#BizTrend2025: Nfinity’s Albert Makoeng - The rise of creator-led commerce a profound shift in media consumption

Albert Makoeng, managing director, influencer division at Nfinity says the rise of creator-led commerce is a profound shift in media consumption (Image supplied)

This moment highlights a profound shift in media consumption habits over the past few years.

A step back to look forward

To see where things are going in 2025, we need to take a step back.

Then: TV, print, and radio were the dominant channels.

Now: Social media, YouTube, and podcasts are the primary platforms for influence.F

or decades, demand generation followed a familiar script: brands dictated the terms, controlled the narrative, and funnelled billions into traditional advertising to capture consumers' attention.

But traditional media consumption (like TV viewership) is now in secular decline. At the core of this disruption is the rise of the internet and the explosion of online information and content, which brings entirely new advertising opportunities with it.

Social media has opened the door to highly targeted advertising, attracting a growing share of advertising spend, and we are now entering a new phase of media and consumption where creators are responsible for aggregating an audience to generate demand.

In this emerging "shared economy," those who adapt will thrive.

Those who cling to old models risk fading into irrelevance. From the Webfluential camp, we’ve been watching the curves on the creator economy closely, and creators and marketers should be too.

Heat seeker creator trends you need to know in 2025

Creators are the new titans of demand

Then: Corporate-controlled media dictated demand and influence through traditional networks.

Now: Creators drive massive demand, surpassing traditional media's reach and influence.

The era of corporate-controlled demand is over, and the era of creator-driven influence is here. Consider this: Tucker Carlson’s first post-Fox show on X attracted 120 million viewers, compared to his Fox News audience of just four million.

Mr. Beast, one of the most influential creators today, has a following larger than the audiences of Reddit, Pinterest, and X combined.

Trust and authenticity are the new currency

Then: Brands controlled the narrative through polished, traditional advertising.

Now: Creators drive the narrative with authentic, relatable content that resonates more deeply with audiences.

In a world of misinformation, audiences crave authenticity. They want truth from people they trust, not marketing messages from detached corporations. Micro and nano influencers and creators are thriving because they offer what brands can’t: genuine human connection.

These creators, no matter how niche their followings, wield immense influence because their audiences believe in them. Trust is the new currency, and it’s priceless.

The death of one-off deals

Then: One-off influencer deals with minimal long-term collaboration.

Now: True partnerships where creators get a stake in the brand’s success.

Brands that think they can simply "hire" creators to post and pray for conversions are missing the point.

Creators are no longer satisfied with transactional relationships (and they’re building their own brands, too, which we’ll discuss in the next section).

Smart brands are adapting by offering creators a stake in their success. In this shared economy, brands and creators win together.

The rise of creator-backed brands

Then: Established brands dominated new product releases with huge marketing budgets.

Now: Creators launch products that disrupt markets and challenge corporate giants.

For example, Logan Paul’s Prime energy drink. According to Venture capital firm Social Capital, the drink hit $1.2bn in sales in just one year. Monster Energy took 12 years to reach that mark.

The reason? Logan Paul isn’t just endorsing a drink; he owns the audience drinking it.

By tapping into their audiences, creators are rewriting the rules of commerce and launching brands that outperform long-established corporate giants.

American YouTuber Mr Beast’s Feastables snacks shook up the candy industry, even affecting Nestlé’s share price. Reed Duchscher, MrBeast’s Manager, took to LinkedIn to share a clip where he explains the reason for Feastables’ success, “We don’t have customers, we have fans.”

New agencies facilitating the future

As creators become more powerful, new agencies are emerging to connect them with brands in innovative ways.

These intermediaries facilitate entire product lines for their clients through collaboration with manufacturers, allowing even small players to challenge giants.

Imagine a niche cereal brand partnering with a creator to compete with a brand like Kellogg’s? In the shared economy, size matters less than strategy.

Creators - not corporations - are shaping what’s next

The creator economy isn’t a side hustle or a fad. It’s real, and it’s here to stay. This is the future of demand generation, and it’s built on collaboration, trust, and shared success.

Creators, this is your time to tap in and hold agency with your audience - and marketers - it’s your time to reach back with a change in your thinking.

As a global economy, we need to embrace the shared economy, not compete against it.

Because the power is back with the people, for the people — and creators are teaching us why.