Welcome to CORQ’s Creators 2024 report. CORQ has interviewed industry insiders from the worlds of media, fashion, interiors, travel, beauty and influencer marketing, to build a definitive guide to the year ahead. From Katie Nelson, head of influencer at Sky, to Alex Myers, CEO of Manifest, this report covers entertainment, AI and – crucially – the relationship between creators and their audiences, and where brands can fit into the narrative.
In a world of overload, how do you secure the downloads? If “community” was a buzzword for 2023, then perhaps this has shifted to “audience” for 2024. This is represented everywhere across the industries – be it Stacey Rhodes from Komi says it’s about empowering creators to dig down into their own audience data, Joshua Barnett at After Party Studios repping generation-defining enhanced experiences for audiences, or Myers insisting: “Stop trying to sell to them, and instead try to improve their lives.”
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Digital conversations are a key element to this audience activation, and insights from experts suggest this includes everything from companion podcasts to nostalgia content that triggers digital chatter and immersive events. 2023 saw the return of events in grand style, including dressing up for Harry Styles’ concerts and dressing up in pink for Barbie’s turn in the cinema. Water cooler culture is back and we are in an era of active consumption. Abiola Babarinde of SBM Creative points at British streetwear brands Corteiz and Named Collective’s creative work in generating active stunts for their fans, creating “continuous a feedback loop with customers”.
Want to control the conversation traffic? Well, perhaps you can’t, and that’s ok. Hand over to your creators to educate their audiences in detail about your brand. Believe, as suggested by Alex Myers, that you don’t have to be in the room with them. You want them to trust you? Take a leaf out of the book of Nottinghamshire Live, the local media outlet experiencing staggering online growth by connecting directly with its audience through newsletters and truthful dissemination. In fact, localism is another theme for 2024, reflected in both the creators you choose and the messages you send out. Local doesn’t mean small, as shown by our travel insider, Fran Kellett.
And there’s more. Everything about 2024 is about more: more detail, more AI, more experience, more information. Read on for more…
Read CORQ.’s original report Creators 2024 here.
By Emilie McMeekan, CORQ features director.
