Digiday staffers tackle the creator vs. influencer divide
By Kimeko McCoy • January 27, 2026 •
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The creator economy is bursting at the seams — or is it that influencer marketing is booming? For an industry that’s big on labeling things, there’s one debate that seemingly has yet to settle: when to call someone an influencer over a creator.
The question is: Is there a difference between a creator and an influencer. If so, what’s the difference and why does it matter to marketers?
On this episode of the Digiday Podcast, Digiday staffers debate the topic. Digiday executive editor of news, Seb Joseph, joins Kimeko McCoy, Digiday Podcast co-host and senior marketing reporter to debate that there is a difference. Meanwhile, Digiday managing editor Sara Jerde and Tim Peterson, Digiday Podcast co-host and executive editor of video and audio, argue that creators and influencers are one in the same.
Who’s team are you on? If you’d like to share your own opinion, email your thoughts on the creator versus influencer debate to tim@digiday.com.
Here are a few highlights from the conversation which have been edited for length and clarity.
Arguments for the difference
Joseph: Creators and influencers, they’re related, but they’re not the same. If you take away your creator’s brand deals, they’re still a creator. They’re still going to be doing the live streams, posting that funny video. That’s not the same for influencers. Without the brand deals, there’s not going to be that video of them where there’s outfits that were sent to them by that brand because it wanted to influence their audience.
McCoy: If I’m [a marketer] looking for a performance play, I’m going to influencers that are going to go with a hard sell. If I want creators…that may be more of a brand awareness play.
Arguments against the difference
Peterson: Influencer is the term we use when the context we’re referring to these people is discussing the creator’s business. Creator is the term we use when the context is discussed, discussing the creator’s content.
Jerde: This is a case where you have to trust your source to speak to the level of intent and motivation they have to operate in the industry that they want to.
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