Independent Validation of Creator Marketing's Durability

‍Proving Performance Through Independent Analysis

In an era of rising marketing scrutiny, where every dollar is expected to show tangible return, independent validation has become the ultimate test of performance. Over the past year and a half, a series of quarterly marketing effectiveness studies—using advanced econometric and Marketing Mix Modeling techniques—have examined creator marketing’s role within a major national advertiser across two large consumer industries: insurance and membership services.

The outcome of these studies has been consistent and decisive. Creator marketing, represented through Props, has ranked among the most efficient and resilient channels in the portfolio. It has delivered measurable incremental growth, maintained competitiveness amid market headwinds, and repeatedly earned recommendations for increased investment.

Enduring Efficiency in a Changing Market

The insurance and membership sectors have faced turbulent conditions: rising costs of acquisition, intense competition, and consumer hesitancy driven by broader economic uncertainty. Across this volatile landscape, Props has maintained its position near the top of the performance rankings.

The modeling consistently found that Props drives high levels of incremental acquisition efficiency compared with both digital and traditional channels. While many tactics experienced declining returns as spend scaled, Props demonstrated the opposite—maintaining its efficiency as budgets expanded. The findings identified Props as one of only a few digital channels capable of absorbing larger investments without diminishing impact, a rare attribute in today’s media environment.

Adaptability Across Categories

The dual-industry evaluation—spanning both insurance and membership marketing—offered a comprehensive test of creator marketing’s flexibility. In insurance, where category economics fluctuate with macro trends such as policy cost and ownership rates, Props remained a top-tier performer and one of the few digital channels recommended for continued scaling.

In membership marketing, Props’ adaptability proved equally valuable. By shifting to a balanced blend of awareness, traffic, and conversion initiatives, the channel delivered sustained growth even as the advertiser curtailed less efficient tactics such as direct mail and paid search. Independent analysts identified this balanced approach as the optimal structure for long-term efficiency and acquisition scale—an insight since applied across other parts of the media plan.

Creative Quality as a Performance Lever

Across all studies, one factor emerged as the single greatest determinant of media success: creative quality. Authenticity, relevance, and trust in message delivery outweighed even format or placement in driving consumer action.

This finding naturally favors creator-led marketing. Props’ model—pairing real-world storytelling with paid precision—was singled out as inherently aligned with these creative drivers. The approach not only produced higher engagement rates but also generated superior downstream conversion compared with conventional digital formats. In essence, Props transformed creative differentiation into measurable business performance.

Resilience Under Pressure

The past several quarters have presented an unforgiving environment for marketers: rising costs, competitive saturation, and softer consumer demand. In that context, maintaining efficiency is an achievement; improving it is rare.

Props has shown resilience where many channels faltered. Even during periods when efficiency across the wider portfolio declined, Props remained within the top performance tier. Its consistency has led analysts to describe it as a “reliable efficiency anchor” within the media mix—one that stabilizes acquisition outcomes and offsets volatility in less predictable channels.

A Consistent Pattern of Confidence

Over five consecutive quarters of independent measurement, investment guidance for creator marketing has followed a single, upward trajectory. Each review reinforced the same conclusion: Props continues to merit additional funding as one of the advertiser’s most efficient and resilient channels. The steady escalation of recommended budget increases—from modest single digits in early 2024 to double-digit gains by mid-2025—illustrates growing confidence in Props’ capacity to scale without sacrificing performance.

Each quarterly assessment has concluded with the same advice: increase investment in creator marketing. Recommendations have been issued for larger allocations across all major markets, with particular emphasis on the highest-performing regions. The rationale is simple: creator marketing continues to deliver incremental results at a competitive cost, while also amplifying the impact of other media through improved brand awareness and retargeting pools.

This pattern of repeated endorsement, quarter after quarter, distinguishes Props from nearly every other channel in the analysis. Few digital tactics achieve both consistency and scalability over multiple reporting periods.

Proving Relative Efficiency

Independent measurement has consistently placed creator marketing at the top of the digital performance hierarchy. Across five reporting periods, Props ranked ahead of nearly every major digital and offline channel, maintaining strong efficiency even as budgets expanded. While traditional tactics such as search and display have become more costly and less productive, Props has demonstrated the rare ability to scale while preserving impact. This enduring performance has positioned creator marketing as both a dependable driver of acquisition and a benchmark for modern media efficiency.

Efficiency Ranking: Q2 2024 – Q2 2025

1. Props (Creator Marketing) — Consistently among the top digital channels; efficiency held even as spend scaled; recommended for budget increases every quarter.
2. Paid Search (Branded) — Props stronger in every quarter; branded search remained more efficient than non-branded but still trailed creator marketing.
3. Paid Search (Non-Branded) — Significantly weaker than Props, with high costs and diminishing returns.
4. Display Retargeting — Regularly outperformed by Props; limited incremental contribution to acquisition.
5. Online Video (OLV) — Underperformed relative to Props; less efficient at driving new conversions.
6. Display Prospecting — Among the weakest digital tactics; Props often two to three times more efficient.
7. Direct Mail (Membership) — A legacy offline channel; costly and consistently outperformed by Props.
8. Free-Standing Inserts (FSI) — Very low efficiency; Props delivered multiple times stronger results.

A Broader Impact on the Ecosystem

Beyond direct acquisition, creator marketing exerts a measurable halo effect. By generating high-quality traffic and strengthening consumer familiarity, Props enhances the efficiency of surrounding channels—from search to video to offline media. Attribution modeling consistently links Props exposure with improved conversion performance elsewhere in the customer journey.

In short, Props does not operate in isolation. It functions as a catalyst within the broader marketing system, raising the return on total media investment.

Lessons for Marketers

For marketing leaders navigating budget constraints and rising accountability, the message is clear. Creator marketing has evolved from an experimental tactic into a validated, performance-driven engine.

• Treat creator marketing as a core, always-on component of the media mix.
• Maintain consistent investment to preserve efficiency and avoid performance volatility.
• Integrate creator campaigns with other future-focused channels—such as streaming video and digital audio—to compound incremental value.
• Prioritize creative quality as a measurable performance driver, not a subjective art.

The Verdict: Durability Proven

Five consecutive quarters of independent analysis have delivered a single, consistent conclusion: creator marketing works. Props continues to demonstrate efficiency, scalability, and resilience in two of the most competitive consumer industries.

Its validated performance, creative alignment, and system-wide impact mark it not as a niche experiment but as a durable, future-ready pillar of modern marketing strategy.