This story is part of Ad Age’s 2026 Business Forecast, showcasing industry outlooks, predictions and trends to watch as the year unfolds. These stories are available to Ad Age All Access subscribers.
Influencer marketing has become the connective thread linking how brands reach, engage with and convert consumers—and executives predict 2026 will only continue that trend.
Creators are “the people who consumers spend the most time with,” said Bennie Reed, executive VP and head of connections and social strategy at Deutsch. “They influence their shopping decisions, their life decisions, much more so than brands do. So, it’s time for brands to say, ‘OK, this is bigger than just a line item on a media plan.”
Last year, nearly half (48%) of advertisers agreed that creators have become a “must buy,” ranking only behind social media and paid search, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report. The report, released in November, also projected that creator economy ad spend would reach $37 billion by the end of 2025, a 26% jump from the year prior.
“Leveraging the creator economy to connect with audiences is no longer experimental for marketers—it’s essential,” said David Cohen, CEO of the IAB, in the report. “The significant growth we’re seeing reflects a deepening commitment from brands to invest in creator-driven strategies.”
With creator marketing now a major investment for many advertisers, Ad Age asked more than two dozen executives across influencer and creative agencies, brands and talent management firms how they expect creator strategies to evolve in 2026. Below are the six themes that surfaced most often in their predictions.
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