If you look a few years back, creator marketing sat on the periphery of advertising conversations. Brands did allocate a portion of their marketing budgets to influencers, but the larger share was still with the other mediums. But the division today can be seen changing significantly.
Accenture Song's acquisition of creator and social agency Whalar is perhaps the clearest indication of that. Creator-led marketing has moved from the sidelines to the centre of business growth strategies. Hence, the deal brings Whalar's creator network, social expertise, influencer capabilities and database into Accenture Song's broader offerings, adding another layer to its commerce and customer experience capabilities.
The timing is hardly accidental. Accenture itself described social platforms as the place where brands are discovered and purchased, while citing projections that creator economy advertising spend in the US could reach $43.9 billion in 2026. But also, beyond these numbers lies a more fundamental move.
If creators are crescively shaping what consumers trust, discuss and buy, then creator marketing is no longer just a distribution channel. It is becoming a strategic capability.
That is precisely how Vibhor Yadav, Regional Creative Officer (North & South) and Founding Partner, tgthr, interprets the acquisition. “People watch things that entertain them, teach them something, or make them feel a part of a conversation, and creators are incredibly good at that. So this isn't just Accenture buying an influencer agency; it's them investing in cultural relevance at scale.”
His observation holds up a reality that many marketers are acknowledging. In a fragmented media landscape, cultural relevance is becoming just as important as reach. Creator agencies often sit closer to online communities and emerging conversations than traditional marketing organisations. Through Whalar, Accenture is not simply acquiring creator inventory. It is acquiring proximity to culture. Yadav adds that creators are no longer supplementary to marketing plans,“they're becoming central to how brands build relevance, trust, and growth.”
The rise of artificial intelligence only strengthens that argument. As generative tools make content production easier and faster, the differentiator obviously becomes authenticity. AI can generate content, but it cannot replicate a creator's lived experience or the trust built with an audience over time. As Yadav puts it, “in a world where almost everything can be generated, authenticity becomes a premium.”
If authenticity is one reason for the growing importance of creators, changing media economics is another. Pratik Gaur, Co-founder, Footprynt, believes the acquisition reflects a larger redistribution of digital marketing budgets, “What creators have done independently is create an ecosystem where they produce content that resonates much more with different audiences. That's why we've seen the rise of affiliate marketing and the influencer economy.”
According to Gaur, brands today are largely spending across content creation, content distribution and performance advertising. As creators become increasingly effective at driving attention and action, they are beginning to command a larger share of those investments. For him, the more interesting question is not why Whalar was acquired, but why a company like Accenture wanted to own those capabilities.
“Today, digital spends are almost 60% of the total marketing budgets,” he says, adding that creator-led content could eventually command 20-25% of those digital investments.
The reason why those shares could accelerate is the move towards premium and ad-light digital experiences. He points to examples of brands leaning heavily on creator ecosystems rather than conventional platform advertising. “I recently came across a brand in the US which worked with 37,000 influencers and did not do a single Meta ad,” he says.
He argues that creator content may become even more important as users gain more ways to avoid traditional advertising. Pointing to the launch of Instagram Plus and the growing popularity of subscription-based models such as YouTube Premium, Gaur suggests that audiences may encounter brands through creator content rather than conventional ads.
That reasoning closely mirrors Accenture's own rationale of strengthening its ability to connect creator engagement with social commerce. In many ways, the acquisition fills a missing layer in Accenture Song's offering. The company already advises clients on transformation, technology, commerce and customer experience. What Whalar adds is a direct connection to creator communities and social culture at scale.
But a rising debate worth discussing is whether influencer marketing agencies are beginning to compete with traditional agencies? The answer appears more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
“Our industry loves turning everything into a battle, but consumers couldn't care less where an idea comes from. They only care whether it resonates,” says Yadav. He believes creator agencies are already moving beyond campaign execution. “What's changed is that creator agencies are no longer just the people you call once a campaign is ready for distribution. They're now involved in solving business problems. That naturally puts them in contention for a bigger role and a bigger share of budgets.”
That evolution is visible in the way brands are approaching creator partnerships today. Harmeet Singh, Chief Brand Officer, The Body Shop Asia South, believes the value of creators extends well beyond reach. “We expect a much wider reach and greater engagement. We also expect consumer feedback and insights into what consumers are thinking. The creator's comments section is very important for us.”
For brands, creators are becoming a source of real-time consumer intelligence. Comments, conversations and community interactions provide immediate feedback on products, campaigns and brand perception. “These are very critical aspects of our partnerships with influencers that we take very seriously,” Singh adds.
But does that mean traditional agencies are under threat? Not necessarily.
Kunal Sharma, CMO, Indiagate, believes creator agencies and traditional agencies continue to play distinct roles. “Traditional agencies come with an understanding of the brand and its objectives, and then define and lay out a strategy. That comes first. That's something an influencer agency can never replace.”
While creator agencies may gain influence over execution, engagement and community-building, Sharma argues that brand strategy remains firmly within the traditional agency domain. “I feel influencer agencies are going to fill the latter part of the journey that marketers go through rather than come to the front,” he says.
The debate over whether creator agencies will replace traditional agencies may ultimately be missing the point. While creator firms are expanding their role across strategy and commerce, traditional agencies continue to hold significant influence over brand planning and long-term business objectives.
However, the boundaries between the two are beginning to blur. The focus is no longer on whether a company identifies as a creator agency, creative agency, media agency or digital agency, but on its ability to deliver business outcomes in this increasingly fragmented attention economy.
Yadav rightly highlights, “Clients will chase outcomes, not heritage or agency models.” Viewed through that lens, Accenture's acquisition of Whalar is not simply a bet on the creator economy. It is a recognition of influence, culture and community. It is a recognition of the fact that agencies best positioned for the future will be those that can bring those capabilities together under one roof.
