Why Brands Are Acting Like Creators (And Why Creators Are Beating Brands)

Scroll through TikTok, Instagram or YouTube Shorts and one thing becomes immediately clear, the lines between brands and creators are disappearing. The accounts performing best no longer feel like businesses, they feel like people. They have opinions, humour, imperfect delivery and a recognisable voice. Meanwhile, many traditional brand accounts are being outperformed by individual creators with smaller budgets and far less polish.

This shift is not accidental. It reflects how social media has changed, and how audiences now decide what deserves their attention.

Social platforms reward personality, not perfection

Algorithms are increasingly designed to surface content that feels engaging, relatable and watchable, not content that looks like an advert. Creators naturally excel here. They talk to the camera like a friend, they react to trends quickly, and they are not afraid to post something that is rough around the edges.

Brands, on the other hand, have historically prioritised consistency, approvals and visual perfection. While that worked in the era of polished feeds and planned campaigns, it now often results in content that feels slow, safe and forgettable. Platforms reward speed and relevance, and creators move faster by default.

Audiences trust people more than logos

Trust has shifted away from institutions and towards individuals. Users are far more likely to believe a product recommendation from someone they follow daily than from a brand advert, even if the message is identical. Creators build trust by showing up consistently, sharing opinions and letting their personality do the work.

Brands are responding by trying to behave more like creators. We are seeing brands put faces to their accounts, reply in comments with humour, and post reactive content rather than scheduled promotions. When done well, this humanises the brand and lowers the barrier between business and audience.

Why creators are still winning

Even as brands adopt creator-style content, creators maintain an advantage. They do not have layers of approval, legal checks or rigid brand guidelines. They can test ideas quickly, respond to comments in real time and lean into trends without overthinking them.

Creators also understand their audience deeply because they are the audience. They know what feels forced and what feels genuine, and that intuition is difficult to replicate inside a marketing team.

What brands need to change

To compete, brands need to rethink how they approach social media. This means empowering smaller teams, trusting creators within the business, and accepting that not every post needs to be perfect. It also means measuring success differently, focusing on watch time, shares and community interaction rather than just reach.

Most importantly, brands must decide whether they want to speak like a company or connect like a person. The brands that win will be the ones brave enough to choose the latter.

In a creator-first internet, brands that act human do not just blend in, they stand out.