The news: Social media management platform Later is acquiring influencer app Mavely for $250 million, marking a significant move to integrate full-funnel marketing capabilities with creator monetization.

• Later's workforce will expand to 375 with the addition of 75 Mavely staffers.
• Mavely paid $16 million in commissions to 85,000 creators in H1 2024.
• Mavely campaigns deliver three to five times the return on ad spend across various marketing channels.

Why it matters: The creator economy is driving significant M&A activity as the industry shifts toward measurable, creator-led growth.

Major deals reflect this momentum:

• Publicis’ acquisition of Influential last year, which created the world's largest influencer marketing solution, demonstrates how holding companies are centralizing creator capabilities.
• The Later-Mavely deal similarly shows buyers seeking technology that can scale creator relationships while maintaining authenticity and performance.
• These acquisitions reflect a broader industry push to consolidate creator technology, data capabilities, and global reach under single ownership.

Brands are demanding more sophisticated tools:

• Advertisers increasingly require clearer attribution between creator content and actual sales performance.
• Companies are investing heavily in measuring the incremental impact of creator partnerships, moving beyond basic engagement metrics.
• Creator-driven content is becoming crucial for retail media networks' advertising offerings.
• The focus has shifted toward technologies that can scale creator relationships while maintaining performance.

Strategic implications: Creator monetization is driving deal activity.

• Platforms enabling sustainable creator income streams are attracting investment.
• Tools for commission-based earnings and campaign optimization are in high demand.
• Brands need better infrastructure for managing creator relationships at scale.
• The focus is shifting from reach metrics to revenue attribution.

Our take: Later's acquisition of Mavely represents a larger trend in ad tech M&A as companies race to build comprehensive creator monetization platforms.

• With improved economic conditions and reduced regulatory pressure expected in 2025, we'll likely see more deals focusing on connecting creator content directly to sales performance.
• The emphasis on measurable outcomes and full-funnel marketing capabilities suggests the creator economy is entering a more mature, ROI-driven phase.

Go deeper: For more on how this landscape is changing, read our report, The Influencer Marketing Agency Ecosystem 2024.

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