ICYMI: Inside CES's First-Ever Creator Space

Plus Meta, TikTok and YouTube's big announcements

Jan 10, 2025

CES graphic of woman against multi color background, text reads: Dive In, Jan 7-10, 2025 Las Vegas Nevada

I went to CES this week to bring you the details of their new, dedicated Creator Space, plus highlights of the conversations happening among creators, brand marketers and platform executives at the first big trade show of the year.

Today’s newsletter condenses this week’s platform updates with news from the tech expo.

Note: I left CES early to get home back home to loved ones in Los Angeles in case we needed to evacuate. If you’ve been following the tragic situation here and have the resources to help, please consider donating to one of these verified fundraisers for those affected by the California wildfires.

⏰ 1-SECOND SUMMARY

CES is the latest event to add a dedicated creator track
Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta would end fact-checking in favor of community notes
Zuckerberg followed that up by killing Meta's DEI programs, effective immediately
ByteDance confirmed it would pull TikTok from the U.S. unless the Supreme Court blocks or delays the ban
TikTok used CES to launch its What’s Next Trend Report 2025
YouTube announced a partnership with Delta to offer in-flight viewing
YouTube is testing a new video highlights tool that clips long-form videos into 16:9 content
Reddit announced new marketing tools, like Reddit Pro Trends and AMA ads
TalkShopLive’s Bryan Moore and 4 other CES speakers shared why they attended this year
“Relatable” might replace “authentic” as marketing’s favorite buzzword, and four other key themes from CES

⚡️ INSIDE CES

💡 What is CES

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual tech trade show. This year, it introduced its first-ever dedicated Creator Space, presented by Sony and with programming sponsored by Pinterest. It’s part of a new creator track trend among tech and marketing conferences and festivals, such as SXSW and Cannes Lions, to acknowledge the creator economy.

The CES creator lounge included meeting rooms, selfie stations and a speaker stage MC’d by What’s Trending co-founder Shira Lazar. Panels within the space included an overview of the State of the Creator Economy and a Roblox panel, titled The Power of Immersive Gaming, where Roblox VP Global Brand Partnerships Stephanie Latham had everyone stand to practice Pose 28 from Dress to Impress.

While there were a lot of repeat faces at CES, there were new creators, platforms and creator economy brands who may not have previously attended the expo in Las Vegas.

So, what were the big takeaways and does this mean you should add CES to your must-attend list as a marketer or creator?

Let’s get into it!

🎟️ Who was there

Convention-goers seemed to be mostly a mix of brand and agency folks — Nvidia, Amazon, Netflix, Tubi, l’Oreal, Elf beauty, Ssense, Mastercard, Deloitte, Whalar, UTA, etc. There were also executives from most of the major platforms, though L.A. fires led to Snap founder Evan Spiegel’s keynote being cancelled.

High profile names included traditional celebrity-entrepreneurs, including: FYI.AI tech founder will.i.am who spoke about his new LG partnership; supermodel and Kode With Klossy founder Karlie Kloss who had an official presence at the Female Quotient Equality Lounge; and Martha Stewart, who visited her Vegas restaurant, The Bedford, while I was there (!).

Among the creators on hand, there was an emphasis on tech reviewers, entrepreneurs and analysts, including iJustine, Jacklyn Dallas, Jules Terpak, Dhar Mann and Brian Tong.

There were also non-tech creators, such as beauty pros Cassandra Bankson and Audrey Boos, travel creators Fiona Chen and Juliana Broste, Medical Mythbuster Joel Bervell, health and wellness creator Gigi Robinson and the Washington Post’s Carmella Boykin.

And those were just the ones I spotted. According to data from CreatorIQ, close to 1,500 creators had created 5,695 #CES2025 posts and posts mentioning CES across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and blogs since December 2024 to drive 182.5 million impressions and 6.5 million engagements.

💻 Platform roadmap

Almost every major platform had some sort of presence at CES, whether they were on the trade show floor, had executives participate in panels or hosted (invite-only) happy hours. A lot of the companies also used the opportunity to release updates and trend insights.

📲 YouTube Updates

YouTube threw an opening night celebration Monday for its Creator Collective, hosted by tech YouTuber KhanFlicks.

On Tuesday, the company announced a partnership with Delta airlines to make ad-free YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services available free on flights for SkyMiles loyalty program members.

The same week, Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie shared that the Shorts creation tool in YouTube’s mobile app would allow creators to make up to 3-minute Shorts.

And the YouTube team announced they were experimenting with a feature that lets creators easily cut out engaging segments from long-form videos on YouTube and instantly publish them as separate 16:9 videos.

📲 Meta Updates

Meta had a relatively light presence at CES, participating in panels on brand marketing and AI but they did not host any creator events.

The company was clearly busy elsewhere.

At the beginning of the week, Meta dialed back a statement that previously appeared in the Financial Times about AI users being incorporated onto its platforms alongside human accounts.

Then Business Insider reported that Instagram shut down a program that paid creators for ads placed on their profiles.

Then Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would end fact-checking in favor of community notes to combat censorship on its platforms. “The reality is that this is a trade-off. It means we're going to catch less bad stuff, but we'll also reduce the number of innocent people's posts and accounts that we accidentally take down.”

Reactions to the news were mixed. “Meta Gone Maga,” read an email subject line from Axios while searches spiked for how to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts. On the flip side, Fox News and X’s Linda Yaccarino celebrated the news.

Finally, on Friday Zuckerberg killed Meta's DEI programs effective immediately.

📲 TikTok Updates

TikTok used CES to launch its What’s Next Trend Report 2025 and corresponding What’s Next panel, pointing out that consumers are having much greater influence on the products and services that are created and how they are marketed.

The company also hosted an exhibitor suite for advertisers and put on a happy hour on Wednesday. What wasn’t addressed at CES was the potential ban.

But in a new legal filing, ByteDance confirmed TikTok would shut down January 19 unless the Supreme Court blocked or delayed the U.S. ban.

As for the mood amongst creators at the event, most people didn’t seem alarmed. Opinions ranged from “the ban won’t happen” to a pragmatic approach of platform diversification.

“There's a lot of fear around what's gonna happen with Tik Tok,” said creator Audrey Boos during a panel on niching in the creator space. “The audience is always going to be there. They're just going to move to a different platform. And we as creators just seem to be ready to change and diversify our platforms.”

📲 Pinterest Updates

Pinterest was the title sponsor of programming at the CES Creator Stage while company leaders also participated in panels across the conference.

In a panel on How the Internet Creates Trends, VP of Global Marketing, Stacy Malone pointed out that Pinterest has an 80% success record on accurately predicting trends.

She spoke of how advertisers could use trends by incorporating them in interesting ways: “Whether it's their styling in the marketing itself, it might be in the merchandising, in their physical presence, and ultimately product development.”

Trends that Pinterest had previously highlighted for 2025, such as Cherry Coded and Rococo Revival, were also creatively incorporated into the decor at Pinterest’s pop-up party for partners on Tuesday night.

📲 X Updates

X’s Linda Yaccarino took part in a keynote conversation on the future of digital communication, where she reportedly confirmed the upcoming launch of X Money payment system.

She also joined a fireside chat about the evolution of X at the Female Quotient Lounge.

📲 Reddit Updates

Reddit’s Global Head of Insights, Rob Gaige, was there for a panel on marketing to Gen Alpha to Z, “The Next Gen Marketing Revolution.” Gen Z actually prefers long form content on the platform, but “it has to be something they actually give a shit about,” said Gaige.

The company also used the opportunity to roll out new marketing tools, including Reddit Pro Trends to help marketers track trends and communities in real time and AMA ads.

🤓 Voices from CES

I asked several creator economy speakers at the expo — newbies and regulars — why they attended this year, plus what they thought of the new Creator Space and whether they see more opportunity for creator conversations at CES moving forward.

Talkshoplive CEO and Co-Founder Bryan Moore is a CES regular who was there to introduce a new, shoppable video product, TSL Shoppettes, and discuss shoppable storytelling in a panel titled Connecting Creators, Content & Commerce as Walmart Live’s technology partner.

“CES is more than a showcase of cutting-edge technology; it’s a pivotal meeting ground for businesses like TalkShopLive. It’s where we connect with major retailers, brands, and agencies, while unveiling timely innovations that address the evolving challenges marketers face.
This year, we introduced TSL Shoppettes — shoppable short-form videos for Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook, with distribution across our broader network.
Many, including Gary Vaynerchuk, are calling 2025 the year of livestream shopping in North America. Based on CES conversations, we believe it’s also the year of video commerce, where TalkShopLive stands out as a leader in distributed livestream and short-form social shopping.”
-Bryan Moore

It was creator Cassandra Bankson’s first time at CES. She was there to livestream from the show with TikTok Shop and cover new trends and innovations as part of CES Live.

“It’s cathartic to be able to see other creators and speak about issues we’ve all had with an algorithm change or with errors or even bounce ideas back-and-forth.
Even as a creator in the skincare space, it is a fun challenge to try to innovate and do collaborations with people who work in the tech technology space, or other sectors.
Who could’ve thought that I could create content with a car creator? But the challenge of doing a full skin routine in a car is a fun and innovative way to combine two different niches together that would not have been brainstormed if we hadn’t been in the same room at the same time.”
-Cassandra Bankson

Mind Chatter Media CEO Adam Wescott was a return attendee who was there to lend his expertise to the kick-off Creator Space panel, State of the Creator Economy, as an investor and advisor in the space.

“While the Creator Space is a great step forward for creator interests at CES, there’s still a disconnect between the overall CES programming and value to most talent.
In my opinion, the real opportunity was at the invite-only Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit where CMOs were face-to-face with brand agencies. Lots of talk about creators with very few, if any, creators in attendance.
I’d predict a growing presence next year of more consumer-friendly creators and their teams who want to speak to advertisers and also appreciate CES tech innovation!”
-Adam Wescott

It was creator commerce platform LTK’s first official presence at CES, with Head of Creator Success Katie Melton leading a panel on Growing Your Channel and Business.

“As a company focused on helping creators connect with their audience, we see CES as the perfect place to share the technology we're building at LTK to help creators nurture their communities and grow their businesses.
We are seeing now more than ever, with the decline in reach on social platforms, that creators are in need of a place to not only reach their communities but engage with them on a deeper level. We’re proud of the role we’ve played in shaping this industry, and excited to continue helping build the future of the creator economy.”
-Katie Melton

It was influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ’s first official presence at CES, with CMO Brit Starr leading a panel on Niching in the Creator Space.

“Creators are crucial to driving these narratives and translating stories of innovation to key communities, and they’ve become vital information sources.
That’s why I was honored to participate in the Creator Space at this year’s show. The dedicated space for these influential voices, much like traditional media spaces at other events, underscores a commitment to embracing the evolving media landscape and the importance of nuanced conversations around brand marketing.
Looking ahead, I see CES as a critical platform for creator dialogue. The line between creators and traditional media is rapidly blurring, making it essential to include both in discussions about brand storytelling.”
-Brit Starr

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📋 Common themes

There were certain topics and keywords that were repeated over and over again during panels and after-hours conversations. Expect to see more around the following terms this year:

🙌🏻 Creators as collaborators

Young people are interested in the creator economy because they want autonomy, said Jules Terpak during the State of the Creator Economy panel. But they’re not all entrepreneurs. “They want to help within businesses, not necessarily start their own,” explained Terpak.

That sentiment of partnering with or employing creators was echoed by fellow panelist, Deloitte Digital’s Kenny Gold. “If you actually have them advise on the future of your product line, your research and development, you start to get an interesting perspective that is rooted in the true insight of your customer.”

Across several panels, creators were hailed for their value as corporate advisors and storytellers, not for being influencers. “We can't go and make all the content for them. We need them to be completely self-sufficient,” said Therabody CMO John Solomon during a panel titled The Creator-verse: Are Marketers Just Living In It?

“I think traditional influencers, you’re paying for an endorsement,” said Solomon. “I see creators as people who are able to make content on your behalf and explain to their audiences how your products work and how it benefits them.”

✨ Brands love AI

“I’m obligated by CES law to incorporate AI,” joked Variety Intelligence Platform’s Andrew Wallenstein during a panel titled: Powering Personalized Digital Media Experiences.

AI technology was the star of CES, credited with driving everything from personalization and creation to data insights. Overall, the attitude toward AI reminded me of a recent IAB report that pointed out 80% of ad executives thought consumers viewed AI-generated ads positively, but only 48% of Gen Z and Millennials agreed.

🥰 Embrace the niche

“Niche is expertise and really building your expertise within the content, the community, and the subject matter that you're talking about,” explained CreatorIQ’s Starr during a panel on Niching in the Creator Space. It wasn’t the only time niche came up.

“Niche is the new mainstream,” said NowThis CEO Sharon Mussalli, during the panel From Gen Alpha to Z: The Next Gen Marketing Revolution. She pointed to the term as one of the main trends the company has seen from its Gen Z and Alpha advisory board. Young people are looking for inclusive subcultures and communities where they can connect over their deeper interests.

🪞 Make it relatable

Brands and creators need to create content people can connect to on a raw and relatable level. “Perfection is over. It’s the era of relatable,” said creator Fiona Chen during the panel How the Internet Creates Trends.

Being relatable came up again during The Creator-verse panel. “The role of the brand is to continue to drive aspiration,” said Therabody’s Solomon, adding, “But we found creators drive a lot of relatability and accessibility.”

📳 Storytelling as a major buzzword

Storytelling is the basis of any good marketing or influencing, said Pinterest’s Stacy Malone during a panel on How the Internet Creates Trends. “It just shows how creators are becoming more mature in the way that they're telling their stories and bringing consumers on the journey.”

The term resonated throughout CES, including during the opening State of the Creator Economy panel. Storytelling is a big way that creators have connected audiences, said moderator Carmella Boykin. “Storytelling is the job. That's literally what a content creator is," agreed Wescott, noting that smart creators leverage data to refine their content and engage audiences effectively.

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Go or don’t go?

CES requires credentials: you have to be an industry professional within the consumer technology industry.

It could be a good fit if you’re a mid- to senior-level corporate marketer with a conference budget who wants to try to network with leadership or hear what they’re thinking about.

But you’re probably not going to make a lot of creator connections at the expo unless they expand the invite list.

If you’re a creator, the opportunities seem to be: get yourself invited as a panelist for a brand or agency session or go as a guest as one of the social networks.

👀 ICYMI: JUST THE HEADLINES

5 ways to recharge your LinkedIn content marketing strategy in 2025 -LinkedIn
ByteDance released a new TV and movie app called Melolo -The Information
TikTok tells LA staff impacted by wildfires to use personal/sick hours if they can’t work from home -TechCrunch
Winners and losers in the TikTok ban -Emarketer’s Jasmine Enberg
Instagram begins randomly showing users AI-generated images of themselves -404 Media
Teen creators jumpstart careers by selling clothes online and getting brand sponsorships -Digiday
People who use social media ‘most of the day’ are more irritable -Yahoo
What 2025 has in store for influencer marketing -Marketing Brew
What 97 trend reports reveal about social media & influencer marketing in 2025 -The Month in Digital

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