Creators as media infrastructure
Industry reporting says creator-made content is now treated as part of retail media networks rather than a one-off marketing add-on. (modernretail.co) The coverage argues partnerships should be co-produced so content can be reused across brand, venue and sponsor channels. (modernretail.co)
Retailers are starting to treat creator videos like a built-in part of their ad business, not a one-off social campaign. (modernretail.co) Modern Retail reported on April 13 that ad executives at Walmart, Best Buy and Albertsons are folding more creator-led content into campaigns sold through their retail media networks. Retail media networks are the ad businesses retailers run using their own shopper data, websites, apps and store screens. (modernretail.co) The shift is showing up in products and partnerships. Best Buy launched a creator program with shoppable storefronts in April 2025, and Albertsons said in 2025 that its creator channel would connect consumer packaged goods brands with creators for influencer-style content. (corporate.bestbuy.com; grocerydive.com) At the same time, retail media teams are tying creator selection to purchase data. Digiday reported in January 2026 that Omnicom Media linked Walmart Connect purchase insights with Meta creator audience data so its Creo unit could find Instagram creators whose followers were more likely to buy. (digiday.com) Money is following the change. The Interactive Advertising Bureau said U.S. creator ad spend was projected to reach $37 billion in 2025, up 26% from 2024, and 48% of creator ad buyers called creators a “must buy” channel. (iab.com) Retail is a big part of that spending push. eMarketer wrote in December 2024 that retail media networks were partnering with creator networks and social platforms to keep pace as shopping became more social, and pointed to Walmart’s Creator Upfront and Amazon’s dealmaking around creator businesses. (emarketer.com) The operating model is changing too. Modern Retail said agencies and retailers now want creator work planned with reuse in mind, so a video made for one campaign can also run on a brand site, a retailer’s media placement, social feeds and sometimes in-store screens. (modernretail.co) That makes creator content look less like celebrity endorsement and more like production infrastructure. Linqia said in October 2025 that its retail media offering was designed to place creator-made content directly inside retail ad systems, not just on social platforms. (linqia.com) Retailers are also building their own creator pipes. Walmart said its Walmart Creator program, launched in 2022, had expanded by November 2025 to include creator-brand matching, enhanced storefronts and in-person events tied to social commerce. (corporate.walmart.com) The result is a blurring of roles that used to stay separate: media buying, affiliate marketing, influencer campaigns and merchandising. In 2026, creator content is increasingly being bought, measured and reused the way retailers already handle other ad inventory. (modernretail.co; emarketer.com)
