Creator Strategy Is A Core Strategy This Season

Gen Zers Break From Millennials On Holiday Social Shopping

Gen Z has long led in browsing, discovery, and shopping on social media — and our recent pulse check with our online community shows that social media’s influence is stronger than ever. We surveyed 554 members of our Market Research Online Community and asked which media channels will most likely influence their holiday shopping decisions. Social media posts from brands were the most influential channel for Gen Zers by far. In comparison, emails from a retailer and TV commercials far outweighed social media for Millennials and Gen Xers. We also asked them about how social media influences their shopping decisions, and we found that the Gen Z cohort relies heavily on social media for discovery and purchasing:

81% say they’ve discovered new products to buy on social media.
71% say they’re getting most of their gift inspiration from social media.
68% say they’ve bought directly from a social media ad.
68% say influencers/content creators persuaded them to buy a product.

Influencers Aren’t The Campaign Extension — They’re The Campaign

Retailers across categories are making influencers central to their seasonal campaigns. These programs are multidimensional, involving hundreds to thousands of creators creating brand- to affiliate-level content. We predicted that in 2026, creator-led affiliate budgets would double, and this season’s trends confirm we’re on the right track:

Best Buy is partnering with over 200 influencers and leveraging its “Best Buy storefronts,” with curated shopping recommendations from influencers and creators.

Sephora’s holiday program is truly multidimensional, involving celebrity influencers including Mariah Carey, the Sephora Squad, and an affiliate program called My Sephora Storefront.

Times have changed, and brands that want to resonate with younger audiences who are coming into their prime spending years need to make creator strategy a core strategy. Forrester clients, schedule a guidance session with me to discuss your social media and creator marketing strategy for 2026.