TelevisaUnivision, the Spanish-language media giant, is making a significant push into the creator economy, focusing on Hispanic audiences in the United States. Under the leadership of James Heath, recently promoted to VP of Creator Marketing, the company is rolling out a series of initiatives designed to integrate digital creators more deeply into its content and marketing strategies. From introducing creator-specific awards at its popular Premios Juventud show to planning an ambitious “Casa Creator” activation for 2025, TelevisaUnivision is assuming the forefront of the intersection between traditional media and digital content creation.

A Vision of Bridging Social Media and Traditional Media

James brings nearly a decade of experience to his role in the creator economy. His journey with the company began in 2016 as an audience development analyst for a social media publishing brand before he transitioned to managing the now-defunct Univision Creator Network.

“I’ve been leading [our creator-focused capability] for the last couple of years,” James says. “Recently, I was promoted to VP of Creator Marketing as creators have become ever more important to the marketing mix here at TelevisaUnivision.”

James’s enthusiasm for working with creators is palpable. “I just love creators,” he states. “The idea that someone in their bedroom could turn on a camera and start creating an audience, a livelihood for themselves, and a business without getting anyone’s approval first or audition… I think it was just magical.”

At TelevisaUnivision, James sees an opportunity to amplify creators’ reach and impact. “Within the traditional media company… it’s just the opportunity to do things bigger,” he explains. When we speak to creators all the time, many have ambitions beyond social. They want to be on TV or switch to music.

The company is actively pursuing these opportunities. James notes, “A couple of months ago, we announced a first-look deal with Juanpa who got started on social media. And that’s kind of like the end goal for a creator… that first-look deal on big streaming.”

TelevisaUnivision Embraces Creator Economy to Empower Hispanic Audiences

Aligning with Hispanic Culture and Consumer Trends

TelevisaUnivision’s focus on creators aligns closely with its mission to serve Hispanic audiences. James emphasizes the importance of this strategy: “U.S. Hispanics are 25% more likely to trust a creator compared to the non-Hispanics. Creators are vital to our audience.”

This approach resonates with the company’s core mission. “In terms of our mission at TelevisaUnivision, it’s obviously to inform, empower, and entertain U.S. Hispanics,” James explains. “We’d be doing a disservice to our audience if we weren’t engaging creators when our audience finds them important and valuable.”

A History of Creator Collaboration

TelevisaUnivision’s engagement with creators isn’t a recent development. James notes, “We’ve been doing that. It wasn’t like a meeting was set, and we suddenly decided to work with creators. It’s been something we’ve been organically doing for many years.”

The company has a track record of innovative, creator-focused initiatives. “We did a TikTok house before [the platform] was even a thing back in 2018,” James recalls. “We did a music residency that integrated into Premios Juventud, where we incubated creators.”

Casa Creator 2025

TelevisaUnivision is set to launch “Casa Creator” in 2025, aiming to create a dedicated space for Hispanic creators during major events. “We want to create the largest gathering of creators, U.S. Hispanic creators, and provide a space for them,” James states.

The initiative responds to growing demand from creators to participate in TelevisaUnivision’s flagship events. James explains, “My talent managers have their phones ringing, asking for invitations to these events. So really, the motivation was to create a space at these big moments specific to creators.”

TelevisaUnivision Expands Premios Juventud to Celebrate Hispanic Creators

TelevisaUnivision is set to make a significant addition to its popular Premios Juventud awards show, introducing new categories dedicated to celebrating Hispanic creators: 

• Creator of the Year (nominees):
  • 1. Basi Cedran
  • 2. Dani Valle
  • 3. Tammy Parra
  • 4. Wendy Guevara
  • 5. Yeri Mua
    
• Creator that Inspires Me (nominees):
  • 1. Carlos Eduardo Espina
  • 2. Daniel Habif
  • 3. Nilda Chiaraviglio
  • 4. Sofia Bella
  • 5. Vanesa Amaro
     
• Creator with a Social Cause (nominees):
  • 1. Alexis Omman
  • 2. Jake Ceja
  • 3. Juan González
  • 4. Juixxe
  • 5. Manuel Nunez
     
• Best LOL (nominees):
  • 1. Andres Johnson
  • 2. Jezzini
  • 3. Karla De La Torre 
  • 4. La Jose
  • 5. Mr. Chuy 

These showcase diverse talent from the Hispanic creator community. The company states this awards show shines a light on the contributions of young people, and by extension, celebrating Hispanic creators felt a vital aspect to incorporate into the show. TelevisaUnivision’s sophisticated capabilities include connecting with younger audiences through initiatives like Asi Studios & Asi Creators.

James explains the development: “Premios Juventud has always been a place that creators have naturally gravitated towards. We had, I think, 15 creators there working on various branded content campaigns last year.” He notes that prominent creators like Chachi Gonzalez and the Martinez twins have previously presented awards. In contrast, others like Lele Pons have transitioned from creator to musician and participated in the show.

This organic connection stems from the decision to include creators in the awards formally. “That just got us thinking that we need to put some focus into actually celebrating them,” James says. “This year, we’re adding the fourth content pillar, creators. And with that, the purpose of all these four awards is to celebrate achievement within the U.S. Hispanic creative community.”

The selection process for nominees in the new creator categories is rigorous and multi-faceted. James outlines the criteria: “One was based on the following in terms of size. The second criterion was the audience within the U.S., which is important because we’re talking to U.S. Hispanics and, specifically, the youth.” Other factors include the percentage of the audience under 35 and engagement rates. Notably, the focus is on “creators who are only U.S. Hispanics or creating content predominantly in Spanish.”

To ensure a fair and informed selection, TelevisaUnivision appointed a panel of experts to narrow down the nominees. This panel includes former creators who have become talent, experienced creators like Candy Lover, and internal experts such as the company’s creative director and VP of social.

James points out that the inclusion of creator awards in Premios Juventud represents more than just recognition. “It’s the celebration of their success is greater than the validation of that from, you know, the authority in U.S. Hispanic media, which is TelevisaUnivision.”

While the exact details of how the awards will be presented during the show are still being finalized, James confirms, “There will be at least one of these awards presented on the actual live broadcast, potentially more,” hinting at mainstream visibility.

By incorporating creators into Premios Juventud, TelevisaUnivision plans to strengthen its connection with Gen Z and millennial Hispanic audiences. James sees this as a natural progress: “This has always been the mission of Premios Juventud. I think it’s just a new way to engage, celebrate, and show up for our community.”

The Three-Second Rule: Capturing Attention in the Digital Age

James identifies two significant trends shaping the creator economy and marketing strategies:

1. The balance between production quality and authenticity: James notes a growing emphasis on production quality but cautions against losing authenticity. He cites a recent example: “Every single branded content campaign that they write, they made sure the first three seconds are captured on an iPhone because if the audience sees a level of production quality that’s not aligned with what they typically see, they’ll swipe up and ignore it.”
   
2. The unpredictability of platform dominance: Drawing from his eight years of experience, James stresses the importance of adaptability. “No one in 2019 was saying TikTok’s going to be a big thing in 2020,” he recalls. “We built an MCN based on YouTube and other social platforms spawned and became so important.”

The industry veteran advises marketers to remain flexible: “Just being ready for the unknown is so important… being adaptable to that because I’ve never seen someone able to predict a space 12 months in advance.” He concludes, “If you know to be adaptable and not bet on a specific horse, then I think that’s how for eight years we’ve changed and been nimble and tried to land all these different products in this space.”

Strategy for Creator Integration and Audience Engagement

Balancing Content and Distribution

James advocates for separating content creation from distribution when working with Hispanic creators. He notes, “If you have a Spanish language creator, that content is going to travel abroad just as much as it is going to travel here within the U.S.” This presents a unique challenge, as the average American following of a U.S.-based Spanish-speaking creator is only around 28%.

To address this, TelevisaUnivision has developed a strategic approach. James explains, “We find creators who can tell an authentic story for the branded content campaign. And then we leverage our reach within the U.S. to ensure it reaches the right people.”

Growing Success and Future Goals

TelevisaUnivision’s creator-focused initiatives have shown significant growth. James reports, “We’re at 26 clients for the year, which is a 63% increase on the same time as last year.” The company is expanding its creator-centric offerings, including introducing Creator Awards at Premios Juventud and the upcoming Casa Creator event in 2025.

James’s vision for the future involves integrating creators across TelevisaUnivision’s platforms. “We’ve integrated creators into our programming like Despierta América,” he notes. The goal is to “keep finding these voices and giving them the platform to shine.”

As TelevisaUnivision continues to develop its creator strategy, James invites audiences to tune in to Premios Juventud on July 25th to see the culmination of these efforts, including the presentation of the new creator awards.