The Information

I write a newsletter about the creator economy, from the personalities to the deals, companies and trends driving this industry. 

Sign up here to get it in your inbox Monday-Thursday: https://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/creator-economy

Creator Economy Reporter

CNN Business

https://www.cnn.com/profiles/kaya-yurieff

Writer (Big Tech and Social Media)

Associate Writer, Tech

TheStreet

Digital Journalist

Worth Group, LLC

Digital Content Producer at Worth Magazine

Bloomberg LP

Intern

• Show and video production, including selecting video elements, ingesting video, creating still-strings and graphics, editing and coding b-roll for show segments
• Conducted show research, transcribed interviews and pitched show ideas

Intern, The Lead with Jake Tapper

• Pitched reporters and topics, generated show content, conducted show research, transcribed interviews, greeted guests, helped with show elements and Magic Wall hits, updated Inside Politics website, cut and edited video and uploaded it to CNN.com
• Compiled and tracked exit poll data and monitored social media and other news outlets as part of CNN's 2014 Midterm Election coverage

Intern, Inside Politics with John King

Kaya Yurieff writes about the creator economy and social media. In April 2021, she joined tech publication The Information to launch the Creator Economy newsletter and cover the fast-growing sector. She regularly covers Meta Platforms, TikTok, YouTube, Snap and X (Twitter), as well as startups focused on creators. The Creator Economy newsletter was a 2022 Webby Honoree and won an honorable mention Best in Business award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) in April 2022.
 
Kaya also launched The Information’s Creator Economy Database, which includes data on private companies in the sector, such as funding information and lead investors. She makes regular media appearances, including on podcasts, TV and industry panels. Previously, she covered technology and social media platforms at CNN. She started her journalism career writing breaking news at TheStreet. She is fluent in Polish. Based in New York, she can be reached at kaya@theinformation.com.

Here’s my dirty secret: The first viral comment I made from Duolingo's account wasn't meant to be from Duo. I thought I was commenting from my own personal account...and it worked.

I'm not recommending making this mistake (it's probably every social media manager's worst nightmare), but there's some things we can learn here about community management. 

Check them out:

Kaya Yurieff

Zaria Parvez on LinkedIn • 4 min read

How the Comment Section became Duolingo's new Push Notification

Today marks 3 years at The Information! 

And I have a new title :) I am now Team Leader, focusing on shaping our creator economy coverage and growing the franchise. 

I’ll still be writing the newsletter, bringing you scoops, features and more events. It’s felt like 3 seconds and 10 years at the same time. Excited for what’s to come! 

I’m always all ears for your ideas, so feel free to reach out.

🎂 3 years ago today, we published the very first edition of my Creator Economy newsletter! 

This newsletter has grown to more than 100,000 subscribers, regularly bringing you scoops, profiles, interviews and news on the important things happening in the sector. 

Plus, a flagship Creator Economy Summit in Los Angeles, private dinners in New York, smaller events at SXSW and Cannes Lions, a massive startup database of 550+ companies and so much more. 

Subscribe for free here! https://lnkd.in/eiQaYAmK

Spent Tuesday talking shop at The Information’s Creator Economy Summit. Full recap is coming in Friday’s newsletter. 

The location was stunning, the networking was great and the conversations were fascinating. 

Pictured here are just some of the powerhouse people in attendance, including, of course, Kaya Yurieff whose newsletter fuels this whole thing + Jasmine Enberg, Taylor Lorenz, Lindsey Lee Lugrin and Keenya Kelly

#CreatorEconomy #InfluencerMarketing #CreatorSummit

The Information Creator Summit is like the VidCon All-Star Game.

Kaya Yurieff and Jessica E. Lessin put on one heck of an event. With a curated list of tippy-top creators, execs, and thought-leaders in a beautiful venue, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up, learn, and meet.

I feel like I got more deal flow opps in 8 hours than I usually do at an entire week-long conference.

Highlights include:

- Larry Shapiro ate a banana and I now have photographic proof of his nutritious choice.

- Visa execs are leaning in hard, figuring out everything from cross-boundary payments to creator credit cards.

- TikTok Shop is no passing fad, and Marni Levine isn't going to let the platform news slow her down.

- Wendy Wildfeuer showed me a Motom demo with some analytics that blew me away.

- Fanfix came out in numbers! And congrats again for the CMO role Loren Piretra (she/ her)!

- Creators are frustrated by Facebook monetization's dip, bullish on YouTube monetization, and mostly don't know about the Snap Stars monetization opportunity (but were STOKED to learn about it!)

- There are a ton of very capable digital execs looking for new roles, either because they're at companies on shaky financial ground or they're recently laid off.

- Anthony Adamovich may be a quiet guy, but he somehow becomes the most popular guy at every party.

- Jim Louderback wins the 'social butterfly' award, as it appears that he talked to dang near every single person at the event.

And huge thanks to Chris Erwin and Brendan Gahan for a fantastic afterparty!

#creatoreconomy #socialmedia #creatorsummit

This week, Stephanie Smith (Vice President, Talent Strategy) spoke at The Information's 2024 Creator Economy Summit. Her “Hollywood and Social Media” panel explored how social-native storytellers and content creators are converging with film, television and other sectors of the industry.

Organized by The Information’s Kaya Yurieff, the annual summit brings together some 400 thought leaders to discuss the future of creator-led entertainment, music, tech and more. 

📷: Erin Beach 

It's official: President Biden signed the TikTok ban or sell bill on Wednesday.

TikTok responded saying it would fight the law in court. “This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement this morning.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew also posted a video on TikTok, encouraging users to share stories of how TikTok has affected their life. 

“Make no mistake, this is a ban on TikTok, and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew said in the video. “It’s obviously a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one … Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts.”

https://lnkd.in/eNy9KvaZ 

Natasha Nanner

WE ARE SO BACK (sort of). 

Funding for U.S. creator economy startups increased for the first time in two years, bucking a continued slump in overall funding for American startups. Investments in these U.S. startups more than doubled in the first three months of the year to nearly $341 million year-over-year, according to the latest data from The Information’s Creator Economy Database. Compare that to last year’s dismal results, when funding dropped at least 46% each quarter. 

But founders shouldn’t get too excited about the rebound. VCs aren’t whipping out their checkbooks like they were in 2021, when U.S. creator startups raised an average $1.5 billion **per quarter.** Many have been burned by bets that haven’t panned out. Other startups are still struggling to get to profitability or are seeking buyers.

Still the rebound is a good sign for the sector, especially as startups are much more prudent with the money they have. 

Dive more into which deals drove the rebound and other trends here: https://lnkd.in/esUtWvfp


Most brands are increasing their influencer budgets. Many creators say brand deals are drying up. Both are true. Here's why:

✨ Brands are spending their influencer dollars more thoughtfully. 

Marketers have more tools, experience, and data than ever before. They’re leveraging those resources to optimize influencer strategies, rather than blindly throwing dollars behind the tactic. Budgets are rising, but spending is going primarily to omnichannel campaigns with big creators with whom brands have established relationships.

✨ Demand among creators is outpacing supply from brands. 

While there are now fewer overnight TikTok sensations, the market has become saturated with creators looking to monetize their content. That gives marketers the upper hand during negotiations, and they’re using it to propose more “creative” solutions, like affiliate marketing and content licensing deals, which cost less but can provide more measurable performance.

✨ The creator middle class is feeling the pinch the most. 

As being a creator has become a legitimate career path, the prices they charge have risen. But midsize creators don’t have the reach of big-name influencers, nor the perceived conversion potential of niche creators—meaning they can’t always justify their rates. Many are stuck in the “in-between,” unable to ink high-profile deals yet unwilling or unable to settle for anything less.

For more on how the dynamics of the deal market are evolving, check out my latest for EMARKETER, "The State of Influencer-Brand Deals 2024: More Creators, Bigger Budgets, Fewer Partnerships."

Will post the link in comments!

Big thank you to Meridith Valiando Rojas, Caroline Neagle, Permele Doyle, Yinon Horwitz, and Gigi Robinson, M.S., BFA for sharing their insights.

The Information Creator Economy Summit was epic, so many great people from the community exchanging ideas and learning from some pretty impressive leaders. Also great when Kaya Yurieff captions this picture as “plotting with Creator Coach“. 

Getting to see Phil Ranta Lauren Schnipper Jim Louderback Goldie Chan Brandon Farbstein Dylan Huey Lucy Tate Amber Tarshis Larry Shapiro Kenny Layton Meredith Jacobson Lisa Sullivan Guerrero Avi Gandhi Ali Spagnola Sterling Proffer Jonathan Skogmo Chris Erwin Taylor Lorenz Jason Cosgrove Gabe Gordon Zach Blume Drew Baldwin Joshua Cohen Byron Ashley just to name a few! Definitely an event you don’t want to miss next year.

Congratulations Kaya Yurieff and Jessica E. Lessin for bringing us all together for the 4th annual The Information’s Creator Summit. 

My biggest takeaways from the day, and where there is opportunity to build:

Head of TikTok Shop US Operations Marni Levine emphasized their focus on “making the best experience for our customers,” **including** building a frictionless logistics network. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the next “Narvar” to come out of this work. On the fun side, I learned which products sold the best since the Shop’s launch last fall: Gurunanda pulling oil for teeth and a pickle sweatshirt. 

Twitch’s Chief Monetization Officer Mike Minton talking about streamer kai cenat’s deal with Nike- we’ve known for a long time there’s an opportunity for activewear brands to branch out to gaming, and not just ad sponsorships, I’m looking out for technical gaming apparel too.

Whalar’s co-founder, who represents thousands of creators, dropping the stats: 10 years ago less than 10% of creators they worked with were full time, now 90% are full time. Moreover this year 70% of their creators have a manager on their team, last year it was 50%. I don’t think there’s a more clear way to say there’s an economy here. He also said the “power is in the niche community,” which we at TYB couldn’t agree with more. 

United Talent Agency’s Stephanie Smith dropping an Entourage reference on a panel talking about creators working in Hollywood: “The agency you see today is not what you saw on Entourage, we adapt with the times to understand what is the value of a person’s audience.” It sounds like just a Turtle, an E, and a Johnny Drama wouldn’t cut it today. 

And last but not least, Diplo (the DJ doesn’t have a LinkedIn) responding to Kaya Yurieff asking what he thinks if TikTok were to go away: no problem, you just move with the waves and find the next thing, maybe I’ll be putting sets together with Neurolink

And last but not least, a speaker referenced Bill Gross’ famous study of what accounts most for a company’s success or failure among idea, team, business model, funding and timing. The number one thing is timing. After hearing from everyone all day, including our CEO Ty Haney speak about TYB’s (Try Your Best) community rewards platform, and the value of giving brands an owned channel, my biggest takeaway was that we have timing on our side. The antiquated DTC ad platform model is dying, it’s time to look at what’s next. 

https://lnkd.in/gM-dyjvR

Dude Perfect's $100 million+ fundraise feels like the start of a new stage of the creator economy. Long-time creators like the five-person group are thinking about how to transform successful YouTube channels into true media companies while also offering them reprieve from day-to-day operations. 

With the new capital, Dude Perfect plans to hire a CEO and other leadership roles “like a proper business,” while the group focuses on big creative ideas, said Coby Cotton in an interview. And they’ll decide which of them to pursue. The group has many such ideas, including other branded consumer goods, animated shows and making their content international. It currently has 25 employees.

“Our vision, hopefully, is to turn Dude Perfect into something that’s much more long-term than just the five of us. We joke that we don’t know who Dave or Buster are but Dave & Buster’s has created a family experience where you know what it is when you hear it. It’s fun,” he told me. “We want Dude Perfect to be around for generations.”

theinformation.com • 1 min read

What Dude Perfect’s Fundraise Says About the Creator Economy

For the last 4 months, I have been consuming knowledge like crazy on the creator economy. So what did I discover?

- The Creator Economy is only going to get bigger. Its so-called "demise" has been greatly exaggerated

- While 50% of marketing today is done through influencers, in the next 10 years it will jump up to 80%. Even some of the most reserved companies in the world like Apple have started investing in influencer marketing

- The space has some of the best resources I have seen across the web in different mediums. Podcasts, LinkedIn and Twitter posts, Newsletters, YouTube Videos, etc.

But these resources are scattered all over the place. So to help others navigate this space, the team at Superstar has compiled "The Creator Economy Ultimate Guide" featuring the best podcasts, newsletters, YouTube channels, and people to follow. 

This guide is the result of countless hours of research and due diligence, sifting through the noise to find the most valuable content.

You can check it out using the link in the comments below!

---

These people and their content have helped me more than I could've asked for.

So a huge special shout out from the bottom of my heart to:

Kaya Yurieff, Samir Chaudry, Colin Rosenblum, Reed Duchscher, Brendan Gahan, Lindsey Gamble, Avi Gandhi, Sima Gandhi, Amanda Perelli, Jim Louderback, Lia Haberman, Jay Clouse, Justin Welsh, Rob Balasabas, Kristen Bousquet, Qianna Smith Bruneteau, James Creech, Kahlil Dumas, Jessy Grossman, Dylan Harari, Jayde I. Powell, Renee Teeley ⏩, Jerry Won, Peter Yang, Jon Youshaei, Alex Garcia, Konstantin Kanin, Kirby Porter, Phil Ranta, Daniel Abas, Lauren Schnipper, Joshua Cohen, Dulma Altan, Ian Shepherd, Adam Levy 

You guys are absolutely killing it!

New from me: TikTok is introducing a new rewards app as it looks to revive stagnant growth. 

The new app is rolling out in Spain, France and other EU countries and will encourage users to watch videos, invite friends to sign up or perform other actions by awarding them points they can redeem as gift cards or financial rewards to send creators, according to internal documents. 

Called Coin App within the company and TikTok Lite to the public, it is designed to help TikTok boost growth among people aged 18 and older. (Not to be confused with a different version of TikTok Lite that has lower bandwidth and storage for emerging markets.)

TikTok hopes the promise of financial rewards will attract new users, particularly in the EU, where user growth “has been stagnant” and “there is still room to grow” among people 18 and older, the company said internally. It recently began rolling out the new rewards app in Europe following launches in Korea and Japan last year.

The launch in Japan showed that building a standalone app that targets users 18 and older is “effective in stimulating growth,” according to the document. The rewards app’s daily active users in Japan have risen to more than 2.5 million since its launch last June, with less than a 25% overlap in users with the regular TikTok app.

Full story here:

TikTok Launches New Rewards App to Boost Growth

The Information #CreatorSummit last week was a fantastic event - huge thanks and congratulations to Kaya Yurieff!

I came away most struck by the variety of people in attendance from such a wide cross section of media sectors who are seeing the vitality and potential of this ecosystem. It will be fascinating to see the ways in which the broader media industry and the creator economy continue to converge in new ways. Running into so many old friends and colleagues who've worked in everything from digital publishing to TV and film to podcasting, the breadth of possibilities is inspiring so many. After so many challenging years in traditional media, the opportunity to foster new connections and new creative voices is remarkable. And for the purposes of what we're building at Artnership, this convergence is inevitable and we believe that continuing to build the connections between creatives voices is the first step towards a creative and creator led media ecosystem built from the individual and collaboration up.

Breaking down these silos between platforms, media types, geography is where so much creative innovation is going to be unleashed. And whatever way the media and platform tides turn, it's the strength of these connections between creator and audience and creator and creator that will help weather the storm.

Diplo was there too.

Would you be upset if TikTok was banned?

Diplo: I would not be upset. One of the many nuggets from this week's Creator Economy Summit brought to you by The Information. Second year I've attended and I'm all in. Great crowd, great speakers, close to home, what more can you ask? Kudos to Kaya Yurieff and team for putting on such a great event. 

Other highlights include Ty Haney founder of Outdoor Voices and Try Your Best on what it takes to build a great brand. "Creators with an audience are sitting on a goldmine." She then laid out the tools for building a great brand with that audience which included connection to customers and incentivizing those customers into action by pushing status visible to everyone. 

Also this week YouTube is adding the option to put shorts behind a paywall. But like are you going to pay for that? I'm very sus. 

Listen to all of the recaps, how former guest hosts of the Creator Upload Podcast were fighting as to who did it better and more on this week's episode. Link in comments.

In non-TikTok news: Instagram invited some creators this month to join a challenge on Threads focused on posting content related to “positivity,” for a chance to win prizes up to $500, according to a message sent to creators seen by The Information. 

Creators have to post at least once a day on Threads for 10 straight days to be eligible, and Instagram encouraged them to use the hashtag #GoodVibesonThreads to make it easier for staff to “find and share” their posts. Then, creators are entered into a drawing for 10 prizes, which are worth up to $500 each. It also provided creators with 10 prompts to get them started, including giving thanks to someone who inspired them to become a creator and sharing a song that puts them in a good mood. 

“By putting your creativity to work and sharing some kindness and positivity with the world, you’ll be helping to build a corner of joy on Threads,” the company wrote in the message to creators. A spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

My take: Most creators I talk to just don't see Threads as a priority, and what amounts to a raffle isn't going to change that. Creators are already really strapped for time, and even though a text-based app requires much less effort than filming a video, if it doesn’t bring in any money or help grow their visibility, it’s hard to make a priority.

Update: Meta reached out to clarify that these are prizes/swag worth up to $500, not cash prizes. A spokesperson said the focus of the program, and previous ones before it, is about “encouraging conversations and giving guidance” rather than the prize amount.

Full story here: https://lnkd.in/eu_Ny_Nb 

Threads Offers Creators $500 to Post About ‘Positivity’

Latest from me on the potential TikTok ban: TikTok plans to file a legal challenge if the bill forcing a sale or ban of the app is signed. 

“This is the beginning, not the end of this long process,” Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, told staff over the weekend.

The House of Representatives on Saturday passed a revised bill requiring TikTok to cut ties to its Chinese parent ByteDance or face a ban. “At the stage that the bill is signed, we will move to the courts for a legal challenge,” he said. Beckerman called the legislation “unconstitutional” and an “unprecedented deal” worked out between the Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and President Biden.

Legal experts had anticipated TikTok would sue to counter any legislation forcing a sale or closure, similar to what TikTok did in 2020 when it faced a similar situation under then President Trump.

“We’ll continue to fight, as this legislation is a clear violation of the First Amendment rights of the 170 million Americans on TikTok,” wrote Beckerman. He also cited support from creators on the app, who he said are “using their voice to share personal stories of how TikTok has positively changed their lives.” The company will hold a global all-hands meeting on Wednesday.

Briefing: TikTok Plots Suit Over U.S. Ban Bill, Exec Tells Staff

In other TikTok news today...

The European Union opened a probe into a new rewards program part of TikTok’s new TikTok Lite app in France and Spain, which offers points that can be redeemed for gift cards when users watch videos, invite friends or complete other actions (or users can gift their rewards to creators in the form of digital tips). 

The European Commission said it’s concerned that TikTok Lite’s “Task and Reward Program” has “been launched without prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails, in particular those related to the addictive effect of the platforms, and without taking effective risk mitigating measures.” TikTok has until Tuesday to provide a risk assessment report or face fines. 

The probe comes after my report from The Information about the app’s roll out in Europe earlier this month, following launches in Korea and Japan last year as it looks to address “stagnant growth” in the EU.

Read my original story here:

Just unwound from one of the most interesting creator conferences in #LA, and let me tell you, the intimate vibe was everything.

Diving into future-shaping dialogues and what longevity looks like in the influencer industry.

A massive shoutout to The Information for this in-person experience. 

Now, can we please talk about  Kaya Yurieff? She voiced the questions simmering in all our minds about the antics of Big Social. Kaya turned up the heat like a Michelin star chef  🤌

Why should our advertising dollars increasingly flow into creator apps? 
Takeaways coming shortly.

I had the joy of mingling with some industry's titans – those who've penned the very definition of being a digital creator in today’s global entertainment sphere, and honestly... I think its an insane time to be a creator. 

Also shoutout to Diplo's team, he spawns at every single conference without fail or cancellation. 

#CreatorEconomy #Information #entertainment

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