Yesterday I ventured down to London’s Tobacco Dock for CreatorIQ Connect Europe, a pivotal gathering for over 700 industry leaders, marketers, and creators. The event spotlighted the evolving landscape of creator marketing, emphasising Europe’s burgeoning role in shaping global strategies. Through a series of insightful sessions, attendees explored themes ranging from building trust within communities, to integrating AI thoughtfully into creator partnerships. The discussions underscored a collective shift towards embedding creators at the heart of brand strategies, ensuring authenticity, scalability, and cultural resonance.

CreatorIQ’s Brit Starr, Gemma Dodd, and Chris Harrington opened the day by capturing something fundamental: the conversation around creator marketing has evolved. It’s no longer about proving its value – that battle’s been won. The focus now is on how brands can show up meaningfully within communities and earn their place through trust and relevance. I left feeling energised by the scale of change and the cultural opportunity it presents. EMEA is now projected to outspend the US in this space – a clear sign that this side of the pond is leading the way in creativity, engagement, and innovation. As the landscape continues to evolve, brands must shift from transactional thinking to cultural participation. This is about impact, not impressions – and the moment to act is now.

If the first session was about earning your place in culture, the second was about embedding it into your operations. Hearing from Antoine Héry and Hassan Daoud was a masterclass in how a legacy brand like Beiersdorf is scaling creator marketing through clarity and cohesion. They’re not chasing trends – they’re building infrastructure. From a global centre of excellence to creator retention as a growth metric, they’re setting a new standard. It’s a reminder that real transformation isn’t loud – it’s deliberate, measured, and deeply collaborative.

Building on Beiersdorf’s brand-side transformation, the next session explored how agencies are becoming the vital connectors in the creator economy. Hearing from Crystal Malachias (McCann and McCann Content Studios), Emily Hare (Publicis Groupe), and Julie Chadwick (Dentsu), it was clear that agencies now offer more than execution – they bring perspective. Social is no longer just media; it’s where brand identity is built. As a creative agency ourselves, we know first-hand the value of this cross-category insight and cultural fluency. Agencies see the broader picture, match creators to attention outcomes, and help brands move from short-term campaigns to long-term cultural presence. They’re evolving from campaign managers to brand architects – balancing creative freedom with consistency. In this new era, agencies aren’t optional partners – they’re essential infrastructure for influence.

In a panel discussion which offered a sharp lens on navigating the complexity defining 2025, speakers like CreatorIQ’s Head of Legal, Daniel Hepher, and Victor Gras of YouGov – alongside host Ashley Waxman – laid out a clear message: from regulatory shifts to generational divides, standing still is not an option. Brands must localise strategies, build creative agility, and treat creators as accountable partners, not just content engines. The most forward-thinking marketers are embracing iterative planning, strengthening creator contracts, and tailoring content by region and audience mindset. It’s not about having all the answers, but about having the frameworks to adapt. In a time of constant change, resilience will come not from control, but from the confidence to move, test, and evolve in real time.

Few challenges test a brand’s agility like achieving local relevance across the diverse EMEA region – and the panel hosted by the wonderful Sallie Berkerey of CEW, featuring Sara Staniford (formerly Huda Beauty), Lizi Aston (DECIEM), and Mary Shiels (GHD), delivered invaluable insights on how to do it right. The standout message? Don’t dilute your brand; adapt it with intelligence. From DECIEM’s earned-first, community-led strategies to GHD’s creator-led localisation and Huda Beauty’s bold-yet-sensitive market approach, the formula is clear: listen first, act with purpose, and empower local experts. Regular dialogue between global and local teams ensures brands learn fast and stay agile. And with sustainability now a baseline expectation, especially in Europe, values must guide action. The takeaway? Lasting relevance isn’t built through translation – it’s earned through cultural empathy and trust.

In a standout conversation led by Kahlea Nicole Wade, with Fleur van Sambeeck (Google Pixel), Louise Holmes (Meta), and Nate Harris (CreatorIQ), the panel challenged the hype around AI with something rarer: wisdom. The message was clear – AI should support, not sideline, the human heart of creator marketing. Whether it’s Google Pixel’s experimental approach, Meta’s creator-first tools, or CreatorIQ’s advocacy for authenticity, the takeaway is consistent: success lies in balance. Use AI to streamline, scale, and suggest – but never at the cost of story, personality, or creative partnership. The real opportunity isn’t replacing people, it’s empowering them. Brands that embrace experimentation, build internal proof, and lead with empathy will shape the future – not just react to it.

CreatorIQ Connect Europe 2025 highlighted a marketing ecosystem in flux – and full of possibility. As creator partnerships evolve from side-projects to central strategy, brands are being called to think more holistically: to listen locally, empower creators, embrace experimentation, and build with intention. Whether through agile use of AI, deeper agency collaboration, or community-first localisation, the brands that succeed will be those that act with clarity, care, and creativity. As we look ahead, the call is simple but powerful: scale what’s human – and do it with heart.