Social versus sponsorship: brand building in 2026

Social media is the go-to form of marketing in the digital age, resulting in a predicted combined $737.1 billion in annual revenue by 2031 per MIDiA’s forecast. It’s not hard to see why: social offers quick returns and easy measurement, including reach, time spent, click-through rates, and purchase follow-through. It also allows for hyper-effective retargeting through algorithmic recommendations and detailed information on receptive users. TV or other traditional media ads struggle to provide such granularity in comparison, much less billboards, newspaper ads, or other out-of-home advertising.

However, the flip side of this marketing superpower coin is a broader issue in the marketplace: an over-reliance on abundant data points that can obscure meaningful signals with measurable ones. 

Long-term value takes longer to build

Tracking short-term viral boosts allows for the celebration of quick campaign wins and straightforward budget justifications. However, as anyone from big brands to niche creators will know, a viral hit (and its reach) never lasts. A single purchase does not mean brand loyalty. A view does not guarantee a follower, much less a new fan. 

The important work lies in the background grind: spending the time building audience connection without demanding an instant return to justify success. Forming a relationship that can last longer than a trending post takes time, requires nuance, and is not as easy to track in a data dashboard. It is also harder to justify to budget holders, because the ROI takes longer to kick in – and can often feel unrewarding to smaller creators who struggle to grow followings beyond their early core circle. 

The value – and challenge – of relationship building 

Brand loyalty and fandom – in many ways a venn diagram that looks more like a circle in the creator economy – requires depth. Moreover, successful campaigns often behave in unexpected ways as audiences become emotionally invested. 

MIDiA’s survey has found that creator recommendations and sponsorships are received well compared to repeated advertisements. 14% of consumers say they are more likely to buy products recommended by a creator they follow, compared to 11% who say they are more likely to buy products advertised to them repeatedly, according to MIDiA’s Q1 2026 consumer survey. Our analysis has also looked at the growing role of analogue in audiences’ lives – with the main finding that while social and streaming still deliver higher quantities of engagement, physical or experiential touchpoints provide quality that consumers are increasingly hungry for. Events, creator fanbases, and other dedicated digital spaces and forums offer a reprieve from an otherwise deteriorating sense of community in mainstream digital spaces. 

Sponsorships, especially in sports, have long been a powerful marketing tool to build these deeper relationships and mobilise communities. However, there has historically been little analysis of its direct impacts, with recent publications by MediaCat and the Sponsorship Effectiveness Forum aiming to fill a very wide gap. 

A creator, artist, athlete, competition, or character is an emotional bridge that can allow brands to become part of an interconnected narrative and broader culture. For example, Hype’s partnership with Sonic the Hedgehog, T-mobile with Bayern Munich, Adidas with Oasis’ Live 25, and Sainsbury’s and The Great British Bake Off. Every time viewers use that brand, they can imagine themselves connected to a bigger story (like staring in the baking aisle wondering if you could best James Acaster). In the more modern, creator-centric sense, Nord VPN, SquareSpace, and Skillshare, among others, act in this capacity on YouTube, sponsoring so many big creators that their brand names have become almost synonymous with the platform. 

One-off ad runs or creator video sponsorships may increase reach, but building audience relationships and becoming part of culture is a long-haul of consistency. It requires bearing through the highs and lows of short-term engagement in order to see through longer-term, far more durable growth and relevance. Social is a useful audience tool, but by viewing each campaign in isolation, marketers can miss out on the bigger picture and overall trajectory. Sometimes a flop of a social media post isn’t really a flop; it’s a necessary piece of context for the core audiences following along, fleshing out the bigger picture they might want to be part of.

Image credits: Georgia de Lotz / Andrew Arrol via Unsplash