Heena Mak, Group Head of Strategy, SOCIALEYEZ.It’s 2025; you’re a creator, I’m a creator, and everyone with a phone and a point of view is one, too. We’re living in an economy where creativity is currency, and the number of followers no longer measures influence, but the power to connect genuinely with people does.
According to a YouGov survey in the UAE, 58 per cent of consumers say they trust micro-influencers over big-name influencers. The pivot toward the accessible creator, someone relatable, niche, and authentic, is clear. Yet, despite this shift, a report by Influencer Marketing Hub revealed that 61.5 per cent of brands in the MENA region run fewer than five influencer campaigns per year.
It is proof that while audiences want more, many brands are still playing catch-up, treating creators as a line item used during launches, events, or campaigns rather than an ongoing relationship. Working with creators is no longer enough; the real power lies in building with them. Here’s how that shift begins.
Involve creators as part of the strategy
Creators are not the footnote; they are the story. We need to shift the mandate and bring creators up where it matters in the strategy phase. They know how audiences think, talk and behave online, often faster than any insight can capture.
When brands co-create at the strategy stage, they don’t just get better ideas; they get ideas that already belong to the audience and their culture. An individual’s lived experience can turn a corporate message into something that feels human, and in 2025, real is what performs.
From campaigns to relationships
Most brand-creator collaborations in the region still happen in sparks. A few sponsored videos during launches, a campaign story and then silence. But audiences recognise inconsistency instantly.
Real influence builds on familiarity and trust, which can only come from long-term partnerships. When you see the same names associated with the same brands, you inherently trust the partnership, it comes across as genuine, and you find the content that comes out of it more relatable and authentic.
Invest in smaller creators and build with them
In a market where 58 per cent of UAE consumers trust micro-influencers over celebrities, it’s clear where the next wave of credibility lives. Smaller creators bring tighter communities, honest interactions and storytelling that feels personal, not produced.
Instead of chasing reach, brands should be building ecosystems of relatable voices that grow alongside them. If you look at channels such as TikTok, the growing popularity of user-generated content creators tells us that small audiences do not equate to small impact. Our algorithms are more democratic than ever; you can go viral whether you have 20 followers or 2 million followers. What matters is the story you are telling.
Focus on content over ROI
The chase of immediate returns has made many brands forget what social media was built for: storytelling and engagement. When brands evaluate creator content solely based on cost per view or click-through rates, they overlook the value of connection.
In today’s environment, performance should encompass perception: what do audiences feel, remember or share about a piece of content? Great content moves people first; conversions and virality follow.
Building a community takes time and consistency, if brands are willing to invest, the return on investment (ROI) will follow, late but not never.
Make creators a reflection of your audience
Creators are no longer just spokespeople; they reflect the world we live in. The best collaborations happen when audiences see themselves in the person speaking on behalf of the brand. That means diversity of voice, culture, age and lived experience, particularly in a region as layered as the MENA region. When creators genuinely represent the communities a brand serves, strategy becomes empathy and engagement becomes a sense of belonging.
In a region built on ambition and storytelling, creators are the new architects of cultural identity. They translate language, bridge generations and make brands human. The future of marketing in the region will belong to brands that view creators not as media investments but as co-authors of meaning. Because in 2025 and beyond, collaboration isn’t just a tactic; it is the entire strategy, one built on connection, creativity and the courage to let people shape the story with you.
By Heena Mak, Group Head of Strategy, SOCIALEYEZ.
