ISBA builds creator economy framework to guide brand spend

ISBA, the UK advertiser trade body, says it will develop a creator economy framework designed to "support future growth" in the sector, Marketing Week reports.

The announcement signals that one of the most influential advertiser associations in Britain now treats creator marketing as a structural category of media spend rather than a tactical experiment. ISBA's members include many of the largest UK brand advertisers, and its frameworks historically shape how agencies plan, contract and measure media.

Details of the framework's components, timeline and rollout scope remain limited at this stage. ISBA has framed the initiative around supporting future growth in the creator economy, but the body has not yet published the full document or specified when advertisers can expect practical guidance.

For brands and agencies, the move matters because standardised frameworks tend to anchor three things practitioners currently lack in creator deals: comparable measurement, clearer contracting norms and a common vocabulary for briefing creators versus traditional publishers. When ISBA issued its 2020 programmatic transparency framework, it became a reference point for contract negotiations across the supply chain. A creator economy equivalent would carry similar weight if it addresses disclosure, brand safety and performance measurement.

Individual creators and talent agencies should also watch the process. Advertiser-side standards often determine which partners brands feel comfortable funding at scale, and a codified framework could widen the pool of creators that large advertisers consider "safe" to brief.

The initiative arrives amid sustained growth in brand investment in creator marketing across the UK, where advertisers continue shifting budgets from conventional display channels toward creator-led formats on platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

ISBA has not disclosed which members or platform partners will contribute to the framework, nor whether it will include measurement standards comparable to its earlier work on media transparency.

The trade body is expected to publish further detail as the framework develops, giving advertisers a first structured view of how the UK's major brands intend to formalise their creator economy investments.