ISBA and IMTB formalise creator marketing partnership

The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) and the Influencer Marketing Trade Body (IMTB) have formalised a partnership to develop common standards and best practice as creator marketing becomes a bigger part of brands' marketing mix.

The collaboration expands a relationship that until now has centred largely on the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct, which the two organisations developed together and which has since become a government-backed initiative.

Their joint work will span four areas. On measurement, the organisations will develop a standardised framework for evaluating influencer marketing effectiveness and work to increase adoption of the Code of Conduct among talent agencies and creators, including improving disclosure rates.

On responsible marketing, they will work to guard against social harms and develop protections around AI influencers and brand safety. On transparency, they will produce best practice guidance covering procurement, payment terms and late payment. On future skills, they will provide training for members on creator marketing trends, including how creator content performs in AI-powered search.

Scott Guthrie, director general of the IMTB, said the partnership reflected the growing role creator marketing now plays for advertisers.

"Today, creator marketing is a core, high-performing component of the marketing mix for modern brands," he said. "However, rapid growth demands robust scaffolding."

Simon Michaelides, director general of ISBA, described the formal partnership as the next step in the organisations' long-running collaboration.

"Advertisers who are increasing their investment in creators want to measure their reach and return, ensure responsible influencer marketing and harness its full potential," he said.