The creator economy hit a defining moment in 2025.
The sector reached a quarter-trillion dollars globally, with U.S. influencer marketing budgets climbing to $37 billion, cementing creators as core economic actors rather than experimental add-ons. Major institutions such as Visa launched financial products specifically for creators; 70% of marketing leaders shifted to continuous creator partnerships over one-off campaigns; and brands began treating creator content as a strategic input to their paid media ecosystems rather than isolated experiments.
But growth exposed fault lines. The TikTok divest-or-ban saga highlighted platform vulnerability. Regulatory sweeps found most influencers failing to disclose paid partnerships. M&A activity rebounded as agencies consolidated, signaling that informal workflows no longer match the investment flowing into the sector.
2025 proved that the creator economy has moved from experimentation to permanence. The question now isn’t whether creator marketing works. It’s what the industry needs to leave behind to sustain that momentum.
We asked 77 industry experts, creators, agency leaders, and operators: What is one thing the creator economy should leave behind as we head into 2026?
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