Intro

The “creator economy”-most people would be a bit confused if anyone tried to explain that “creator” is actually a job. Mike Bienstock-CEO of the Semaphore Faily of Companies- focuses on the Creator Economy in his LinkedIn post “Still think the Creator Economy is Child’s Play?”

In his LinkedIn post Mike suggests that “Personal Brand Content Creator superstars (“Influencers”) are absolutely changing the fabric of entertainment and media, regardless of the acceptance into the mainstream.”

Big checks, sponsorships, and tabloid-style lifestyle are certainly activities that may fit under the umbrella of something that might be better referred to as “Hollywood 2.0”; money, who’s dating who and masses of people at conventions rushing, rabid, for a chance for a picture with the “favorite influencer”.

But the overwhelming majority of creators in the creator economy exist on trajectories that bear zero resemblance to the creators of “Hollywood 2.0”. A subset of them still thrive where algorithmically assisted breakthrough and distribution mechanisms are the “new normal” of content can be powered, by likes, views, comments, reposts, followers and other measurements that are not typically found in the mainstream media.

What is the Creator Economy?

The “Hollywood 2.0” star culture makes up a tiny portion of the larger creator economy. To that end, the future of this economic trend is a creator who is invested in building a digital identity and leveraging it within a market, regardless of whether that market is denominated in dollars or in status (or, increasingly, some combination of the two).  In other words: “the kids have grown up”.

In his LinkedIn post Mike continues: “The Kids are creating content people want.  The Kids are commanding the influence companies will pay top dollar for.  The Kids are going to create (and many already have) generational wealth.”

However, the framework by which those misunderstanding the dollar opportunity is to see the creators as “entertainers that make money on the side”; therefore, minimizing the larger market opportunity.  A large percentage of the current creator economy landscape is seen as way to build businesses and products.

Is there a business opportunity here? Absolutely. At Semaphore, we see the creator economy as a proxy for a much larger cultural and economic shift and we’re working towards building a sustainable business model that helps “Kids create content people want” and companies that will thrive in the “new fabric of entertainment and media”.  We are helping with:

1. Revenue Generation: Helping build significant income streams
2. Business Protection: Legal and liability
3. Tax and Finances: Being strategic regarding both revenue and expense classification.

How do we envision the Future Content Creator?

We would define a future creator as anyone who is invested in building a digital identity and leveraging it within a market, regardless of whether that market is denominated in dollars or in status.  The future creator creates content online and thrives in the work that it takes to build a brand and a following audience.  The creator engages the audience with every piece of content and uses the tools available to always grow views and followers.  In other words: “the new kids have to grow up”.

How do we envision the Future Creator Economy?

The next generation of consumers will be vastly influenced by an enormous array of online content. All industries will be touched; from hand-made yet computer generated art, running a delivery-only “phantom” restaurant, consulting for businesses, advertising fitness resources, running a political campaign, and everything in between—in every country and language on the planet.

We should think of creators not as the next wave of celebrities, but as entrepreneurs and small businesses, as anyone who uses digital communications to create and build the demand for their product and service, in this new world the market opportunity becomes much more consequential and exciting.

The creator economy will no longer merely be a subset of entertainment but a subset of labor as a whole—and the way we think about building products and building business to serve this new economy will start to change and mature.  At Semaphore we are driving this new and exciting business model where the future creator is a business individual who creates and sustains a digital identity

If you’re interested in learning more about the services, we offer content creators and influencers, simply fill out our contact form.

If you are interested in helping your brand connect with a creator and influencer, fill out our contact form as well.

We will get back to you quickly.