Brands relying on social media engagement as the primary measure of creator marketing success may be overlooking what truly drives business growth, according to new research released by Kantar.
The insights, contained in the company’s latest Creator Game Plan report, reveal that only six per cent of branded creator content manages to generate both high audience engagement and meaningful brand-building results. The findings challenge the widespread belief that metrics such as likes, views and shares are reliable indicators of marketing effectiveness.
The study analysed more than 15,000 branded creator posts published across TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram. While many campaigns attracted significant interaction from online audiences, only a limited number succeeded in improving brand perception or delivering lasting commercial value.
Kantar said the results underscore the need for marketers to adopt broader performance measurement frameworks that assess both audience response and business outcomes rather than focusing solely on engagement statistics.
Speaking on the report, Irene Joshy, Head of Creative for Australia and Asia Pacific at Kantar, said the creator economy continues to transform marketing across the region, but many campaigns fail to establish a lasting connection between creators and the brands they represent.
According to her, although roughly one in four creator campaigns demonstrates overall effectiveness, many struggle to make the sponsoring brand memorable. She explained that cultural relevance has become a critical component of Kantar’s Creator Effectiveness Framework because it helps creators remain authentic while ensuring the brand retains a meaningful presence throughout the content.
Joshy added that creator campaigns perform better when they naturally align with the interests, conversations and communities audiences already identify with instead of appearing overly promotional or detached from current cultural trends.
Also commenting on the findings, Vera Sidlova, Global Creative Director at Kantar, warned that strong social media popularity should not be confused with genuine marketing success. She noted that chief marketing officers are increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable returns on creator marketing investments, making it essential for businesses to adopt more sophisticated evaluation methods.
Sidlova said marketers should view creative freedom as a strategic asset rather than an optional feature of influencer partnerships. While consumers are drawn to originality, personality and authenticity, she stressed that these attributes alone cannot compensate for campaigns that lack strategic direction, audience insight or long-term brand relevance.
To help marketers better assess creator campaigns, Kantar has expanded its LINK AI platform with specialised capabilities for evaluating influencer content. The enhanced solution measures brand-building strength, short-term sales potential and audience engagement simultaneously, providing a more comprehensive assessment than traditional digital advertising metrics.
Ligia Patrocinio, Global Head of Desperados at Heineken, also emphasised the importance of treating creators as genuine creative partners instead of simply using them as advertising channels. She said the most effective collaborations occur when creators are allowed to maintain their unique style while operating within clearly defined brand values and objectives.
According to Patrocinio, authentic storytelling, cultural relevance and creator individuality remain the foundations of successful influencer campaigns. Brands that balance creative independence with strategic alignment are better positioned to strengthen consumer relationships and achieve sustainable marketing results.
Overall, Kantar’s report suggests that the future of creator marketing will be shaped less by viral engagement figures and more by the ability to combine authentic storytelling with measurable brand performance. As competition for consumer attention intensifies, companies that embrace data-driven evaluation alongside culturally relevant creator partnerships are likely to secure stronger long-term returns on their marketing investments.
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