Brands go social-first as creator budgets climb and agencies feel the squeeze
Creativebrief says brands are shifting social and creator marketing into core growth plans, not just a side media play. The research shows marketers’ budgets are moving faster than their trust in agencies to deliver on this work. The timing is key here—brands already moved the money. Creativebrief polled over 50 senior marketing leaders from Surreal, Tinder, Unilever, Starbucks, Monzo and others in the first half of 2026. Of those, 83% said their social and creator budgets went up in the past two years.