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Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Five Pillars Of A Savvy Influencer Marketing Strategy
As Chief Strategy Officer at Linqia and co-host of the Creator Economy Live podcast, Keith Bendes is a top voice in Influencer Marketing. Influencer marketing has become the hottest channel in marketing, and the industry's market value is estimated to reach over $30 billion in 2025, according to Statista. Every major marketing event from Cannes Lions to Advertising Week is now dominated by creator and influencer marketers, with brands trying to understand how they can be social first and part of the cultural zeitgeist. There's a lot of talk about how to execute influencer campaigns effectively and case studies on great influencer activations. However, there are not enough frameworks on how to structure influencer marketing as a practice in the broader scheme of marketing and media. So, let's take this time to outline the five pillars of a savvy influencer marketing strategy as a blueprint for how CMOs and marketing leaders should be thinking about influencer and the impact it has across pretty much every other channel. 1. Paid Media Fuel Creators can be an incredibly powerful source of content for your paid media needs. Every brand has many different messages and styles of content that they want to strategically target to different audiences, so let creators be the ones to power that content pipeline. One valuable strategy is 'narrative mapping.' To do this, draw a grid of rows and columns. (You can also use Google Sheets.) On the columns, write down every core message your brand can state; then, on the rows, note all of your key audience segments. The result is a map of every message and audience combination that you should be testing in paid media. For most brands, there are going to be A LOT of cells in that grid. That's where creators come in, as they offer a highly efficient way to generate that much content at significantly lower cost than traditional production. 2. Cultural Relevance The currency of brands in the year 2025 is cultural relevance. If you aren't relevant, your time is limited. Right now, culture is primarily dictated by social media, with the result being that all brands want to be social first to be part of the trending conversations that dominate the social discord. This has led many to chase trends endlessly. While most experts would rightfully tell you that your brand shouldn't be trend chasing, you should be participating in relevant cultural conversations. Algorithms reward this content, and it keeps your brand in people's feeds. Just make sure you actually belong in those conversations. Then, think hard about whether it should be your brand itself showing up, or whether it should be real people who represent or support your brand. The latter is where creators play an incredibly important role, as most marketers who are being honest with themselves know that people do not want to hear from brands; they want to hear from other people. 3. A Discovery Engine Social search is skyrocketing, especially among younger generations. They are both using the social platforms as a search engine and relying on social videos when conducting traditional searches on Google, which indexes social content. Every brand should be connecting its search and influencer efforts to ensure they have content that answers consumers' most common questions. Your social posts should have strong copy that leverages top search keywords, discoverable alt text, strategic text overlays in the first three seconds, etc. Now, this doesn't mean you should sacrifice great content in the name of search. In fact, your culturally relevant content is often going to be completely different from your search-optimized content. But too many brands don't have any influencer search strategy, and that's a problem. 4. Community Building Brands need to constantly engage their audiences in a way that's entertaining and effectively communicates brand values. If you look at brands like Liquid Death, Poppi, Wendy's, e.l.f., consumers seek out these brands because they want to see what they will say and do next. Part of that is about building social channels and content that is consistent and, thus, something people want to keep coming back for; part of that is focusing on real-life experiences that develop a much closer connection to the communities the brand serves. Creators play a crucial role in both: Brands are increasingly turning to creators to attend physical experiences, not only to create a better experience for attendees, but to extend the message to the millions of people at home. We are also seeing much more episodic content from brands that want to create content that people will continuously tune in for. Mohawk Chevrolet is a great example of this, as is the Converse partnership with Amelia Dimoldenberg. 5. A Trusted Source To Sell Your Product/Service Every brand wants to skip to this step, which explains the significant growth in affiliate and commerce creator partnerships over the last few years. While finding trusted sources should be a core pillar of every influencer strategy, this often involves a very different approach from the other pillars and requires different types of creators and very different messaging goals. The way to partner with creators to drive sales may look different for every brand, depending on the product/service and brand story. Some may lean heavily into testimonials, others livestreams, others giveaways. For some, the hard sell on social media isn't right at all because no one is going to immediately buy that product during a scroll session. The most important thing to remember is that you need to give yourself time to experiment and find what works. If creators can't successfully drive sales, then they will never sign up for a compensation model that's based on it. Find what is successful. Then, creators will want in. Now What? The five pillars give you a valuable framework to build an influencer strategy. Now, the important thing is to get leadership alignment. Doing all five effectively requires cross-department collaboration and real budgets for each. Make sure you have those things. If not, be honest about which of the five you can really tackle successfully. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Amaze Surpasses 200 Million Storefront Visits, Solidifying Leadership in Rapidly Expanding Creator Economy
Fueled by Over 13 Million Global Creators, Milestone Reflects Platform Growth, Strategic Positioning, and Accelerating Creator Monetization NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2025 / Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American:AMZE) ("Amaze"), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, today announced that its subsidiary, Amaze Software, Inc. ("Amaze Software") has surpassed 200 million lifetime storefront visits across its platform. This achievement underscores the platform's scale and influence in the rapidly expanding creator economy and is powered by a global community of over 13 million creators who use Amaze to build and sell more people turn to creators for entertainment, inspiration, and product discovery, Amaze is enabling those creators to monetize their content, audiences, and ideas through streamlined e-commerce tools. Amaze helps creators design, launch, and sell physical and digital products directly to fans, eliminating barriers between content and commerce."Crossing 200 million storefront visits is proof that when creators are given the right tools, they become economic engines," said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze Software. "This milestone reflects the shift we're seeing in global commerce, away from traditional retail and toward community-powered shopping experiences. We're proud to support over 13 million creators driving this movement forward."This milestone comes at a time of sustained growth across both the creator economy and global ecommerce: The creator economy is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027, nearly doubling from $250 billion in 2023¹.Global creator count is estimated to rise from over 67 million creators globally in 2025 to 107 million by 2030, with monetization pathways like product commerce outpacing sponsorships².Global retail ecommerce sales are forecast to reach $6.42 trillion in 2025³, rising to over $7.5 trillion by 2027, with2.77 billion global digital buyers driving the shift⁴. By aligning with these macroeconomic tailwinds, Amaze is uniquely positioned to scale with the future of creator-led commerce. Through ongoing investments in platform innovation, fulfillment, and strategic partnerships, Amaze is building a future where creators everywhere can launch and grow businesses their fans learn more about Amaze and how it powers the creator economy, visit Goldman Sachs Research, Creator Economy Report, April 2023²Source: Forbes, How The Creator Economy Is Changing The Future Of Work, citing Goldman Sachs Research, July 2023³Source: eMarketer, Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Sales Forecast, 2023⁴Source: SellersCommerce, Global Ecommerce Statistics, 2023For investor information, please contact IR@ For press inquiries, please contact PR@ About Amaze:Amaze Software, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for seamless product creation, advanced e-commerce solutions, and scalable managed services. By empowering anyone to "sell anything, anywhere," Amaze enables creators to tell their stories, cultivate deeper audience connections, and generate sustainable income through shoppable, authentic experiences. Discover more at Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These statements relate to future events and developments or to our future operating or financial performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our strategies, initiatives, growth, revenues, expenditures, the size of our market, our plans and objectives for future operations, and future financial and business performance. These statements can be identified by words such as such as "may," "might," "should," "would," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and are based our current expectations and views concerning future events and developments and their potential effects on statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statement. These risks include: our ability to execute our plans and strategies; our limited operating history and history of losses; our financial position and need for additional capital; our ability to attract and retain our creator base and expand the range of products available for sale; we may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expenses; we may not keep pace with technological advances; there may be undetected errors or defects in our software or issues related to data computing, processing or storage; our reliance on third parties to provide key services for our business, including cloud hosting, marketing platforms, payment providers and network providers; failure to maintain or enhance our brand; our ability to protect our intellectual property; significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform; significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks and cyberattacks; risks associated with international operations; general economic and competitive factors affecting our business generally; changes in laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, online liability, consumer protection, and financial services; our dependence on senior management and other key personnel; and our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and senior risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other future filings and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the press release. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. SOURCE: Amaze Holdings, Inc.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Amaze Surpasses 200 Million Storefront Visits, Solidifying Leadership in Rapidly Expanding Creator Economy
Fueled by Over 13 Million Global Creators, Milestone Reflects Platform Growth, Strategic Positioning, and Accelerating Creator Monetization Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American:AMZE) ('Amaze'), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, today announced that its subsidiary, Amaze Software, Inc. ('Amaze Software') has surpassed 200 million lifetime storefront visits across its platform. This achievement underscores the platform's scale and influence in the rapidly expanding creator economy and is powered by a global community of over 13 million creators who use Amaze to build and sell products. As more people turn to creators for entertainment, inspiration, and product discovery, Amaze is enabling those creators to monetize their content, audiences, and ideas through streamlined e-commerce tools. Amaze helps creators design, launch, and sell physical and digital products directly to fans, eliminating barriers between content and commerce. 'Crossing 200 million storefront visits is proof that when creators are given the right tools, they become economic engines,' said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze Software. 'This milestone reflects the shift we're seeing in global commerce, away from traditional retail and toward community-powered shopping experiences. We're proud to support over 13 million creators driving this movement forward.' This milestone comes at a time of sustained growth across both the creator economy and global ecommerce: The creator economy is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027 , nearly doubling from $250 billion in 2023¹. Global creator count is estimated to rise from over 67 million creators globally in 2025 to 107 million by 2030 , with monetization pathways like product commerce outpacing sponsorships². Global retail ecommerce sales are forecast to reach $6.42 trillion in 2025³, rising to over $7.5 trillion by 2027, with2.77 billion global digital buyers driving the shift⁴. By aligning with these macroeconomic tailwinds, Amaze is uniquely positioned to scale with the future of creator-led commerce. Through ongoing investments in platform innovation, fulfillment, and strategic partnerships, Amaze is building a future where creators everywhere can launch and grow businesses their fans love. To learn more about Amaze and how it powers the creator economy, visit ¹Source: Goldman Sachs Research, Creator Economy Report, April 2023 ²Source: Forbes, How The Creator Economy Is Changing The Future Of Work, citing Goldman Sachs Research, July 2023 ³Source: eMarketer, Worldwide Retail Ecommerce Sales Forecast, 2023 ⁴Source: SellersCommerce, Global Ecommerce Statistics, 2023 For investor information, please contact IR@ For press inquiries, please contact PR@ About Amaze: Amaze Software, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for seamless product creation, advanced e-commerce solutions, and scalable managed services. By empowering anyone to 'sell anything, anywhere,' Amaze enables creators to tell their stories, cultivate deeper audience connections, and generate sustainable income through shoppable, authentic experiences. Discover more at Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 'Exchange Act'). These statements relate to future events and developments or to our future operating or financial performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our strategies, initiatives, growth, revenues, expenditures, the size of our market, our plans and objectives for future operations, and future financial and business performance. These statements can be identified by words such as such as 'may,' 'might,' 'should,' 'would,' 'could,' 'expect,' 'plan,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'predict,' 'potential' or 'continue,' and are based our current expectations and views concerning future events and developments and their potential effects on us. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statement. These risks include: our ability to execute our plans and strategies; our limited operating history and history of losses; our financial position and need for additional capital; our ability to attract and retain our creator base and expand the range of products available for sale; we may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expenses; we may not keep pace with technological advances; there may be undetected errors or defects in our software or issues related to data computing, processing or storage; our reliance on third parties to provide key services for our business, including cloud hosting, marketing platforms, payment providers and network providers; failure to maintain or enhance our brand; our ability to protect our intellectual property; significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform; significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks and cyberattacks; risks associated with international operations; general economic and competitive factors affecting our business generally; changes in laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, online liability, consumer protection, and financial services; our dependence on senior management and other key personnel; and our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and senior management. Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other future filings and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the press release. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. SOURCE: Amaze Holdings, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
Associated Press
16-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
FOX Advertising Launches Enhanced Brand Storytelling Program with Strategic Investment in The Lighthouse
CANNES, France, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FOX Advertising announced today a strategic investment in The Lighthouse (part of the Whalar Group ), the innovative studio and campus space designed specifically for Creators to collaborate and develop content. The investment will also support the launch of FOX's new IP development initiative aimed at fueling Creator-led franchises across its content portfolio. At a time when brands and media companies are seeking immersive, IP-first ecosystems that blend content, commerce and culture, this strategic investment will further strengthen FOX's commitment to Creator-powered innovation and content creation. 'At FOX, we see the future of entertainment and advertising will be driven by bold culture-shaping IP,' said Stephano Kim, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, FOX Advertising. 'Our investment in The Lighthouse signals our commitment to building original franchises with visionary Creators who are redefining storytelling and influencing culture in real time.' Unveiled at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, FOX and The Lighthouse's future-forward strategic relationship together with the launch of FOX's new IP development initiative will bring together the art of storytelling, brand integration, and new media experiences and will give advertisers the opportunity to collaborate with Creators around brand sponsorships and advertising inventory tied to new properties, as well as access to a pipeline of Creator-led properties designed for maximum cultural relevance and creative impact. On this strategic investment, Jon Goss, President, The Lighthouse, said: 'This partnership with FOX is a defining moment for The Lighthouse. We built this campus at the intersection of media, creativity, and culture, where the next generation of bold, Creator-led IP can be imagined and launched. Together with FOX, we're reimagining how creators and brands don't just show up in culture, they help shape it.' This investment and the launch of FOX's new IP development initiative will be FOX's first steps in building lasting franchises powered by Creator vision, network scale and brand from the start. About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment, FOX Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit About The Lighthouse: The Lighthouse, part of Whalar Group, is the in-real-life (IRL) creative campus and studio playground for the Creator Generation. Offering Creators an IRL platform to Learn, Make, and Belong. With locations opening in Venice, CA (2024), Brooklyn, NY (2025), and London/EMEA (2026), the campuses are designed to empower and support career Creators and creative professionals, providing a dynamic environment explicitly tailored to their needs. Each campus features state-of-the-art, mixed-use content studios and hosts impactful programming that empowers members to collaborate, learn, and grow their businesses within a thriving community. The Lighthouse expands opportunities and creative capabilities, offering Creators a dedicated space to co-create, connect, and lead the businesses shaping creative culture. Learn more: Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' 'likely,' 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'projects,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'outlook' and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on FOX and The Lighthouse management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements in this press release due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological, strategic and/or regulatory factors and other factors affecting the operation of FOX and The Lighthouse's businesses, including the impact of COVID-19 and other widespread health emergencies or pandemics and measures to contain their spread. Statements in this press release speak only as of the date they were made, and neither FOX nor The Lighthouse undertakes any duty to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement made in this press release or to report any events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in FOX or The Lighthouse's expectations, except as required by law. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Fox Corporation
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FOX Advertising Launches Enhanced Brand Storytelling Program with Strategic Investment in The Lighthouse
CANNES, France, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FOX Advertising announced today a strategic investment in The Lighthouse (part of the Whalar Group), the innovative studio and campus space designed specifically for Creators to collaborate and develop content. The investment will also support the launch of FOX's new IP development initiative aimed at fueling Creator-led franchises across its content portfolio. At a time when brands and media companies are seeking immersive, IP-first ecosystems that blend content, commerce and culture, this strategic investment will further strengthen FOX's commitment to Creator-powered innovation and content creation. "At FOX, we see the future of entertainment and advertising will be driven by bold culture-shaping IP," said Stephano Kim, Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, FOX Advertising. "Our investment in The Lighthouse signals our commitment to building original franchises with visionary Creators who are redefining storytelling and influencing culture in real time." Unveiled at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, FOX and The Lighthouse's future-forward strategic relationship together with the launch of FOX's new IP development initiative will bring together the art of storytelling, brand integration, and new media experiences and will give advertisers the opportunity to collaborate with Creators around brand sponsorships and advertising inventory tied to new properties, as well as access to a pipeline of Creator-led properties designed for maximum cultural relevance and creative impact. On this strategic investment, Jon Goss, President, The Lighthouse, said: "This partnership with FOX is a defining moment for The Lighthouse. We built this campus at the intersection of media, creativity, and culture, where the next generation of bold, Creator-led IP can be imagined and launched. Together with FOX, we're reimagining how creators and brands don't just show up in culture, they help shape it." This investment and the launch of FOX's new IP development initiative will be FOX's first steps in building lasting franchises powered by Creator vision, network scale and brand from the start. About Fox Corporation:Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including FOX News Media, FOX Sports, FOX Entertainment, FOX Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit About The Lighthouse:The Lighthouse, part of Whalar Group, is the in-real-life (IRL) creative campus and studio playground for the Creator Generation. Offering Creators an IRL platform to Learn, Make, and Belong. With locations opening in Venice, CA (2024), Brooklyn, NY (2025), and London/EMEA (2026), the campuses are designed to empower and support career Creators and creative professionals, providing a dynamic environment explicitly tailored to their needs. Each campus features state-of-the-art, mixed-use content studios and hosts impactful programming that empowers members to collaborate, learn, and grow their businesses within a thriving community. The Lighthouse expands opportunities and creative capabilities, offering Creators a dedicated space to co-create, connect, and lead the businesses shaping creative culture. Learn more: Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on FOX and The Lighthouse management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements in this press release due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological, strategic and/or regulatory factors and other factors affecting the operation of FOX and The Lighthouse's businesses, including the impact of COVID-19 and other widespread health emergencies or pandemics and measures to contain their spread. Statements in this press release speak only as of the date they were made, and neither FOX nor The Lighthouse undertakes any duty to update or release any revisions to any forward-looking statement made in this press release or to report any events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in FOX or The Lighthouse's expectations, except as required by law. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Fox Corporation Sign in to access your portfolio
