61% of marketers plan to increase their influencer investments by the end of 2026

Influencer marketing should continue to grow in the coming years. According to Kantar's Media Reactions survey, 61% of marketers plan to increase their investments in content creators in 2026, even in the face of persistent challenges in measuring results.The data reflects the consolidation of creator marketing as a strategic pillar of brands and no longer just a complementary tactic.

The study also points to a relevant change in how the performance of these campaigns will be evaluated. Metrics such as likes, views and engagement lose prominence, giving way to indicators more linked to return on investment (ROI) and brand building. The pressure to prove real impact grows as budgets for influencers increase.

For Fabio Goncalves, director of Brazilian and American talent at Viral Nation and expert in the influence marketing market for more than ten years, the movement is a direct consequence of the maturity of the sector: “Brands have already understood that creator marketing is no longer an experimental bet. It delivers reach, cultural relevance and conversion. What changes now is the level of charge per result. With more money being invested, the demand for more solid metrics, linked to brand lift, consideration and ROI & NOT just likes and views” grows.

Another point highlighted by Kantar is the growing importance of integrated and consistent ideas between different channels. According to the company, campaigns with coherent and integrated concepts between different channels are 2.5 times more important for success today than they were a decade ago. Still, only 27% of creators content is strongly connected to the brand, which reveals a misalignment between strategy and execution.

“There is an interesting paradox: brands want to scale creator marketing, but still treat many projects as isolated actions. The future goes through long-term creative platforms, recurring themes and continuous narratives. This strengthens the brand and gives more creative freedom for the influencer to work with” consistency, ponders Goncalves.

The study also highlights that creators are not actors, but content producers with their own language, own pace and specific cultural codes.In this context, the challenge for brands will be to learn to give control and co-create, establishing clear guidelines without stifling creativity.

“If you drive too much, you kill spontaneity. If you orient yourself too little, you risk the brand disappearing from history. The balance is in defining clear guidelines, well-established success metrics and letting the creator do what he knows how to do best”, says the executive.

For agencies, this new scenario requires a structural change in the way they plan and execute campaigns: “Na Viral Nation, for example, we are preparing for a market in which creator marketing will be even more strategic and oriented to brand performance. Our role as an agency is to structure these long-term partnerships, professionalize content creation and ensure that brands and creators walk together on consistent creative platforms. This is the next phase of the industry: fewer one-off actions and more content ecosystems”.

Access the full survey here: https://www.kantar.com/campaigns/marketing-trends.