Why Marketing Teams Will Soon Create *Creators,* Not Just Content
Here’s a post that didn’t make the newsletter, pulled from my notebook in messy fashion.
Soon, marketing teams won't just create content. They'll create creators.
This is built on 2 truths:
TRUTH #1: The WHO behind the content has never mattered more.
In a world full of AI-generated work and generally more and more "stuff" each day, as well as more and more creators appearing all the time, the WHO behind the content matters more than ever. This means the creator understands how to get their creative fingerprints all over the work, imbuing it with things that feel more personal and powerful and singular than all the generalized advice or expertise out there. That stuff is commodified. Commodities can be useful, sure, but the source doesn't matter. It's all the same. So your marketing is an endless, exhausting race to shout louder or reach others first, before competitors ... because you're all publishing the same stuff.
We love to say "people trust people, not logos," but a few companies will actually extrapolate that out far enough to arrive at a creator-first approach. Rather than audiences connecting with a your brand name/logo, then squinting to see a byline, they will instead FIRST connect with a creator on your team -- on social, but also through referrals from friends and colleagues. They'll follow these creators, subscribe to a show or newsletter, attend a talk, and generally become a fan of the person FIRST, then tumble into the brand's ecosystem -- likely meeting more creators, until they wake up realizing, "THEY are my favorites, which means that BRAND is also my favorite."
TRUTH #2: Talent is a job function, not a compliment.
None of what I'm saying is new... to the media. Among media companies, calling someone "talent" is not a compliment. It's just a description of THEIR JOB. The company then understands how to hire for it, cultivate it, and unleash their talent on the world through powerful projects and ongoing social engagement. They provide coaching, producers, editors, and editorial leadership to connect their talent under one brand.
It will soon be that way among more companies who sell products and services, not ad space.
The best media companies operate and earn tons of our time -- far more than brands can -- because they are talent-first.
Scan the media companies you pay most attention to. WHY are you a fan? WHO are you a fan of? You can probably answer right away.
What about a brand? WHO are you a fan of there? Can you answer? They get it. They're fine. Not yet sure? I'd be worried.
"But what if they leave?" This applies to ALL high performers. "But creators are public!" If it's news they're leaving, they did SUCH good work for you. And anyway, the advantage shouldn't be that 1 creator works for you. It's that you understand how to create creators.
You have "talent" on the team.
That's not a compliment. That's a job.
Soon, it'll be a job CMOs scramble to staff.