I recently had the chance to review Kantar’s panel discussion at Cannes Lions 2025, which focused on creator marketing and artificial intelligence. The intersection of these two powerful forces is reshaping how brands connect with audiences, and the insights shared during this session were both revealing and practical.
What struck me most was how creator marketing has evolved from a niche strategy to a mainstream necessity. Brands that fail to develop authentic creator partnerships are increasingly finding themselves at a competitive disadvantage. The panel made it clear that we’re no longer in the experimental phase of creator marketing—we’re firmly in the optimization phase.
The Changing Landscape of Creator Partnerships
The traditional celebrity endorsement model has given way to something more nuanced and powerful. Today’s most successful brands are forming long-term relationships with creators who genuinely align with their values and aesthetic. This shift represents more than just a tactical change—it’s a fundamental rethinking of how influence works in digital spaces.
According to the panel, the most effective creator partnerships share these characteristics:
- Long-term commitment rather than one-off campaigns
- Creative freedom for the content creator
- Authentic alignment between brand and creator values
- Clear performance metrics beyond simple engagement
What makes these partnerships work isn’t just reach or follower count. It’s the trust that creators have built with their audiences. When a creator recommends a product or service, their audience takes that recommendation seriously—but only if it feels genuine.
AI’s Role in Creator Marketing
The panel spent significant time discussing how AI is transforming creator marketing. I believe we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible when AI and human creativity work together. The most forward-thinking brands are using AI not to replace creators but to enhance their capabilities.
Some of the most promising AI applications in creator marketing include:
- Content optimization tools that predict performance
- AI-assisted editing that maintains creator style while improving quality
- Matchmaking algorithms that identify ideal brand-creator partnerships
- Performance analytics that go beyond surface-level metrics
The panel emphasized that AI works best when it handles the repetitive, data-heavy tasks while humans focus on strategy and creative direction. This hybrid approach allows for scaling creator marketing efforts without losing the human touch that makes them effective.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Despite the optimism, the panel didn’t shy away from discussing challenges. Transparency emerged as a major concern. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, the line between human and machine creation grows blurrier. The panel stressed that brands must be upfront about how AI is used in their creator partnerships.
Another challenge is maintaining authenticity as creator marketing scales. When a creator works with dozens of brands, their recommendations naturally carry less weight. The most successful brands are addressing this by working with fewer creators but investing more deeply in those relationships.
The discussion also touched on compensation models. As creators become more business-savvy, simple flat-fee arrangements are giving way to more complex deals involving equity, revenue sharing, and long-term contracts.
Looking Ahead
The panel concluded with predictions about where creator marketing is headed. My takeaway is that we’re moving toward a model where the distinction between “influencer” and “creator” becomes more meaningful. Influencers leverage their popularity to promote products, while creators build communities around shared interests and values.
Brands that understand this distinction will be better positioned to build meaningful partnerships. The future belongs to companies that view creators not just as marketing channels but as creative partners who can help shape products and services.
As AI continues to evolve, it will likely make creator marketing more accessible to smaller brands by reducing costs and streamlining processes. This democratization could lead to a more diverse creator economy where niche creators with highly engaged communities become increasingly valuable.
The brands that will win in this new landscape are those that balance technology with humanity, scale with authenticity, and metrics with meaning. Creator marketing isn’t just changing how we advertise—it’s changing how brands and consumers relate to each other.
