Spanning The Lobe

In Big Data Brains: Episode II, Media Cartographer Evan Shapiro chats with Tim Sovay from CreatorIQ about how brands should navigate the Creator Economy and seeking universal truth on social media.

Evan Shapiro: Hi this is Evan Shapiro, your Media Cartographer. I'm coming to you from Cannes Lion. I'm here with Tim Sovay, the Chief Partnerships Officer at CreatorIQ.

So Tim, what is CreatorIQ? What the heck is it that you guys do?

Tim Sovay: CreatorIQ is a leading technology platform that helps big brands in various industries, like fashion, beauty, travel, and retail, manage their creator marketing efforts on a global scale. The platform assists in discovering, managing, and measuring the impact of their creator marketing, working with tens of thousands of creators each year across multiple teams and countries.

Evan Shapiro: What does a Chief Partnerships Officer do?

Tim Sovay: My role involves working closely with social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitch to ensure we get the right data to measure our customers' impact. I also work with top customers like Amazon, Disney, and Nestlé to help grow their businesses and focus on brand strategy.

Evan Shapiro: What unique value does CreatorIQ offer?

Tim Sovay: We provide a universal source of truth for clients, allowing them to create dashboards for regular access to data. This helps brands understand how many creators they work with, how much they pay them, and the impact of their investments.

Evan Shapiro: How has measurement in creator marketing evolved?

Tim Sovay: Measurement in creator marketing has caught up with other channels, allowing it to be compared apples-to-apples with digital video, programmatic CTV, and other marketing channels.

Evan Shapiro: How do you define the creator economy?

Tim Sovay: The creator economy is a growing ecosystem where creators, from big names like Mr. Beast to smaller, professional creators, are building businesses and working with brands. It's a rapidly evolving market with significant growth in the number of professional creators.

Evan Shapiro: Where do you see the creator economy in five years?

Tim Sovay: The creator economy will become more integrated and mature. Brands are still figuring it out, but there will be a scaled adoption of creator marketing across major brands. Companies like L'Oréal and Amazon are leading the way, but more brands will follow.

Evan Shapiro: What advice would you give to brand marketers or media buyers entering the creator economy?

Tim Sovay: Get your measurement right. Understand your outcomes and don't work with creators just for the sake of it. Have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve from your creator partnerships, and ensure you can measure those outcomes effectively.

Transcript edited for brevity and clarity.