4 Ways Creators are Making Money in 2026
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How did Colin and Samir introduce the topic of creator advertising and why now?
Hey, what's up, everyone?
Welcome back to The Colin and Samir Show. On today's episode, we're talking about ads. Mainly because we made one. We made a bunch, actually. But not how you would think, not historically what you'd think of when we say ads.
So in this episode, we're going to talk about four ways that creators and brands are working together and talk a lot about the future of advertising in the creator economy. If you're in the creator economy, you got to love ads.
It's kind of the thing. The future of the creator economy and its growth, in my opinion, hinges on the ability of brands and creators to work better together. Why are you yelling? Because I really mean it. Yeah, you feel very passionate about it. I feel very passionate.
Yeah. All right. If you're into ads, you're going to like this episode. All right, let's talk about ads. Honestly, one of my favorite things. Yeah, actually. Not even kidding. Yeah, it's something I deeply love and something that is the economic engine of the internet. It's really interesting to go back in time and go like advertising is what enabled the internet to be free.
And the economic engine for creators. The majority of creators make the majority of their money from brand partnerships.
So what's interesting and why this is coming to life right now and why we're having this conversation so much is in part because of a deal we just did that we're going to talk about, but also we're about a month out from Cannes Lions. And coming home from Cannes Lions, I wrote up these observations of what I saw at Cannes this festival of advertising and what was deemed as like the super bowl for creators. And we were in a lot of closed door meetings there with, with major brands. And there was this like palpable anxiety around solving creator.
Yeah. Needing, feeling like they need to work with creators and, because of their cultural impact because of even just the buzzword right now of creators but feeling like there is also a bit of discomfort in giving up control to creators right giving our brand voice to these people who We haven't met yet. We don't speak the same language all the time.
Especially as the brands get bigger, right? Like the bigger the brand, the more complexity with that. But the headline that I wrote was that every brand is trying to solve creator issues. but they have a very narrow view of what creator means. And so coming out of it, I wrote down four different ways that brands can engage with creators and that are engaging with creators to kind of clarify what this modern advertising industry is with independent creators. Like what do they represent to the ad world? Just some numbers. Creator spend is projected to hit $39 billion in 2026. Total global advertising spend is going to hit a trillion dollars, which is crazy. But $39 billion to creators is insane.
Yeah, when I heard that, I thought it candidly was a mistake because I just can't even comprehend and understand a number that large. Let alone within our space, because you and I, I feel like I know every creator or know of. And I'm like, wait, how is this $39 billion being disseminated?
Yeah. But I don't think that's true. I think if you go out globally and explore the definition of creator, it's actually, there's a lot. Yeah. Right? And-
Because if just our friends were getting that $39 billion, I think we would know.
We would know.
We would know. We would know.
Some of them are getting large portions of that $39 billion. Or they're just not telling us. Now, in this episode, we're also joined by Connor, producer on our team, because we need a vantage point of somebody who's a consumer of advertising on the internet. not a creator of advertising on the internet. I say this because again, you and I are fans of advertising. We have a bias towards advertising and I have no relationship with a brand deal from a creator that isn't coming from the perspective of me analyzing it Of how it was done. As a producer of advertising. So Connor, welcome. Thank you.
Good to be here. You like ads, Connor?
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
How did Colin and Samir introduce the topic of creator advertising and why now?
0:00–10:32
2
What do the hosts say about creator ad spend reaching $39 billion in 2026?
10:32–28:28
3
How did the Lexus partnership come together and what ad format did the creators produce?
28:28–33:02
4
Why might creators making straight pre-roll ads remove tension around brand integrations?
33:02–46:03
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Colin and Samir Show
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