Creator Voices Are Rewriting the Rules of Brand Communication
From left to right: Tina DeSarno, Jenn Green, Gina Dimperio, Christina Pabst
What you will learn from this article
How YouTube, BBDO, and H-E-B are redefining brand communication through creator partnerships that foster authenticity and dialogue.
Why audience-led storytelling and fandom are becoming essential tools for building brand trust and emotional engagement.
How communicators can adapt by embracing creator collaboration, co-creation, and community participation as core elements of their strategy.
Marketing leaders from YouTube, BBDO, and H-E-B shared with Tina DeSarno, Chief Innovation and Analytics Officer at MarketCast, in a ARF Creative Effectiveness conversation that marked a shift in marketing communications, from top-down messaging to community collaboration and to how creator partnerships are redefining modern brand communication. Their message to communicators was clear: authenticity and community connection now drive impact more than polished campaigns ever could.
Christina Pabst, Brand Strategist for Creator Brand Marketing at YouTube, emphasized that creators are the new communicators. “Social and influencer marketing shouldn’t be a one-off activation,” she said. “It should be part of your brand’s everyday communication strategy. Creators help brands stay present where audiences actually are.” Pabst explained that creators provide brands with access to emotionally authentic storytelling—something even the most sophisticated ad can’t replicate.
For Giovanna Dimperio, Managing Director of Marketing at H-E-B, brand communication starts with listening. She described how a fan-designed “H-E-B heavy metal” T-shirt on social media inspired the company to produce a real version, which sold out within a day. “That moment showed us what happens when a brand truly listens to its community,” she said. “Our fans didn’t just buy the shirt—they became part of the story.”
Jenn Green, Group Strategy Director at BBDO, discussed how agencies are evolving to guide brands through this creator-led landscape. “The most effective communications today don’t sound like ads,” she said. “They sound like conversations. When creators speak authentically about a brand, it carries far more weight than any scripted message.”
Together, the panelists made the case that the future of brand communication depends on relinquishing control and embracing collaboration. Communicators must prioritize human connection over hierarchy, trust over tone, and conversation over campaigns.
Their insights also point to the next chapter of the creator economy: smaller, more intimate communities where influence is built on shared values and emotional resonance. Brands that join those spaces respectfully—by adding value instead of volume—will be the ones audiences choose to believe.
