Your Influencer Strategy Is Broken. Stop Choosing Between Brand and Performance.
Most brands are still treating influencer marketing as a binary choice: invest in brand building or chase performance. That thinking is outdated and it’s costing real revenue. A few years ago, the playbook was simple: hire a big name, get exposure, hope it converts. That era is over. Audiences are smarter, trust is harder to […]
The Creator Economy Grows Up: Policy, Progress, and the Path Ahead
What happens when the fastest-growing sector in the world demands official recognition? We are entering a new era for the creator economy, but how is it being recognised, supported, and understood by those in power? This session will unpack the work happening behind the scenes to secure a sustainable, recognised future for creators. We’ll explain […]
Scaling Creator Marketing Without Killing Creativity
As creator marketing grows, brands optimise for efficiency: formats, paid amplification, media performance and process. The risk is that creator work becomes brand-led paid social disguised as authenticity, rather than distinctive, effective creative. The core question is: how can brands scale creator marketing without losing the creativity and authenticity that make it work in the […]
We Need to Touch Grass: An Influencer Industry Intervention
The influencer kool-aid isn’t hitting like it used to. The same references recycled. The same formulas rewarded. The same ideas applauded. The echo chamber became the strategy. If you’ve ever felt quietly unsatisfied despite doing everything “right”, this session is for you. Part intervention, part invitation, Charlie Oscar offers a two-step guided trip for marketers […]
Licence to Influence: How We Built the Creator Campaign Behind 007 First Light
At CreatorFest 2026, Kolsquare and Substance Global will be coming together to deliver a session on one of the biggest game launches of the year… 007 First Light. Substance Global worked with the game studios IO Interactive to help launch the game with some mega creators, using Kolsquare’s platform for the creator data intelligence and results […]
Power to the paywall: Are you subscription-ready?
Creators are increasingly using subscription models such as Patreon to generate predictable revenue and moving beyond reliance on inconsistent ad revenue or one-off brand deals. As influencers seek a more stable working environment, this model hopefully signals the start of a new era, where content creators can rely on a more regular income. But how […]
Escape The Algorithm: How To Build Genuine Connection In The Year Of Intentional Content Consumption
Social media feeds feel… repetitive, don’t they? Algorithms increasingly push similar content, flattening what’s considered ‘popular’ and making it incredibly tough for any brand to truly shine. But some brands (think Rhode, Crocs, Loewe) are cutting through. They’re building a unique sense of prestige and desirability, not by following the standard marketing playbook, but by […]
Why Brands Are Betting on Podcasts: Audio as a Strategic Marketing Channel
As traditional marketing channels become more saturated and less trusted, brands are turning to podcasts as a powerful way to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with their audiences. No longer just an advertising channel, podcasting is emerging as a strategic platform for brand storytelling and long-term audience engagement. This session explores how brands are using podcasts as sustained content ecosystems that drive affinity […]
Creator-Led Fundraising: A Masterclass In Creator-Driven Charity Events
When the Sidemen Charity Football Match an astonishing £6.2m earlier this year, it sent a clear signal to the industry: the so-called ‘creator effect’ isn’t going anywhere. While these massive stadium events grab the headlines, creator-led fundraising has been quietly driving success for charities behind the scenes for years. From large-scale in-person gaming streams to viral […]
Inside The Studio: How Creators Are Rewriting The Rules Of Entertainment
This session sets the scene for how creators have become today’s primary culture-makers – and why that cultural power is now driving measurable commercial results in entertainment. As major studios look well beyond their first wave of creator partnerships and get comfortable with the importance of a creator-led strategy, the conversation examines what it means to take […]