The Power of Digital Creators: Bridging Industry and Academic Research on Creator-Driven Marketing Strategies

The rise of digital creators has generated significant interest in both academia and industry, yet these domains have largely developed in isolation. This paper seeks to bridge that gap by synthesizing insights from two complementary bodies of evidence: eight large-scale research reports commissioned by TikTok Marketing Science and more than ninety peer-reviewed academic articles on creator-driven advertising. We identify eleven interconnected themes, highlighting where academic and industry perspectives converge, diverge or offer unique insights. Our framework advances understanding of creator marketing by showing how interdisciplinary insights can strengthen both advertising theory and managerial practice.