At this year’s Embark Summit, top minds in digital commerce came together to highlight a powerful trend: creator content is no longer just a marketing tactic, but it’s the infrastructure for modern brand growth.
Led by thought leaders from New Engen and Primo Water, the session tackled how both emerging disruptor brands and established CPGs can scale content across retail media, social commerce and owned channels to drive real business results.
From Influencers to Infrastructure
Gone are the days when influencer marketing was limited to polished posts and mommy bloggers. Today’s consumer journey is shaped by authentic, fast-moving content, especially on platforms like TikTok.
“It’s not just about being promotional," Brittany Nobles, Omnicommerce Marketing Manager at Primo, said. "It’s about being conversational. You really see this two-way conversation, this whole community. Now we have content that's really sparking interaction and user engagement."
Hunter Poole, VP of Brand Partnerships at New Engen, also said many brands are still stuck treating content as a checkbox rather than a performance-driving tool.
"Truly, the culture is being born on TikTok," Poole said," and if you are not on that channel, then you should be making sure there are people on your teams who are. That's where you're going to not just keep up, but stay ahead."
Case Study: Saratoga’s Viral Win
One standout example was the viral Ashton Hall morning routine video, which unexpectedly spotlighted Saratoga water. Within just three business days, the New Engen team activated creator-led content that delivered incremental sales and expanded the brand's footprint into new retail channels.
Rather than chasing influencers after the fact, the team moved fast, demonstrating why speed is essential in creator-led commerce.
Scaling Content Beyond Social
Smart brands are now extending creator assets across their full omnichannel strategy, from sponsored retail placements to PDP pages, CTV and in-store activations.
This approach creates a 360-degree content lifecycle, where creator assets perform across awareness, engagement and conversion, especially important in retail media networks and digital shelf environments.
“All good content should be built for scale and performance," Poole said. "It’s truly the pillar and the anchor for the programming.”
Actionable Takeaways for Brands
- Emerging brands: Use your agility to stay culturally relevant and make bold moves in the creator space.
- Established CPGs: Build internal infrastructure to move faster and reduce content silos.
- Everyone: Be on TikTok, and surround yourself with teams fluent in internet culture.
Final Word
The next era of content marketing is about bridging discovery to purchase through creator-led, culturally relevant storytelling. As the speakers reminded us: creator content is not just a tactic – it’s the foundation of your digital strategy.
