Unilever’s 300,000 Creators: The Creator Economy as an Asset Class

Is the creator economy just a "content industry," or has it officially become an acquirable asset class? Unilever just provided a definitive answer. When a global powerhouse of this scale shifts its entire strategy, the industry needs to pay attention.

Unilever CEO Fernando Fernandez recently dropped a bombshell: the company expanded its direct creator network from 10,000 to 300,000 creators in only two years. Even more telling is that 50% of their digital budget is now flowing into social-first, creator-led content. This isn't just a marketing win; it is a structural signal that the creator economy is maturing into an enterprise-level market.

The Shift from Influencing to Distribution

In the past, brands "rented" influencers for one-off campaigns. Today, companies like Unilever are treating creators as their primary distribution engines. This shift validates the supply side of the market, catching the attention of private equity firms and holding companies eager to acquire the infrastructure behind this content pipeline.

The numbers back this up. Goldman Sachs projects the creator economy will hit $480 billion by 2027. In 2025 alone, there were 81 major M&A transactions—a 17.4% year-over-year increase. From Publicis Groupe acquiring Captiv8 for $175 million to Bending Spoons buying Vimeo for $1.38 billion, the message is clear: big money is betting on creator infrastructure.

The Valuation Gap: Talent vs. Enterprise

One of the biggest lessons for creators today is understanding how businesses are valued. At UGC LATAM, we often see creators focused on follower counts, but institutional buyers focus on EBITDA and ARR. According to the 2026 Quartermast report, valuations vary wildly based on the nature of the business:

• Agencies: 5.3x to 9.2x EBITDA
• Media Companies: 8.0x to 17.0x EBITDA
• Software Platforms: 3.2x to 10.7x ARR

UGC LATAM tip: If your business relies entirely on you being on camera, it’s a high-paying job, not an enterprise. To get premium multiples, you need recurring revenue, owned IP, and a team that doesn't collapse the moment you take a vacation.

What Acquirers Are Actually Looking For

Acquirers aren't buying "vibes"; they are buying owned audiences and commerce infrastructure. They want platforms that turn attention into transactions, like affiliate stacks or analytics tools that prove ROI. They are also hunting for IP-rich media—content formats and characters that live on even if the founder steps away.

The single biggest hurdle in these deals is "key person risk." When a founder moves from being the product to being the CEO of a media entity, the valuation sky-rockets. Institutional buyers pay for assets that have cross-platform durability and clean operational skeletons, including proper worker classification and airtight IP ownership.

The Path Forward for Creator-Founders

The creators who will truly "win" this cycle aren't just the ones getting paid to post. They are the founder-led organizations using today’s brand deals to finance their own "owned" assets. This means building email lists, community platforms, and trademarked products that exist outside of rented social media algorithms.

As we see in the LATAM market, the professionalization of this space is moving fast. The transition from "influencer" to "enterprise owner" is the defining move of the next three years. If you want to be acquired, stop building on rented land and start building your own infrastructure.