While marketing is a constant search for the new, the truth in the midst of a myriad of trend reports and predictions is that brands playing the long game win out. When it comes to the evolution of the creator economy the fact remains that the best is yet to come.

2025 will be a year where social platforms face significant challenges, nonetheless when it comes to their impact on children’s mental health and spreading information. Yet platforms also have the opportunity to be part of the solution to problems of their own creation.

The relationship between consumers and creators can be rooted in the kind of deep trust that brands can only dream of. Yet while it might feel like a decade since media commentators dismissed creators as ‘detestable freeloaders’, the truth remains that stereotypes abound. For progressive marketing leaders understanding the expansive creator landscape is always a work in progress.

With this in mind as part of our year ahead series we asked three leaders at Snap to share their predictions for the year ahead. 

“The small and the mighty: Niche creators will see an opportunity for growth" 

Julie Bogaert, Head of Talent Partnerships EMEA at Snap Inc.

“Last year, we predicted AI to be the next big technological change to disrupt the creator economy. We expected creators to experiment increasingly with AI tools but for success to lie with the creators who maintain a human connection – using AI as a helpful tool, not a stand in. This year, much has been reported on this trend, which has largely come to fruition. 

In 2025, the topic of conversation that creators choose will become much more influential than their individual personality or reach as audiences increasingly seek alignment with their own interests and values. We predict an increased maturation of niche content creators with a growing opportunity to monetise that niche.”

“Educational short-form digital content will rise to the top and keep audiences connected to the world around them.”

Lucy Luke, Head of UK Partnerships at Snap Inc.

“2024's calendar was filled with big cultural moments: The Paris Olympics, The EUROS, Brat Summer. But it was defined by the ways these moments were brought to our screens and feeds: short form, snackable highlights that celebrated the highs and commiserated the lows.

Short form will continue to dominate next year but a certain type will rise to the top: educational content. Against a backdrop of sociopolitical change and overwhelming amounts of information released into the world, people want to feel informed and empowered to understand the world around them as easily and as quickly as possible. 

This means that the brands, creators and media owners that create content based on a cause, purpose or expertise will bolster engagement and build stronger communities. We'll even see Generative AI play a role in this knowledge share as it starts to build a bridge to the past by being used to regenerate informative, archived content.”

“Measurement is more important than ever but marketers will need to optimise in an era of privacy”

Kate Bird, EMEA Senior Marketing Director at Snap Inc.

“2024 was a year of disruption for marketers. Economic uncertainty and the prominence of Gen AI adoption stretched marketers' energy and budgets. This climate will continue to proliferate in the new year. 

Economic pressures are forcing marketers to increasingly measure their success, and as such, they’re pushing budgets to the lower end of the funnel. But as a consequence, digital platforms are rising to the top, having captured 68.8% of the globe’s total ad spend market in 2024. The platforms that can help marketers optimise their budgets by moving towards measurement like marketing mix modelling (MMM) whilst maintaining investment in awareness at the top of the funnel, will continue to hold influence and be rewarded with ad dollars and customer love.”