Recent Editions

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Creator Economy

Inside TikTok’s Misinformation Battles

By Sri Muppidi and Kaya Yurieff · Nov 12, 2024 2:37pm PST · 1 comment
On Monday, we reported on how TikTok courted conservative users, including President-elect Donald Trump, in the months before last week’s Trump victory. These efforts, led by TikTok Policy Chief Michael Beckerman and overseen by CEO Shou Zi Chew, included an overhaul of its trust and safety staff and content policies that made it more... On Monday, we reported on how TikTok courted conservative users, including President-elect Donald...
Instagram Chief CEO Adam Mosseri. Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Creators Still Don’t Know What Threads Is For

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 7, 2024 2:02pm PST
I was surprised last week when Meta announced on its earnings call that its text-based app Threads has almost 275 million monthly active users. Threads rarely comes up in my conversations with creators—or brands—though when you pop into the app it’s not a ghost town either. That got us thinking about where exactly Threads’ growth is coming... I was surprised last week when Meta announced on its earnings call that its text-based app...
Trump nabbed a high-profile creator endorsement on Monday from podcaster Joe Rogan. Photo via YouTube
Creator Economy

How Trump Used Influencers to Win Over Voters

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 6, 2024 2:32pm PST
A million years ago, and by that I mean January, I wrote about how both Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns were going to harness the energy of influencers this election. I may have actually underestimated just how much creators would play a role in the White House race, from podcasts to TikTok and super influencers like... A million years ago, and by that I mean January, I wrote about how both Democratic and Republican...
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Trump, Harris Tap Influencers in Final Push
By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 5, 2024 2:00pm PST
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Creator Economy

Trump, Harris Tap Influencers in Final Push

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 5, 2024 2:00pm PST
We are wrapping up the first creator-centric U.S. presidential election, where both candidates tapped social media influencers and appeared on podcasts to reach younger voters. Those efforts have extended to the final 24-hour stretch of the campaign. On Monday, Kamala Harris’ campaign launched a public broadcast channel on Instagram called... We are wrapping up the first creator-centric U.S. presidential election, where both candidates...
Food creator Nick DiGiovanni. Photo: Aaron Idelson
Creator Economy

The Food Creator Who Has Sold 1 Million Jars of Salt

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 31, 2024 4:00pm PDT
After competing on “MasterChef” in 2019, Nick DiGiovanni started posting videos on YouTube, including an elaborate dessert he planned if he’d made it to the finale, and on TikTok where he started going viral for making mini gourmet meals for his pet hamster, Pesto.  Now 28, he turned that TV appearance and initial momentum on social... After competing on “MasterChef” in 2019, Nick DiGiovanni started posting videos on YouTube,...
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Creator Economy

How Fraudsters Are Using TikTok to Spread Online Scams

By Ann Gehan · Oct 30, 2024 4:12pm PDT
Online retailers are battling the rise of “refund groups” that carry out scams on a large scale, often coordinating through apps like Telegram, as I reported this morning. One of the most interesting aspects of this trend is how fraudsters, rather than trying to keep scams under wraps, are eager to broadcast them online. So how did we get... Online retailers are battling the rise of “refund groups” that carry out scams on a large scale,...
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Creator Economy

Snap, YouTube Highlight Strength in Subscriptions

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Oct 29, 2024 3:41pm PDT
It’s time for internet companies to report their quarterly results. One takeaway so far? While digital advertising is still most important for Snapchat and YouTube, subscription revenue is driving growth. Here’s the rundown:SnapThe company’s subscription service, Snapchat+, now has 12 million subscribers, up from 11 million subscribers last... It’s time for internet companies to report their quarterly results. One takeaway so far? While...
Tezza Barton, co-founder of photo and video editing app Tezza. Photo courtesy of Barton
2024’s Most Promising Creator Startups
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 24, 2024 2:00pm PDT
Tezza Barton, co-founder of photo and video editing app Tezza. Photo courtesy of Barton
Creator Economy

2024’s Most Promising Creator Startups

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 24, 2024 2:00pm PDT
On Thursday, The Information released its annual list of the 50 Most Promising Startups, which included six companies focused on providing services for creators and consumers.  We chose companies that we think have the potential to be the most valuable businesses in their sectors based on our reporting, including their revenue and... On Thursday, The Information released its annual list of the 50 Most Promising Startups, which...
Photo via YouTube/Call Her Daddy.
Creator Economy

Podcasts Emerge as Battleground for Trump and Harris

By Rocket Drew · Oct 23, 2024 3:02pm PDT
With only 12 days (!) left before the presidential election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are still trying to reach potential voters. One way is by appearing on popular podcasts, where they can speak to listeners directly—and often avoid tougher questions from traditional journalists.  As the chart below shows, Trump has been on at... With only 12 days (!) left before the presidential election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are...
MrBeast. Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

‘Let It Slowly Die.’ MrBeast’s Irate Texts Over Burger Deal Revealed in Court Docs

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 22, 2024 5:15pm PDT
MrBeast so wishes he had not entered that burger deal! That’s one of the takeaways from a series of angry and regretful messages sent by YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson to a business confidant months before he sued the restaurant operator. The exchanges, part of a deluge of new court filings and exhibits, show Donaldson and colleagues discussing a... MrBeast so wishes he had not entered that burger deal! That’s one of the takeaways from a series...
U.S. Creator Startup Funding Drops, Ending Two Quarter Rebound
Creator Economy

U.S. Creator Startup Funding Drops, Ending Two Quarter Rebound

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 17, 2024 2:17pm PDT
The rebound in funding for creator startups has faded.Funding for U.S. creator economy startups fell nearly 16% to $253.1 million during the September quarter compared to a year earlier, according to the latest update to The Information’s Creator Economy Database. Globally, funding for creator-related startups dropped about 20% to $415.8 million... The rebound in funding for creator startups has faded.Funding for U.S. creator economy startups...
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Why Shopping Livestreams Are Taking Over TikTok
By Kaya Yurieff and Ann Gehan · Oct 16, 2024 2:00pm PDT
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Creator Economy

Why Shopping Livestreams Are Taking Over TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff and Ann Gehan · Oct 16, 2024 2:00pm PDT
Last year, TikTok helped woo sellers to TikTok Shop by footing the bill for incredible discounts on its new e-commerce service. These encouraged merchants to sell items at rock-bottom prices, which led to a deluge of sales. But this year, TikTok is taking a different tack to grow its e-commerce sales by encouraging more brands to go live—a lot.... Last year, TikTok helped woo sellers to TikTok Shop by footing the bill for incredible discounts...
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Creator Economy

Twitch Taps Amazon Exec to Boost Ad Business

By Theo Wayt and Kaya Yurieff · Oct 15, 2024 2:45pm PDT
Amazon is bringing in a new leader to Twitch to boost its advertising business, deepening the ties between the livestreaming service and its powerful parent. In a reorganization of Twitch’s ad business, Amazon is forming a new ad sales and product group for Twitch under the leadership of executive Viral Thacker. Thacker’s team will work “... Amazon is bringing in a new leader to Twitch to boost its advertising business, deepening the...
Hurricane Milton Brings Out Creators' Worst Instincts
Creator Economy

Hurricane Milton Brings Out Creators' Worst Instincts

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 10, 2024 2:00pm PDT · 1 comment
Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, some local creators decided to stay put—and use the natural disaster as an opportunity to capture some prime viewership. These terrifying videos of wind-whipped trees and troubled skies are hard to pass up. But they also show creators playing to the internet’s worst instincts.“Shit is looking... Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, some local creators decided to stay put—and use...
Andy Dunn, Pie's founder. Photo via Pie.
Creator Economy

Bonobos Co-Founder Puts New Twist on Creator Funds

By Ann Gehan · Oct 9, 2024 3:12pm PDT
Pie, an app for hosting and finding group activities started by Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn, is taking a page from the creator economy to promote events in the real world.The startup has already seen users flock to events like Sunday Morning Club, which features activities like beach yoga and cold plunges and attracts more than 500 RSVPs... Pie, an app for hosting and finding group activities started by Bonobos co-founder Andy Dunn...
Karla Welch, co-founder and CEO of The Period Company, speaking on Monday night at WTF 2024. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.
Reaching the ‘Savvy’ Consumer Is Complicated
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 8, 2024 3:18pm PDT
Karla Welch, co-founder and CEO of The Period Company, speaking on Monday night at WTF 2024. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.
Creator Economy

Reaching the ‘Savvy’ Consumer Is Complicated

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 8, 2024 3:18pm PDT
I’m delighted to be at The Information’s annual conference for women in media, tech and finance in Napa Valley. We’ve covered a lot of ground throughout the two-day event, ranging from artificial intelligence to the future of consumer and issues impacting young people.I heard one theme again and again: As the consumer market has gotten more... I’m delighted to be at The Information’s annual conference for women in media, tech and finance...
ShopMy cofounders Harry Rein, Tiffany Lopinsky, and Chris Tinsley.
Creator Economy

How a Social Shopping Startup Is Gaining Ground

By Ann Gehan · Oct 3, 2024 2:49pm PDT
When ShopMy first launched in 2020, it looked a lot like the popular creator startup LTK. Both help creators to set up personalized links to shopping pages they could share on social media sites, giving them a way to earn commissions from brands by promoting products.  ShopMy, whose backers include Inspired Capital and AlleyCorp,... When ShopMy first launched in 2020, it looked a lot like the popular creator startup LTK. Both...
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Creator Economy

Google Could Borrow Meta’s Strategy to Make Smart Glasses Cool

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Oct 2, 2024 3:20pm PDT
There’s been a lot of chatter in the tech industry lately about smart glasses. Meta Platforms announced a string of updates to its Ray-Ban smart glasses at the company’s Connect conference in September. And this week, I reported Google had approached partner Samsung about developing AI-powered smart glasses. (You can read the story here.)If... There’s been a lot of chatter in the tech industry lately about smart glasses. Meta Platforms...
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Creator Economy

YouTube’s Creator Awards Hit by ‘Shrinkflation’

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 1, 2024 2:00pm PDT
About 12 years ago, YouTube started sending out physical awards when creators hit certain subscriber milestones. Those silver and gold plaques, known as Play Buttons, have become coveted status symbols for YouTubers and a welcome recognition of their hard work. But as YouTube leaders bring a new focus on financial discipline, the... About 12 years ago, YouTube started sending out physical awards when creators hit certain...
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo: YouTube
YouTube Makes It Easier to Watch Creators on TV Screens
By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 26, 2024 2:00pm PDT · 1 comment
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo: YouTube
Creator Economy

YouTube Makes It Easier to Watch Creators on TV Screens

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 26, 2024 2:00pm PDT · 1 comment
YouTubers are making more videos with the TV screen in mind. Now YouTube is rewarding them by making it easier for fans to find and watch their favorite videos on connected TVs.Last week, it announced creators will soon be able to organize their content into seasons and episodes on YouTube TV, its paid streaming service that offers live TV and... YouTubers are making more videos with the TV screen in mind. Now YouTube is rewarding them by...