Creators have become a significant economic force, woven into the strategies of brands, platforms, and the broader content industry. This is reflected in the First Report on the Creator Economy in Europe, which found that 78% of Europeans follow at least one creator, and the number of monetizing content creators has surpassed 8.5 million. The report also points to an important structural shift: investment is moving away from brand awareness advertising toward performance — the Social Advertising segment has reached $6.4 billion. Brands are no longer buying abstract attention; they need measurable conversions, says Regina Iakupova — a UGC creator who works with Ulta Beauty, Nutrafol, Bubble Skincare, and TRESemmé. Regina recently served as a jury member at the international “Time of Innovation 2025” awards, evaluating projects in PR, marketing, and mass communications. We spoke with Regina Iakupova about what sets UGC creators who work with leading brands apart from the rest, how packages of ad hypotheses are tested, and why commercial content rights have become a valuable asset.
Brands have significantly increased their investment in creator ads over the past few years. That means the bar for creators has risen too. What qualities define the specialists that major brands choose as long-term partners?
The market has genuinely shifted. Advertisers are continuously increasing their spend on creator content and holding it to the same demanding KPIs as traditional studio advertising. As a result, expectations for creators have risen sharply — brands now want more than a pretty picture; they expect the expertise of a performance specialist. The creators that leading brands work with on an ongoing basis are genuine partners: they understand business objectives, propose multiple concepts upfront, adapt video to the requirements of ad platforms, and work iteratively — from test to analysis to a new, improved creative. The defining trait of a strong creator, in short, is the ability to think from the outcome backward.
Walk us through your production process. How many creatives do you typically produce within a single project?
My work on any campaign always begins with detailed conversations with the brand, where we discuss goals, the creative concept, and exactly how the content will be used — organically or in paid advertising. I never limit myself to a single version; I build variability in from the start. On average, a single project yields three to five creatives, each one representing an independent hypothesis.
How do you decide which hypotheses to prioritize?
When forming hypotheses, I draw on audience pain points, current trends within the niche, and the brand’s specific objectives — whether that’s awareness or direct conversions. At the planning stage, I think through different angles, different hooks, and different formats — testimonial, demo, POV. Every video is created with the understanding that it will be tested in paid ads, and the data that comes back ultimately determines which ones get scaled.
In a performance model, it’s not just about launching the video — the speed of feedback afterward matters just as much. What metrics do you receive from the brand’s team after a campaign goes live?
All the core metrics — CTR, cost per click and cost per action, and retention data, especially in the first three seconds. That early window is the most critical: if we see a drop-off right at the start, the problem is in the hook or the visual opening. Low CTR signals that the offer or the angle didn’t connect with the audience, while a lack of conversions despite solid clicks points to the relationship between the creative and the landing page.
The fact that brands work with you on a long-term basis confirms that your creatives consistently outperform planned benchmarks and deliver strong conversions. How do you apply that data when building the next creative package?
If certain hooks are outperforming, I develop more variations around them. If a particular angle — say, problem-solution — is landing, I double down on it. If the data shows attention dropping off, I simplify the edit, increase the pace, and test different CTA approaches, ranging from native to direct. Each new package isn’t a blank-slate brainstorm — it’s a deliberate iteration in search of the most effective combination.
As creator ads have shifted from organic to paid, the question of usage rights has taken on growing commercial significance. Given that your rates are notably above market average, how is your pricing structured? What factors influence the cost of rights transfers?
This is one of the most important aspects of modern advertising. Creator ads are now a genuine commercial asset, and the rights to use them directly affect the final price. In my approach, usage rights pricing depends primarily on the duration of use. The structure typically looks like this: roughly 30% of the base rate per 30 days of paid use, or 100 to 120% of the base for perpetuity. Platform — Meta, TikTok — campaign scale, and whether exclusivity is required also factor into the price.
Has the way brands approach usage rights changed since creator ads became a core part of advertising strategy?
Yes, brands’ thinking has evolved noticeably. Where the value of rights wasn’t always obvious before, now that this type of content has become part of performance strategies, companies factor usage costs into the brief from the outset. It’s important for creators today to draw a clear line between the cost of producing the content and the cost of the commercial rights to use it — because these are two distinct forms of value.
You work with brands like Valentino Beauty and Sephora Collection. The UGC format — with its raw, authentic feel — seems to sit at the opposite end of the spectrum from luxury aesthetics. How do you resolve that tension?
For me, there’s no tension — it’s a question of thoughtful adaptation. UGC doesn’t have to look rough or unsophisticated. When working with brands like Valentino Beauty or Sephora Collection, I aim to preserve that sense of authenticity while bringing the visual quality in line with a luxury aesthetic. The balance comes down to details: clean, minimalist framing, soft natural light, and deliberate composition where the product is the clear hero of the shot. The delivery stays natural — organic movement and voice create the feeling of a real experience rather than a staged one. Underneath it all is a tightly written script with a strong hook and clear product demonstration. The result is content that looks like something you’d stumble across naturally, but functions as effective advertising.
You recently served on the jury of the “Time of Innovation 2025” awards, evaluating projects in marketing and mass communications among other categories. Where do you see the focus in content production shifting over the next few years? And what competencies will matter most for creators working with major brands?
We’re watching creator ads move from novelty to a structural pillar of performance marketing. The defining shift ahead is the move toward performance-driven creative. Simply knowing how to shoot and edit is no longer enough. What will separate the best from the rest is an understanding of algorithms, the ability to work iteratively, and the capacity to think like part of a marketing team. Speed and volume will also become increasingly important: brands need a constant stream of fresh variations, so creators who can consistently deliver quality on tight timelines will have a real edge. The ability to capture attention and build a strong hook in the first one to three seconds will become a baseline competency. Brands will gravitate toward partners who can adapt fluidly across market segments — from mass market to luxury — while maintaining a recognizable creative voice. The ones who win will be those who successfully combine creativity, analytical thinking, and a deep understanding of marketing.
Last updated: June 2, 2026
