Ai Creator Economy

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Recent Articles about Ai Creator Economy
Speakers at this year's Creator Economy Summit include influencer Loren Gray (left) and recording artist Diplo. Photos via Getty Images.
Creator Economy

An Insider’s Guide to Our Creator Economy Summit

By Kaya Yurieff · Mar 26, 2024 2:00pm PDT
I can’t believe we are just one week away from our fourth annual Creator Economy Summit in Los Angeles!This is the second time we’re hosting this event in person, and we are so excited to bring together more than 300 people, including creators, entrepreneurs, tech executives and investors shaping the sector. (There’s still time to buy a ticket ... I can’t believe we are just one week away from our fourth annual Creator Economy Summit in Los...
Photo via Adobe Stock
Creator Economy

Instagram Shopping Tops TikTok For The Information’s Readers

By Kaya Yurieff · Mar 21, 2024 2:00pm PDT
TikTok has poured hundreds of millions of dollars to coax its U.S. users to shop on the app. But for The Information’s readers, Instagram is still the number one social media destination, according to a new survey of subscribers.About 35% of the 742 respondents said they have shopped using Instagram and 20% said they have shopped on Facebook... TikTok has poured hundreds of millions of dollars to coax its U.S. users to shop on the app. But...
Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, leaves a meeting in Sen. John Fetterman’s office in the Russell Senate Office building on Thursday. Photo by Getty Images.
Creator Economy

The Slow-Motion TikTok Bill

By Erin Woo · Mar 19, 2024 2:51pm PDT
The bill that could ban TikTok is in for a slog. After sailing through the House of Representatives last week, the bill’s momentum is slowing in the Senate. It’s too soon to tell whether Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, will bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Even before that, Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell,... The bill that could ban TikTok is in for a slog. After sailing through the House of...
Camila Cabello for Olipop. Photos via TikTok/YouTube Shorts.
The Influencers Behind Olipop’s Rise; a Potential Bidder for TikTok
By Ann Gehan · Mar 14, 2024 3:27pm PDT
Camila Cabello for Olipop. Photos via TikTok/YouTube Shorts.
Creator Economy

The Influencers Behind Olipop’s Rise; a Potential Bidder for TikTok

By Ann Gehan · Mar 14, 2024 3:27pm PDT
If you’ve started seeing more trendy drink brands popping up on your social media feeds recently, that’s by design. Upstart beverage makers like Olipop, which says its carbonated drinks can help improve digestion and gut health, have been increasing their reach through influencers on TikTok and other apps. In early 2022, the brand... If you’ve started seeing more trendy drink brands popping up on your social media feeds recently,...
Photo via Adobe Stock.
Creator Economy

How Instagram Reels Could Benefit From a TikTok Ban

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Mar 13, 2024 3:00pm PDT
Is TikTok’s pain Instagram’s gain? In the past, employees at the Meta Platforms app certainly thought so. Instagram’s short-video feature, Reels, has come a long way since its bumpy start in 2020. But it’s hard to imagine any Instagram exec isn’t intrigued by the reprise of Washington’s efforts to ban the ByteDance-owned app. After all,... Is TikTok’s pain Instagram’s gain? In the past, employees at the Meta Platforms app certainly...
Alex Cooper attends The Unwell House at SXSW. Photo by Rick Kern via Getty Images.
Creator Economy

What Five Hours With Alex Cooper’s Fans Say About Podcasting

By Kaya Yurieff · Mar 12, 2024 2:49pm PDT
I’ve spent the past few days at South by Southwest, the annual tech and arts festival in Austin. The most memorable part of my experience was embedding myself with the screaming fans of “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper, who threw multi-day events to celebrate the launch of the Unwell Network, an arm of her production company where she’s... I’ve spent the past few days at South by Southwest, the annual tech and arts festival in Austin....
Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images.
Creator Economy

TikTok Engages Its 170 Million Fans to Fight Potential Ban

By Sahil Patel and Kaya Yurieff · Mar 7, 2024 2:22pm PST · 3 comments
Here we go again! TikTok is back in the crosshairs of the U.S. government and it’s already using the most valuable marketing real estate at its disposal—its own app—to rally U.S. users to its defense. Over the last day, some people with the TikTok smartphone app received push notifications stating that it “is at risk of being shut down in... Here we go again! TikTok is back in the crosshairs of the U.S. government and it’s already using...
Linktree co-founders, from left to right: Nick Humphreys, Alex Zaccaria, Anthony Zaccaria
Linktree Jumps Into Social Commerce With Sephora
By Kaya Yurieff · Mar 6, 2024 2:33pm PST
Linktree co-founders, from left to right: Nick Humphreys, Alex Zaccaria, Anthony Zaccaria
Creator Economy

Linktree Jumps Into Social Commerce With Sephora

By Kaya Yurieff · Mar 6, 2024 2:33pm PST
Linktree, the largest and best known among the dozens of startups offering link-in-bio tools—the landing pages that link creators’ social media accounts to product pages, podcasts and videos—is expanding into social commerce. The seven-year-old startup is testing an affiliate marketing program with Sephora, Revolve and Urban Outfitters.... Linktree, the largest and best known among the dozens of startups offering link-in-bio tools—the...
Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images.
Creator Economy

What to Expect at SXSW; ByteDance’s Soaring Revenue

By Kaya Yurieff · Mar 5, 2024 2:25pm PST
Later this week, I’m heading to South by Southwest, the annual tech and arts festival in Austin. If you’ll be in town, let’s get coffee or some BBQ! I’d also love to see you at The Information’s cocktail party on Friday night here, and our Saturday brunch and panel here. (Be sure to RSVP today, space is limited!)Creators have increasingly become... Later this week, I’m heading to South by Southwest, the annual tech and arts festival in Austin....
Art by Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Why TikTok Can Outstare UMG in its Music Standoff

By Erin Woo · Feb 29, 2024 3:31pm PST · 1 comment
TikTok’s standoff with Universal Music Group is the latest example of how the app has changed from its roots as a lip-syncing platform toward one more focused on shopping.To recap: Late last month, TikTok and Universal Music Group, one of the biggest record labels in the world, failed to reach an agreement to let TikTok license UMG songs for use... TikTok’s standoff with Universal Music Group is the latest example of how the app has changed...
Acquired podcast hosts Ben Gilbert (left) and David Rosenthal. Photo: Acquired
Creator Economy

The Super Long-Form Podcasters Selling Sponsorships for $750,000

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 28, 2024 2:27pm PST
TikTok’s rise has put the spotlight on short, snackable content, but I’m hearing more and more buzz about how long-form is making a comeback. For some, it never left. Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, friends and former colleagues at venture capital firm Madrona, started their podcast “Acquired” in 2015, before it was common for investors to... TikTok’s rise has put the spotlight on short, snackable content, but I’m hearing more and more...
Visa chief marketing officer Frank Cooper III. Photo: Visa
Visa’s Marketing Chief on the Creator Economy ‘Gold Rush’
By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 27, 2024 2:18pm PST
Visa chief marketing officer Frank Cooper III. Photo: Visa
Creator Economy

Visa’s Marketing Chief on the Creator Economy ‘Gold Rush’

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 27, 2024 2:18pm PST
Visa is stepping up its efforts to become more synonymous with the creator economy, from utilizing creators heavily in marketing to servicing their payments needs.“It’s been the gold rush for creators. Everyone’s like, ‘Hey, up in those hills are a bunch of creators who have a lot of reach and big audiences,’” said Frank Cooper III, chief... Visa is stepping up its efforts to become more synonymous with the creator economy, from...
Image by Mike Sullivan.
Creator Economy

Eight More Creator Startups Closed as VC Money Evaporated

By Abubakar Idris · Feb 21, 2024 3:30pm PST
Last week, we published a list of creator economy startups that could be on the market for a new owner because they haven’t raised more than a seed round of venture capital in two years and may be running low on cash. Some founders have already pulled the plug on their startups, we discovered.At least eight early-stage startups in The... Last week, we published a list of creator economy startups that could be on the market for a new...
Photo via Adobe Stock
Creator Economy

Pinterest Gets the Snap Treatment; Priceline’s Swift Super Bowl Play

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 8, 2024 4:03pm PST
Add Pinterest to the same boat as Snap: a social media company that’s showing growth in digital ads, but far from the strength that wowed investors after Meta Platforms results. Pinterest stock fell 9% in extended trading Thursday afternoon after revenue rose 12% to $981 million during the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier. That was... Add Pinterest to the same boat as Snap: a social media company that’s showing growth in digital...
Left to right: Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok; Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X; and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta at a Senate hearing. Photo by Getty Images.
Creator Economy

Congress Won’t Let TikTok Forget About China

By Kalley Huang · Jan 31, 2024 3:08pm PST
Senators grilled the CEOs of Meta Platforms, TikTok, X, Snap and Discord for four hours at a hearing about child sexual exploitation online on Wednesday, criticizing how their platforms allowed child sexual abuse material to spread and enabled the extortion of young people. The senators used the opportunity to jab at executives —“You have blood... Senators grilled the CEOs of Meta Platforms, TikTok, X, Snap and Discord for four hours at a...
Photo via Adobe Stock
YouTube Talks Creators as Execs Promise More AI Tools
By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 30, 2024 3:42pm PST
Photo via Adobe Stock
Creator Economy

YouTube Talks Creators as Execs Promise More AI Tools

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 30, 2024 3:42pm PST
Before we get to Google parent Alphabet’s latest quarterly results, I wanted to highlight the news we broke earlier today that TikTok is planning to open locations in Los Angeles where creators will be able to livestream and sell products. The studios will be outfitted with camera equipment, lights and sample products available on TikTok Shop.... Before we get to Google parent Alphabet’s latest quarterly results, I wanted to highlight the ...
Heidi and Marc D'Amelio speak at The Information's Creator Economy Summit in April 2023. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

What to Watch in Social Media Earnings

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 29, 2024 2:53pm PST
In case you missed it, we just started selling early bird tickets to our fourth annual Creator Economy Summit, taking place on April 2 in Los Angeles!Our event is coming at a time when the creator economy is entering a new era. Many startups are struggling to raise fresh venture funding, forcing them to seek buyers, pivot or even consider... In case you missed it, we just started selling early bird tickets to our fourth annual Creator...
Photos via Getty Images, Shutterstock and TikTok.
Creator Economy

In Politics, the ‘New Norm’ Includes Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 22, 2024 2:42pm PST
Earlier today, we published a story about creators’ growing role in the 2024 election. President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is hiring a director of digital partnerships to work with creators to amplify his message and reach key voting blocs, including working with local nanoinfluencers. Staffers have discussed having a creator... Earlier today, we published a story about creators’ growing role in the 2024 election. President...
Singer Olivia Rodrigo joins a White House press briefing in 2021. Photo by Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
Creator Economy

Five Predictions for the 2024 Creator Economy

By Kaya Yurieff · Jan 2, 2024 2:00pm PST
This year is already gearing up to be a busy one. We’re heading into a U.S. presidential election and artificial intelligence technology continues to develop at a rapid speed. Both will involve creators, I predict. Here are more of my forecasts for 2024.• Dozens of creator economy startups will shut down or get acquired. This year, startups... This year is already gearing up to be a busy one. We’re heading into a U.S. presidential election...
Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap Inc. Photo via Getty.
Spiegel’s Shakeup Hits Snap Stories Group
By Erin Woo · Nov 15, 2023 3:45pm PST
Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap Inc. Photo via Getty.
Creator Economy

Spiegel’s Shakeup Hits Snap Stories Group

By Erin Woo · Nov 15, 2023 3:45pm PST
For the past week and a half, I’ve been reporting on a social media CEO who’s been slashing product management staff, taking a hands-on role with product decisions and extolling the benefits of spending longer hours in the office. It wasn’t Elon Musk.Instead, Snap co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel has taken the hard-core mantle from Musk as... For the past week and a half, I’ve been reporting on a social media CEO who’s been slashing...