Four Ways Creators Are Making Money With Brands in 2026

In closed-door meetings at Cannes Lions, Colin and Samir noticed something: major brands feel palpable anxiety about working with creators. They know they need to engage with independent creators for cultural relevance, but they're uncomfortable giving up control of their brand voice to people they haven't met. The numbers are staggering—creator spend is projected to hit $39 billion in 2026, against a trillion-dollar global advertising market—but brands have a narrow view of what "working with creators" actually means. Colin and Samir break down four distinct models, anchored by their own recent deal with Lexus, where they made pre-roll ads that run on YouTube rather than integrating the brand into their own content.

The Four Models: Distribution, Talent, Director, Consultant

The status quo is creators as distribution: brands pay creators to reach their audience. This is how most creator money has historically been made. But Colin argues this model faces pressure because brands can increasingly buy distribution more cheaply through programmatic media buys and AI-generated creative. The reason to still pay a creator for distribution is their unique voice and direct connection to an audience—but creators without a clear point of view will struggle to justify their premium.