The news: Content creators are emerging as a key source of building brand awareness and trust, according to a recent Wondery and SmithGeiger study of 3,000 US creator fans. Creators were defined as hosts of recurring shows, such as podcasts, built around their voice and point of view, and separate from traditional social media influencers.

• 85% view their favorite creator as a friend, and 81% say they trust creators as much as their close friends.
• 78% felt more confident purchasing a product recommended by a host, and 71% say that a product being consistently featured across several videos makes the endorsement feel genuine.
• Half assume creators don’t actually like a brand when the brand is only mentioned once.

Why it matters: The findings highlight that sustained partnerships—not one-off endorsements—best bring out the potential of creator partnerships to build brand trust and affinity.

• Creators now represent a distinct category in video and TV consumption, accounting for 26% of total viewing time, about 1.7 hours daily, per Media Dynamics. That offers a substantial opportunity for brands to reach audiences through creator-led content.
• But reaching audiences is only part of the equation. Longer-term partnerships on platforms like YouTube generate higher affiliate link clickthrough rates, reinforcing the value of repeat integrations for building credibility and driving consumer action.
• Consumers who repeatedly engage with the same creators are 1.2 times as likely to purchase based on creator recommendations, per Deloitte, and 70% regularly return to the same creators—suggesting that long-term partnerships can help brands capitalize on existing creator/audience relationships.

Recommendations for brands: Prioritize long-term partnerships, but recognize that success also depends on an authentic fit between the creator, their audience, and the brand’s values.

• Over 40% of creators report feeling tension between the content their audiences want and what brands ask them to produce, per CreatorIQ. Excessive creative control can undermine long-term partnerships by making sponsored content feel transactional or disconnected from a creator’s voice.
• Treat repeat partnerships as an opportunity to build a cohesive story that strengthens audience trust over time. Creators are skilled at using personal stories to engage audiences, so brands should seek partners whose strengths in storytelling or product demonstrations can bring brand messages to life across multiple episodes.

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