Northwestern University x LTK Creator Study 2026

	LTK	Other Platforms
Brand Profiles (name?)
Brand Profiles on the LTK App A new brand home on LTK where millions can find, follow and shop your brand.	FREE
Gifts and Codes Streamline messaging and fulfillment for gifting and code sharing with Creators.	FREE	$$$
Creator Discovery Find the best Creators for your brand.	FREE	$$$
Creator CRM Manage Creator relationships from one end-to-end solution.	FREE	$$$
Access to Content Library Evergreen, consumer searchable posts to curate in Brand Profile.	FREE	$$$
Full Funnel Dashboard The most advanced analytics and attribution.	FREE	$$$
Creator and Content Leaderboard Top performing Creators and content for your brand and industry.	FREE	$$$

SCALE

Always-on is the new baseline.

91

%

of brands operate creator programs with an always-on component

COMMERCE

Creators are the commerce engine.

55

%

of marketers rate creator influence high at conversion and loyalty

TRUST

Human trust makes the system valuable.

#

1

creators rank as the most trusted source of consumer information

DISTRIBUTION

The creator post is just the start.

41

%

of brands use creator content for AI-driven search visibility

INTELLIGENCE

The next advantage: intelligent infrastructure.

95

%

of marketers say AI capability is must-have or important

HS_Frank_Dudley

“Brands have stopped asking whether creator marketing works and started asking how to run it well. Creators build the confidence that moves people to buy, and commerce media puts that trust where the purchase happens. Seven in ten brands now use or plan to use creator content on marketplaces, and two-thirds on retail media networks."

Frank Dudley
Professor at Northwestern University and Associate Director of its Retail Analytics Council

AVB

“Creator marketing is no longer campaign marketing. It has become core marketing infrastructure, but the industry has scaled faster than the systems built to support it. AI alone isn't the advantage. It's the intelligence behind it that will enable brands to make better decisions, remove friction and turn trusted creator relationships into measurable business growth.”

Amber Venz Box
Co-founder and president of LTK

Gifting

The first step in a smarter creator strategy. Manage outreach, product seeding, fulfillment, and tracking in one streamlined workflow.

Creator Discovery & Insights

Tap into LTK AI to search and find better-fit creators, faster. Plus, see which creators and content are performing for your brand and category with automated, personalized lists.

Brand Profiles

Give your brand a home on LTK where millions can discover, follow, and shop creator content featuring your products.

Full Creator Infrastructure

Operate your creator marketing on infrastructure built for speed, transparency, and scale. LTK gives teams one system to manage workflows, reduce manual work, and see performance with more clarity.

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Quick Collabs

The fastest, easiest way to activate creators. Spin up simple campaigns in just a few clicks with flat-fee offers and simple requirements, without the lengthy contracts or approvals.

Brand Profiles

Create a home for your brand on the LTK App where millions can find, follow, and shop your curated creator content in one place.

Creator Discovery

Tap into LTK AI and unrivaled data to quickly find creators who match your brand, products, and goals—then track your partnership over time.

Gifting

Manage product gifting and promo codes for creators in one place, from outreach to fulfillment and tracking, seamlessly and efficiently.

Reporting & Full Data Transparency

Gain a clear view of performance with transparent, comprehensive reporting and top performers ranked for your brand and category.