By Asha Shivaji, CEO and Co-Founder, SeeMe Index
We’re entering what many are calling an “abundance era” in the creator economy.
As Samir Chaudry of Colin and Samir has pointed out, the supply of high-quality creators has never been greater. Audience expectations are higher than ever, and the baseline for “good” content is no longer enough.
So the question becomes: in a world of abundance, how do you actually stand out?
The answer is identity.
Not identity as a checkbox, but identity as a story.
Creators are moving beyond metrics and investing in what makes them uniquely compelling. That uniqueness goes far deeper than traditional demographics like gender, age and ethnicity. It includes skin tone, hair type, body size, cultural background, life stage, family structure, and lived experience. These dimensions are what make creators relatable, differentiated, and ultimately, influential.
Take Monica Ravi (@monica.raviii), a South Asian beauty creator. South Asians represent just 3% of all talent featured in the beauty advertising in 2025*, yet Monica has built a powerful platform not just by showcasing products, but by advocating for change. She highlights how products perform on her olive-undertone skin and has partnered with brands like TirTir to expand shade ranges. Her influence isn’t defined by follower count, but by the authenticity of her perspective and the cultural gaps she is addressing.
Or consider Remi Bader (@remibader), whose content centers around her midsize and plus-size experience. Her “realistic hauls” resonate because they reflect a truth that has long been missing. As the beauty industry begins to increase plus-size representation (up 2.3% YoY*) creators like Remi are leading that shift by making visibility real and relatable.
Brands that understand this are seeing tangible results. Through SeeMe Index’s partnership with Circana we have been able to prove that more inclusive brands grow 1.8x faster than less inclusive competitors.*
In a recent campaign, SeeMe Index partnered with Open Influence and Justice to deepen their creator strategy. Justice was already working with a diverse set of creators, but our analysis identified opportunities to expand across additional identity dimensions, including deeper skin tones, Latine creators, and single-parent households. By leaning into these insights, the campaign drove an 11% increase in purchase frequency at Walmart and a 59% increase in organic impressions.
The takeaway is clear: in a saturated creator landscape, identity is not just a representation play. It is a performance driver.
For brands, the opportunity is to move beyond surface-level inclusion and instead co-create stories with creators that reflect the full complexity of who they are.
Because in a world where everything is optimized, what makes you different is what makes you matter.