To manage 300,000 creators, Unilever automates everything but the relationship

July 10, 2026 The ad industry seems hellbent on scaling creator marketing. Adding more creators to the roster? That’s the easy part. It’s the infrastructure — discovery and vetting, talent management and content approvals — that’s likely to cause operational headaches. Unilever knows this, especially after last year’s declaration to make creators core to its marketing plan. The conglomerate grew the program from 10,000 to 300,000 and execs are deciding which parts of its influencer marketing to hand over to automated systems. Advertisement TOP STORY The Creator Economy To manage 300,000 creators, Unilever automates everything but the relationship Unilever is using AI to vet creators and automate workflows as it scales a 300,000-creator network without handing over creative decisions. OTHER THINGS TO KNOW The strongest cultures are built on values that show up in how teams work, grow and support one another every day. Recognize how your company brings these values to life with the Work/Life Awards. Premium streaming sponsorship inventory is sold direct — publishers decide what enters the programmatic marketplace, which usually isn’t in-show placements. Brands whose infrastructure doesn’t support direct buying are leaving the highest-performing segment of streaming off the table. Partner insights from Tatari. Brands that invest in creative marketing outperform the competition and grow. Apple, known for its creativity, consistently reports remarkable growth, like a 36% increase in monthly engagement on Apple TV. Partner insights from Cannes Lions. MARKETING Member exclusive Future of Marketing Briefing: The ad industry’s next mediapalooza is loading Mediapalooza is coming. This time it might actually mean something. The Sports Marketing Playbook Nike versus Adidas: Who’s spending more in race to claim the World Cup crown? With the World Cup at the midway point, ad spend estimates show the apparel rivals taking opposite tacks in their media approaches. 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. Advertisement MEDIA & PLATFORMS Marketing on Platforms Platforms' AI dilemma: scale without sameness Using AI to create content risks a lot of it looking the same. But the platforms agree creativity will always come from humans. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM OPTABLE The five pillars of agent readiness: Step-by-step self-assessment Adopting agentic AI too early or too quickly can have devastating consequences. This self-assessment helps teams determine their readiness by analyzing key pillars: data, inventory signals, content and context signals, technical infrastructure and organizational awareness. BRANDS IN CULTURE The Sports Marketing Playbook The Home Depot sees Hispanic market as a 'huge growth opportunity' While The Home Depot is not a sports equipment or sports apparel retailer, its consumer base has given it ample reason to develop a comprehensive retail media strategy around the World Cup. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM PATIENTPOINT Programmatic buying models for health and wellness brands Traditional channels usually mean choosing between scale and audience quality. For health and wellness businesses, reaching qualified audiences is imperative, and the right programmatic strategy captures audiences at ideal moments of heightened relevance. ICYMI The Business of AI Dollar Shave Club’s bet: AI makes agencies optional, not obsolete Dollar Shave Club makes 90% of its advertising in-house. AI is coming for the other 10%. 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