Content creators are powerful cultural catalysts.
From setting fashion and lifestyle trends to amplifying social causes and redefining brand engagement, influencers are shaping the cultural fabric of the content-driven era.
In 2025, social media’s influence on consumer culture will only increase, driving brands to align marketing strategies and spend accordingly.
There’s already a clear shift toward creator-led strategies where authentic content engages audiences the most. Overall, brands working with creators are seeing a significant uplift, with creator content generating 12x more impressions and 17x more engagements than owned content according to a recent study of Fortune 100 brands.
Logan Moffitt (aka "the cucumber guy") tapped into summer 2024 with cucumber salad tutorials transcending typical food content, sparking a cultural phenomenon that increased cucumber sales, nationwide shortages, and millions of views across social media platforms.
What started with a mandolin and deli containers caught the attention of brands like DoorDash, Chipotle, Sephora, NYX Professional, and K18 Hair – proving how creator-driven trends now move fluidly across categories.
The impact hit supply chains globally – from OXO's 30-600% mandolin sales surge to FreshDirect's 172% YOY cucumber spike – demonstrating how creator-led culture tips people into purchase.
The "Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber" video series transcended beyond catchphrase status, becoming shorthand for a whole movement as millions participated in the trend.
Another trend that showcased the cultural impact that social media can have was when a real estate agent's Gen Z intern edited a standard marketing video into nothing but dramatic breathing sounds and chaotic zooms. It racked up over 50 million views and sparked two viral trends: "Gen Z edited my video" and "Gen Z wrote my marketing script.”
Soon, businesses everywhere were letting Gen Z employees edit their videos and write their marketing scripts, with content ranging from luxury property tours to history museums to 880-year-old British manors describing their gardens as "giving relaxation."
Northumberland Zoo’s take on the trend has racked up over 8 million views, The Royal Armouries Museum has surpassed 9 million, and Fyfield Manor is approaching 12 million. More globally recognizable brands, like LEGO, are jumping on the trend too, yet haven’t made as much of a significant impact as their marketing typically already aligns with Gen Z preferences.
These trends mark a fundamental shift in how culture is made: internet culture, shaped by young creators, has become so dominant that traditional institutions are adapting to their language and aesthetic to stay relevant.
ReesaTeesa's "Who TF Did I Marry" TikTok series was another major cultural moment online in 2024, showing the power of individual creators to captivate massive audiences without initial brand backing. Her 52-part series, spanning nearly eight hours of content, reached millions of views and grew her follower count to over 2.7 million in just one week. Her follower count before the series sat at around 8000.
Chime Financial capitalized on this cultural moment by bringing ReesaTeesa onboard for an informative, on-brand ad about how to spot red flags in a relationship – in ReesaTeesa’s signature style, of course.
In our State of Influence report, we provide more best-in-class examples and advice for marketers to understand the cultural impact that creators are driving.
