When “The End of Influencers” Became a Question for the Industry
Over the past few years, one question has echoed across marketing rooms and boardrooms alike:
“Do influencers still work?”
This question didn’t arise because influencers disappeared from platforms. It emerged because many brands began facing the same reality — campaigns that once delivered results now fall short. Views remain high, but conversions stagnate. Content looks polished, yet feels repetitive. Engagement exists, but business impact does not.
According to Ice Napat Silaphan, Managing Director of THE LEMON SHOT, what is truly coming to an end is not influencers or creators — but outdated ways of working that no longer align with today’s consumers.
Influencers Aren’t Dead — Consumers Are Simply Smarter
Human behavior has not changed. People still trust people more than brands.
What has changed is the consumer’s ability to detect authenticity. Audiences today can instantly distinguish between content that is genuinely created and content that is merely scripted brand messaging. When authenticity disappears, trust erodes. And without trust, content no longer drives purchase decisions.
This is why traditional influencer marketing is losing effectiveness — not because people stop watching, but because they stop believing.
From Influencer Marketing to Content-Led Full-Funnel Strategy
Platforms like TikTok have fundamentally reshaped the marketing funnel. The once-clear separation between Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion has collapsed into a single piece of content.
Today, one strong content asset can:
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Build awareness
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Educate and influence consideration
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Drive conversion
At THE LEMON SHOT, this approach is defined as Content-Led Full-Funnel — shifting content from a reach-driven tactic into a scalable business growth engine.
Co-creation: From Hiring Creators to Building Together
As one-off influencer hiring becomes less effective, brands must rethink their relationship with creators.
The future lies in Co-creation — inviting creators into the process from the very beginning. Rather than executing a brief, creators contribute insight, language, and storytelling rooted in their communities. This depth of involvement cannot be replicated through scripts alone.
The result is content that feels natural, resonates authentically, and delivers measurable conversion.
Creator in Residence (CIR): Building Ownership Through Long-Term Partnership
Beyond campaign-based co-creation, THE LEMON SHOT has long applied the concept of Creator in Residence (CIR) — a long-term partnership model that transforms creators from paid media into true brand partners.
When creators develop ownership over a brand, their communication becomes more consistent, credible, and emotionally connected. Over time, this drives stronger Brand Love while significantly reducing customer acquisition costs.
CIR is not just a partnership model — it is a sustainability strategy for modern brand growth.
The 4Ts Framework: Moving Beyond Follower Count
To operationalize creator collaboration at scale, THE LEMON SHOT applies the 4Ts Framework:
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Types – Selecting creators who can genuinely access specific sub-communities
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Tiers – Structuring creators across multiple levels to serve different funnel objectives
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Tasks – Defining clear roles and goals at each stage of the funnel
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Tactics – Designing content formats and mechanisms that drive both attention and action
This framework ensures creators are not just messengers, but strategic contributors to brand growth.
2026 Trends: Where Creators and Data Converge
Looking ahead to 2026, Ice identifies three defining shifts in creator marketing:
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Full-Funnel Co-creation – Creators will evolve from awareness drivers into high-performing sales channels.
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Data-Driven Decision Making – Investment will be guided by performance data, not intuition or assumptions.
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Creator in Residence as the New Standard – Long-term creator partnerships will replace transactional hiring models.
Sustainable Growth Requires More Than Viral Content
In 2026, the brands that thrive will not be those producing the most content — but those building the strongest relationships between Brand, Creator, and Community.
A Content-Led Full-Funnel strategy, powered by Co-creation and Creator in Residence, is no longer a trend. It is a structural shift toward sustainable, measurable growth.
Marketing should no longer be treated as the final step of business execution. It must be embedded from Day One — shaping products, communication, and experiences together.
Content-Led | Creator-Driven | Full-Funnel Growth