Five things the World Cup taught marketers about creators

July 20, 2026 The World Cup has wrapped, which means it’s time for the obligatory marketing takeaways piece. This time it stops, predictably, on creators. They were one of the main conduits for fandom this tournament for broadcasters and advertisers alike. Advertisement TOP STORY The Creator Economy Five things the World Cup taught marketers about creators  The World Cup has wrapped, which means it’s time for the obligatory marketing takeaways piece. OTHER THINGS TO KNOW Join us on Thursday, July 23, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. for an evening of networking, insights and conversation at the New York City offices of Crossmedia, a leading independent agency. Together, we’ll explore the unique opportunities and challenges facing independent agencies today. To prepare for adopting agentic AI technology the right way, this agent readiness self-assessment helps organizations determine where they stand and what they need to prioritize to establish an agentic-informed organization. Partner insights from Optable. Many purported paradigm shifts have come and gone. While most are simply old ideas with new packaging, there’s a genuine signal front and center that the industry has consistently underutilized: carrier data. Partner insights from Blis. MEDIA & PLATFORMS The Creator Economy 'It's a CEO conversation,' Accenture and Whalar on their playbook for the creator economy Brian Yasko, managing director at Accenture and Emma Harman, co-CEO of Whalar, on the massive creator economy acquisition and future plans. Strategizing for the Future WTF: W3C’s Attribution API? What marketers, publishers, and ad tech companies need to know about some of the latest proposals in browser-based ad measurement. Member exclusive Media Buying Briefing: China remains a tough market for holding companies to figure out The Chinese ad market has slipped away from holding companies that previously looked east for future growth. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM CELTRA Live case study: Unlocking new strategic possibilities through real-time creative Join this webinar on Aug. 5 to learn how brands in fast-moving, highly regulated industries, like gaming, crypto and healthcare, are building real-time marketing campaigns meant for the modern age. Can’t make it? Register, and we’ll send you the on-demand recording. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM 3C VENTURES Benchmark guide for marketers sorting through agentic AI claims With autonomous and agentic capabilities now widely marketed, marketers struggle to evaluate each option, as publicly verifiable evidence of true autonomous, multi-step AI execution at scale remains limited. Benchmark frameworks help them sort through such claims. Advertisement ICYMI Member exclusive Future of Marketing Briefing: What World Cup breakout stars Haaland and Zlatan can teach marketers about sports stardom This year’s soccer darlings confirm the emergence of a new kind of sporting celebrity in direct conversation with fandom and social media. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PATIENTPOINT Case study: Programmatic strategies for health and wellness businesses Between securing attention and earning trust, reaching audiences in the health and wellness space is challenging and often requires more to win them over. Download this case study to see how one healthcare company improved its strategies. The Creator Economy Creators are crashing through Hollywood, but there’s a ceiling Hollywood is tapping creators for hit horror films, unique IP, and cameos, but there are limits to their star power in its current state. Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy