their core marketing strategy will not only thrive but redefine the future of influence in digital marketing.
