ISBA Maps Three Operating Models for the £1.2bn UK Creator Economy
Updated: 6 days ago
ISBA and the Responsible Marketing Advisory have published a creator economy framework setting out three operating models — bolt-on, channel and core — to help brands decide how to own, run and measure influencer marketing as UK creator revenue nears £1.22bn.
A structure for a channel that outgrew its plumbing
UK advertiser body ISBA has teamed up with the Responsible Marketing Advisory to give marketers something the creator economy has lacked: an operating-model framework. It sets out three ways to run influencer marketing — 'bolt-on' (campaign-by-campaign), 'channel' (always-on, usually with agency support) and 'core' (structurally embedded with measurement on a par with other media).
The timing is pointed. UK creator revenue is projected to reach £1.217bn in 2026, up around 26% year on year, yet the way brands organise around it has barely moved. ISBA says the framework members alone account for £1.75bn of annual UK ad spend — money increasingly flowing through creators without a settled playbook.
The numbers behind the maturity gap
The supporting data tells the real story. Some 48% of brands still manage creator marketing on an ad-hoc basis, and only 9% treat it as core strategy. Just 59% say they can assess creator ROI even 'somewhat confidently', and in a quarter of businesses responsibility is scattered across teams with no clear owner.
'The structures around it haven't kept pace' with budgets, and 'value is hard to prove', ISBA's Bobi Carley noted — a neat summary of why finance directors still treat creator spend with suspicion while it quietly becomes one of the fastest-growing lines in the plan.
Marketing Minute's read: pick your model on purpose
The framework's value is that it forces a decision most brands have been avoiding. If creators are a 'bolt-on', fine — but then stop expecting always-on cultural relevance from occasional one-off deals. If they are becoming a 'channel' or 'core', the ownership, budget and measurement have to be rebuilt to match, or the spend stays unaccountable.
Our advice to SME and challenger marketers: self-diagnose honestly against the three models, then move up one level deliberately. The jump from ad-hoc (where 48% sit) to a named owner and a simple, consistent ROI method is where most of the easy value is — you don't need to go 'core' to stop wasting money.
Quick FAQ
What is the ISBA creator economy framework?
A framework from ISBA and the Responsible Marketing Advisory defining three operating models for influencer marketing — bolt-on, channel and core — to help brands decide ownership, resourcing and measurement.
How big is the UK creator economy in 2026?
UK creator revenue is projected to reach around £1.217bn in 2026, roughly 26% growth year on year, according to the framework.
Why do brands struggle to prove creator ROI?
Because structures haven't kept up with budgets: 48% of brands run creator marketing ad-hoc, only 9% treat it as core, and just 59% can assess its ROI even somewhat confidently.
The brands winning with creators aren't the ones spending the most — they're the ones who have decided what creators are for. ISBA has just handed the rest of the market a mirror. The hard part isn't the framework; it's being honest about which box you're actually in. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
If only 9% of brands treat creators as core strategy, the competitive edge in 2026 goes to whoever decides, on purpose, to be one of them.
Which operating model is your creator marketing really running on — and is that a choice, or an accident?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Marketing Week, ISBA, Responsible Marketing Advisory, LBBOnline.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
