Steph Quantrill and Ben van Rooy unpack one of the most overhyped and misunderstood areas in marketing, influencer marketing, or as Steph prefers, the creator economy. From Cannes trends to real-world campaigns, they explore why brands are still getting it wrong, where creators actually drive impact across the funnel, and why control is the enemy of effectiveness. If you’ve ever briefed an influencer and ended up with something painfully off-brand or overly scripted, this episode gets into the tension between creativity, trust, and results.What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why creators drive attention differently and what brands fail to understand about it  How influencer marketing works across the funnel and not just at awareness  Why control kills effectiveness and what marketers struggle to let go of  How B2B influencers and employee creators are reshaping trust  What separates a one-off influencer post from a real brand partnership Bonus Nuggets: Why most brands still brief influencers like TV ads and ruin the outcome  The rise of creators building their own brands and flipping the power dynamic  Why brands like Duolingo prove you can act like a creator and win Call to Action: If you’re using influencers but not seeing impact, this episode will challenge whether you’re solving for control instead of trust.Explore more from Canned: Canned the Marketing Podcast  Cue Marketing  Human Digital Timestamps:00:00 – Intro to influencers vs creators 02:30 – Easter recap and cultural trends 05:00 – Nostalgia marketing and campaign examples 10:50 – Why the creator economy matters now 13:00 – Influencers across the funnel 16:00 – The control vs authenticity tension 20:00 – B2B influencers and employee creators 23:00 – Creator examples and partnerships 28:00 – Brand-led creator strategies 31:00 – Long-term partnerships vs one-offs 33:30 – Practical tips for working with creators 37:00 – Final thoughts on trust and modern buyerswww.cannedmarketing.com Stephanie Quantrill - LinkedinBen Van Rooy - Linkedin