Digiday Daily

August 03, 2026

Brands used to treat creators like media buys, spending ad dollars to rent their audiences. Now, they’re prodding creators to help them shape concepts, influence products and pressure test ideas.

All signs point to a maturing creator economy. Ask any influencer agency exec. CMOs have a new respect and the power dynamics are shifting. But while brands want creators’ judgement, they’re still figuring out how much power to give them.

TOP STORY

The Creator Economy

Who owns the creative brief? Brands and creators are renegotiating the relationship

Brands are moving creators beyond sponsored posts and into the creative process, reshaping who influences marketing decisions.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

Last chance: Enter the Digiday Awards by Aug. 7 to showcase the campaigns, companies and creatives modernizing media and marketing. Gain industry recognition alongside past honorees including Tripadvisor, OLIPOP, NFL and Digitas. Submit your entry today.
To adopt agentic AI at scale, organizations need to prioritize critical areas of agentic readiness. Publishers who have invested in identity infrastructure for privacy compliance are already ahead, as agent readiness and identity readiness are the same project. Partner insights from Optable.
Transparency has become a universal platform claim, but unlike the challenges of transparency in the media buying process — which are understood — a new focus of understanding is required for newer AI-powered, end-to-end planning and buying platforms. Partner insights from 3C Ventures.

MEDIA & PLATFORMS

Member exclusive

Media Buying Briefing: The latest lures holding companies are using to grow principal media

As holdcos rush to equip themselves with AI tools and services, they still haven’t figured out how to sell them. Meantime, principal media has become a major source of profit margin.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM CELTRA

Live session: Tools and tech needed for highly regulated industries

Register for this virtual event on Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. ET for insights into how fast-moving, highly regulated industries — Crypto.com and OG — pulled off campaigns at speed, from brand launch to major sporting moments. Can’t make it? Register and we’ll send you the on-demand recording.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM TALON.ONE

Guide: WTF is agentic commerce?

Agentic commerce differs from earlier forms of automated shopping in that AI agents don’t wait for human input to approve each step. They set a goal, evaluate options against structured criteria and execute on it.

MARKETING

Member exclusive

D+ Research: Marketers navigate a changing CTV landscape

As CTV matures, the streaming ad industry is entering a period of change.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM T-MOBILE ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS

Brand playbook: Inside the next phase of retail media

In-store media has matured from just thrown-together end caps to high-impact, moveable screens that deliver transparent reporting, track campaign performance and more — becoming a strong channel for visibility and incremental reach.

ICYMI