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In 2024, retail media was officially the fastest-growing segment of digital advertising. With U.S. spend projected to surpass $140B and grow beyond $165B this year, brands are rapidly reallocating budgets from traditional paid channels into placements at the point of purchase.
At the same time, the creator economy is scaling at a breakneck pace, estimated to grow at a 22.5% compound annual growth rate, fueled by demand for authenticity, engagement, and trusted recommendations. And yet, these two powerful channels, retail media and creator marketing, remain frustratingly disconnected.
Retail media has the data, the intent, and the dollars. Creators have the influence, the content, and the attention of the next generation of users. But structurally, they’re still worlds apart.
While 93% of brands report plans to increase their creator budgets or expand their creator strategies, many still struggle to operationalize those efforts. Unlike traditional display or retail placements, creators aren’t a media line item, they’re people. That means more friction in onboarding, deal management, and optimization. And for many brands, that friction outweighs the opportunity.
On the other side, creators are busy. Even the most entrepreneurial ones don’t have time to chase down partnership approvals, dig through affiliate portals, or manually apply for dozens of campaigns each month. They need automation, not application.
And because these two ecosystems aren’t connected, creators are currently locked out of the most lucrative channel in modern advertising: retail media. While it commands the second-largest share of global digital ad spend (behind only paid search), creators are capturing virtually none of it.
Creators aren’t accessing budgets where they can deliver the most value. Brands are stuck trying to shoehorn creator content into legacy affiliate platforms. And users get served outdated, uninspiring placements that miss the moment of intent entirely.
Meanwhile, campaigns that do blend content and commerce are outperforming. According to research, brand engagements increase by 28% when users are exposed to a mix of user-generated content and professional marketing materials. But to tap into that potential, creators and brands need the infrastructure to work together seamlessly, at scale.
We believe the next phase of retail media will be defined not just by where dollars are spent, but by who is powering them. Creators are no longer simply content producers, they’re commerce drivers. They bring context, trust, and relevance to retail media placements. But until now, they haven’t had access to the infrastructure that helps them scale.
At Button, we’ve spent the past decade helping performance marketers connect discovery to purchase, optimizing billions of journeys along the way. We’ve seen firsthand how much potential is lost when measurement breaks down, or when content and commerce are kept separate. We believe it’s time for the infrastructure to catch up.
Stay tuned for an announcement that will change the future of the industry - tomorrow.
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