Creators are having a moment again. Recent research from the IPA, championed by Andrew Tindall, found that creator content performs roughly in line with TV in the short term. But what’s astounding for a channel that was once dismissed as a fad is its contribution to long-term effects. Over two years, creators delivered the highest long-term ROI of any media channel.

How can we use creators best for place brands?

According to Tindall, a key element that matters for effectiveness is, of course, your distinctive brand assets. Helpfully for place marketers, these can be your backdrop – landscapes, buildings, monuments, events, customs and even food and drink can add distinctiveness.

And don’t forget the importance of your visual identity. Tindall is clear that when this appears matters to building memory and associations. Get in early, basically. 

Tindall also argues marketers should set the creative and media strategy, then give creators room to translate that idea. 

So while picking an influencer, the three questions you should be asking are:

• Does this person align with my place proposition?
• Would my place or destination be relevant to their audience?
• Could this person be a long-term collaborator who can become associated with my brand?

Source: This groundbreaking research proves we’ve been using creators wrong all this time, System1, 2026