At the Forbes Creator Upfronts in Los Angeles, actress and comedian Grace Amaku proudly stood before an audience of 500 creators, marketing executives, and industry leaders. Known for her famous “Nigerian Mom series” and collaborations with brands like Coca-Cola, Dove, and Denny’s, Grace shared her mission to spread positivity and laughter through content with purpose. Her words captured the event’s spirit—where creators and brands gathered to discuss content and learn, grow, and redefine what it means to thrive in the creator economy.
This first-of-its-kind two-day event, sponsored by Walmart and organized by Forbes, marked a pivotal moment for the creator economy. Now estimated to be worth $250 billion and projected to double by 2027, the creator economy has evolved far beyond influencing. Creators build brands, generate revenue, and connect with audiences in ways traditional media struggles to replicate.
Walmart’s commitment as the inaugural sponsor underscores the retail giant’s belief in the potential of creators. Senior Vice President & CMO William White, in a fireside chat with Seth Matlins, Managing Director of Forbes’ CMO Network, shared that “85% of Walmart’s media is now shoppable.” This strategic shift reflects Walmart’s recognition of creators’ power to drive commerce
Creators Embrace Business Savvy
Throughout the event, it was evident that creators have shifted from simply making content to operating as independent businesses. Forbes’ careful curation brought together a lineup of entrepreneurial talent eager to refine and share their business strategies. For example, magician-turned-creator Justin Flom, who has amassed 26.7 million YouTube subscribers, recently launched Flo-Magic—an airbrush kit for kids with washable paint—through Walmart.
After a year of development, the product is now available in 2,000 Walmart stores and on Walmart.com, allowing Flom to bring his brand into the hands of young fans nationwide. This launch exemplifies the growing trend among creators to diversify their income streams and build product lines that extend beyond digital content, bringing their influence from screens to shelves.
A Major Milestone for the Creator Economy
This week marks a significant milestone for the creator economy, with Forbes hosting the Creator Upfronts and unveiling its annual Top Creators Guide—celebrating the industry’s most impactful and innovative creators. To compile the list, Forbes analyzed data on estimated earnings, follower counts, engagement rates, and entrepreneurial initiatives, working with the creator marketing firm Influential. The result is a lineup of 50 social media stars who have harnessed their massive reach and loyal audiences to build brands and generate billions in revenue. This year’s list underscores how creators are evolving as business leaders across industries.
For instance, Drew Afualo, known for her fearless approach to calling out online misogyny, has transformed her influence into a brand with a strong message, recently launching her Spotify podcast, The Comment Section, and publishing her memoir, Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than The Life You Deserve.
Adam Faze, a producer who co-founded production company, Gymnasium and produces the hit TikTok series, BoyRoom, is pushing the boundaries of storytelling with formats that work on both digital and traditional media.
Meanwhile, Rhett and Link, the founders of the Mythical brand, have turned their comedy channel into a multimedia empire. Their flagship show, Good Mythical Morning, streams to 19 million subscribers, while their Mythical Kitchen channel serves up whacky food content to another 3.9 million fans. Beyond digital content, their brand includes a merchandise store, Hulu FAST channel, and a live tour that sold more than 24,000 tickets recently. Mythical’s President, Brian Flanagan, was in attendance, representing the company’s commitment to supporting the next generation of creators, including through their $5 million accelerator fund, Mythical Ventures. Together, these creators illustrate the diversity and depth of talent propelling the creator economy into its next chapter.
Learning from Brand Leaders and Embracing Modern Metrics
The Creator Upfronts gave creators a unique opportunity to hear directly from brand leaders eager to learn about and invest in the creator economy. Diana Haussling, CMO & GM of Colgate-Palmolive shared insights into Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), which piqued the interest of creators eager to better understand how brands measure success.
Walmart’s Executive Vice President & Chief Merchandising Officer, Latriece Watkins, outlined Walmart’s approach to evaluating creator partnerships, highlighting the importance of customer obsession, the value creators bring, and their ability to incorporate feedback. This dialogue emphasized that alignment with brand goals is essential for creators who wish to cultivate long-term, impactful partnerships.
Creators like Emmy Petit and Jasmine Davis echoed the need for brands to continue learning, voicing concerns about outdated metrics. Many creators noted that brands still rely on CPM and follower count, failing to capture the deeper engagement and ROI of creator content. Compounding this issue, some brands use additional hurdles, like quizzes or surveys, that disrupt a creator’s direct link to a product page, affecting conversion rates and reducing the value of their influence. As the industry matures, creators call for a shift to metrics reflecting their impact on consumer behavior.
Reframing Brand Safety
The event also sparked a candid discussion about brand safety, shifting the focus from concerns about creators’ behavior to the need for brands to uphold transparent, responsible practices. Recent lawsuits against brands like Chili’s and Marriott show that the biggest risks can come from failing to comply with FTC guidelines, licensing agreements, and compensation transparency. For creators, working with “creator-friendly” brands that prioritize legal compliance and fair treatment is crucial to building trust and sustainable partnerships.
What’s Next and Key Takeaways
The Forbes Creator Upfronts underscored that the creator economy is no longer just a cultural phenomenon—it’s a vital business ecosystem. But to fully unlock its potential, both creators and brands must address some key challenges:
Integrate E-Commerce
According to recent research from The Harris Poll, 81% of creators believe brands lose sales due to poor coordination between creator content and the checkout experience. For creator marketing to deliver on its promise, brands must establish dedicated e-commerce workflows that incorporate creators directly into the checkout process, ensuring a seamless journey from content to purchase.
Where Brands See “Trends,” Creators Strive for “Relevance”
Trends generate attention, but creators emphasize relevance over trend-chasing. Just because a trend is relevant globally doesn’t mean it aligns with a brand’s message; brands should focus on finding or developing formats that genuinely fit their core message.
Bridge the Language Gap
One of the biggest challenges highlighted during the event is the communication gap between creators and brands. Creators aren’t just hired talent; they deeply understand their communities and know how brands can effectively reach them. Yet many creators report never receiving feedback on how brands evaluate their content. This lack of communication makes it difficult for creators to improve, optimize, and plan future campaigns in ways that build value for the brands they partner with.
The Creator Upfronts proved that as creators increasingly operate as independent businesses, brands have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to support, understand, and collaborate more effectively.
Until both sides speak the same language, the full impact of these partnerships will remain limited. However, this week’s events show that the path forward is clear, with creators and brands ready to take their collaboration to the next level.