Nielsen, a global measurement and data analytics company, and Raptive, a media company specializing in creator monetization, released a creator economy case study. It’s part of Nielsen’s Brand Impact initiative to measure the effectiveness of creator websites in driving key brand metrics for beauty, home, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. Raptive, which helps over 5,000 creators monetize their websites, sought to quantify the emotional connection creators establish with their audiences.

The research reveals significant advantages for brands advertising on creator websites compared to traditional websites and social media platforms. Key findings from the study include:

1. Ad Recall: When brands advertise on websites, including creator websites, ad recall is 70% higher than on social media.
2. Brand Fit: Creator websites offer uniquely positive ad placement opportunities, scoring a 66% brand fit with lifestyle, a strong indicator of purchase intent.
3. Purchase Intent: Creator fans show 40% higher purchase intent when exposed to brands on creator websites than the general public.
4. Brand Recommendation: Creator fans are 45% more likely to recommend brands they encounter on creator websites than the general public.
5. Trust and Enjoyment: 86% of creator fans report trusting creator product recommendations, while 88% enjoy learning about new products or services through creators.
6. Brand Connection: 77% of creator fans felt connected to brands featured in creator content.

The study also compared creator websites to social media on several emotional dimensions:

• Trustworthiness: Creator websites outperform social media by 67%
• Being “A Happy Place”: Creator websites score 63% higher than social media
• Usefulness: Creator websites are perceived as 57% more beneficial than social media
• Credibility: Creator websites are seen as 56% more credible than social media
• Inspiration: Creator websites are considered 52% more inspiring than social media

Nielsen conducted the research by exposing panelists to simulated digital environments, allowing for natural immersion and interaction with realistic social feeds and websites. Researchers then surveyed and analyzed responses from panelists who saw ads in different digital environments versus those who did not to uncover the impact of ads and their environments on key brand metrics.

Marla Newman, EVP of Sales at Raptive, states, “Working with Nielsen’s Brand Impact solution has provided significant insight for Raptive. Their expertise revealed the value of our creator platforms, which show significant brand lift and stronger emotional connections compared to traditional websites.”

The study concludes that creator websites offer unique opportunities for brands, effectively connecting beauty, home, and CPG products with audiences. It highlights the key role that creator websites can play in advertising strategies, demonstrating significant brand lift and emotional connections compared to social media and traditional websites. The full report is available here.