Signals

Influencer backlash is nothing new. We saw it during the pandemic, but that moment was followed by an explosion in the Creator Economy. Six years later, everyone is a creator, sponsored content is everywhere, AI is making good-enough content nearly free, consumers are tired, creators are burnt out, and some spaces are literally banning influencers. Only 16% of people strongly trust influencer recommendations, while brands are starting to question what follower counts actually buy them. The industry spent a decade scaling influence. It may now be finding out what happens when influence itself is no longer scarce.