The definitive Digiday guide to what's in and out in the creator economy

The creator economy has already expanded bigger and far quicker than anyone thought it would. And this is only the beginning. To find out how the creator economy has shifted so far in the last 12 months, check out Digiday's definitive guide to what's in and what's out.

Additional coverage:

• VTubers (livestreamers or video creators who use virtual avatars) have been on the rise for the last few years — and in 2025, brands are picking up on the opportunity. Here's everything you need to know about this growing category of creator.
• As users adopt AI search tools like Google’s AI Overviews or ChatGPT in lieu of traditional search engines, clients are worried about what exactly generative AI search tools are saying about their brands and whether that can be measured and ultimately, influenced.
• Marketers say AI tools still struggle with brand campaigns, where longer feedback loops and vague metrics make it harder to optimize beyond the bottom of the funnel.
• After seeing “tremendous success with brick-and-mortar” retail in Canada, the intimates brand Knix is honing in on the U.S. market.
• Hear from reporters: WPP Media is selling itself with data — but via its partnerships, not actual ownership of that data. Digiday’s Seb Joseph and Digiday Media’s Tim Peterson discuss what that means.