🎉 WeArisma joins forces with NielsenIQ (NIQ) to, for the first time ever, measure the impact of Creator Marketing on sales.
We invited some of the brightest minds in the industry to discuss the future of the creator economy at London’s iconic Tate Modern. Here’s a roundup of the event’s most needle-moving takeaways.
Published On: May 28, 2025
We recently hosted an event that brought together some of the industry’s most influential minds.
The State of Influence 2025: Decoding What Works took place at London’s legendary Tate Modern gallery. This perfectly fitting venue became the backdrop for candid conversations about the future of the creator economy.
Our community came together to discuss the topics of the moment. Guest experts covered everything from the cost of ‘being dull’ to rethinking your influencer partnerships and the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in content discovery. Our CEO, Jenny Tsai also presented a live demonstration of WeArisma’s Total Impact Measurement tool.
Led by our CMO Hazel Nabarro, the event was inspirational and enlightening in equal measure. Opinions were shared, influential concepts were examined, and we all learned so much.
As passionate industry specialists, we’re dedicated to sharing our insights with the wider community. So, if you weren’t in the room, here’s a rundown of the most needle-moving lessons we learned from the event.
“It feels only right to host our State of Influence event in a place that celebrates modernity, creativity, and culture. After all, where better to discuss the future of influencer marketing than in a gallery where influence is literally on the walls” – Jenny Tsai, CEO, WeArisma, State of Influence 2025
Before we unwrap our key event insights, here’s a rundown of the keynote speakers and panelists that shaped our event. These people are some of the brightest minds in the industry:
During their eye-opening keynote speech, Adam Morgan and Peter Field taught us the true cost of dull, generic content in today’s influencer playing field.
FYI: ‘Playing it safe’ with creator content is draining brand budgets. Collectively, dull campaigns and content is currently wasting the equivalent of Greece’s entire GDP.
Costing over 189bn in the USA alone, this is an insight you cannot afford to ignore. We live in an age where consumers are content-rich and attention-poor. While well-positioned ‘safe and steady’ influencer content once earned a return on investment (ROI), it’s not enough to command attention today.
To become a glistening needle in an ever-expanding digital haystack, you’ve got to push boundaries. You’ve got to give your audience a reason to stop scrolling and invest their attention in your content.
So, how can you make waves in today’s (and tomorrow’s) creator economy?
As a brand, playing it safe is no longer an option unless you want to tread water and drain your budget. Now you’ve got to be bold, brave, and unapologetically you.
This doesn’t mean being crude, crass or confrontational for the sake of grabbing attention. But what it does mean is:
FYI: 56% of people can’t think of a single brand they feel connected with or understands. It’s time to be the exception.
Thanks to needle-moving ideas and insights from our panelists, we uncovered a treasure trove of impactful takeaways during the event.
Here are some of the most valuable lessons we learned.
Creators alone (depending on the industry) can generate up to 26x more organic reach than branded content. Plus, seven out of 10 people trust key opinion leaders more than brand communications when making purchasing decisions.
Now more than ever, partnering up with creators who share your values and visions will elevate your campaigns and build long-lasting consumer trust.
Lesson: Reach out to respected micro or nano-influencers in your niche and work closely with them to develop organic content that offers real personal value.
We’re entering a new, exciting, and decidedly bold chapter for the creator economy, one that commands a more meaningful level of collaboration between brand and influencer.
Today’s influencers are far more than incentivized endorsers alone. They’re poets, stylists, writers, producers, collaborators, and storytellers with unique perspectives to share. Remember, interesting and impactful content is always worth the risk.
Lesson: Take time to research and connect with influencers in your niche who will likely bring an exciting and original perspective to your brand’s narrative. Bring them in early, nurture your relationship, and treat your partnership as an equal creative collaboration rather than a quick transaction for short-term gain.
Listening is key to making a sustainable impact and connecting with your audience authentically. Rather than focusing solely on output, take the time to read the virtual room.
Look at how your audience is engaging across platforms, see who they’re engaging with, and tap into relevant conversations at the right times.
Lesson: You need to reach beyond surface level metrics like earned media value (EMV), shares, and saves alone to understand what’s culturally relevant so you can deliver messaging that makes a real impact (time after time).
WeArisma research shows that 90% of influencer campaign value gets missed across platforms.
That’s the lion’s share of mentions and interactions that you could not only use to measure your total impact, but use to your brand-boosting advantage – and secure increased budgets!
Lesson: While working with AI tools was once seen as an optional bolt-on, it’s now a necessity. Our visual AI search-powered Total Impact Measurement tool uncovers millions of missed mentions through Image, Video, and Audio recognition from influential voices you are not working with (yet).
The days of relying on vanity metrics to measure your performance and manually sifting through endless streams of content to uncover hidden value are gone, and it’s because of AI-powered innovations like ours. Ignore the importance of weaving AI into your creator strategy, and you risk being left behind.
The insights and ideas shared during this event uncovered the future of the creator economy and how to future-proof your brand for sustainable success in an ever-shifting landscape.
We hope you find these lessons valuable and for more insider insights from our event, sign up to our newsletter for exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Access timely cultural trends, strategic creator guidance, and industry best practices.
The collaboration is the first of its kind to measure sales impact from WeArisma’s industry-leading influencer marketing data.
NIQ, the leading consumer intelligence company, today announced a strategic global relationship with WeArisma, the leading creator marketing measurement and optimization platform for brands and agencies.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival wasn’t just a celebration of cinema—it was a global stage for brands to shape culture, connect authentically, and drive massive earned media value.
Our exclusive report reveals how top brands, led by Kering, L’Oréal Paris, and Chopard, dominated headlines and feeds with purpose-driven storytelling and influencer amplification.
Join our community and get cultural insights, creator strategy guides, and real-world best practices.
The most comprehensive creator marketing and social intelligence platform, built for brands and agencies ambitious in driving cultural and commercial impact.
