For the last decade, the capital-C Creator economy has boomed to over $250 billion, and we have watched as Creators parlay their success online into tangible political, cultural and financial influence. Being a capital-C, professional Creator has become the new American Dream.  

Brands have noticed how valuable Creators are, too. Insurgent brands like Glossier, Hello Fresh and Dunkin’ spend millions to secure top-shelf Creator partnerships, hoping to capitalize on the star power of Creators to drive even more demand for their products. The problem is: the space is overcrowded, working with top-tier Creators is increasingly expensive—and given how fragmented the ecosystem has become—it’s harder to guarantee a return on the investment.   

In the background, there’s another group of content creators quietly taking hold of the brand narrative.  We call them “lower-case c creators”. This growing group of digital natives, work across a repertoire of platforms in an unpaid capacity. They’re also largely untapped by brands.  

Tapping the Infinite Scalability of Everyday Creators 

While marketers often chase the same pool of top-tier influencers, millions of users are quietly influencing brand perception—without media kits, professional distribution deals or even commercial intent. They’re Airbnb hosts writing thoughtful listings, Strava athletes logging runs and Reddit users giving niche advice. Last year, YouTube released a study that showed over 65% of Gen Z already see themselves as some form of creators. Lower-case ‘c.’ 

These lower-case ‘c’ creators are leaving a digital paper-trail that contributes dramatically to brand narratives—all through their authentic experience with it.  

The beauty of digital creation among everyday creators? It scales the brand. As AI becomes more integral to product discovery, these digital signals—comments, reviews, playlists—become key inputs into how consumers choose brands: 

• Content is more discoverable—casual Reddit posts are feeding ChatGPT responses. 
• Organic behaviors are training the models—every user action informs the next. 
• Authenticity is outperforming polish—genuine beats glossy. 

We’ve moved from brand-to-audience to a creator-to-creator model. Brand content is created, consumed and annotated by all lower-case c creators. But this creates new questions: How do you enable and guide these everyday creators? How do you help these creators – who are your customers and employees – reflect your brand values? 

What We’ve Learned (and How to Apply It) 

Our research with pro Creators shows two big motivators: authenticity and rewards. Their top challenges? Time, burnout, feeling isolated and not knowing how to succeed.  

These insights apply to everyday creators, too. Here’s how smart brands are responding: 

• Redefine creation as contribution: Creating isn’t random, it’s a meaningful act. Logging a route, sharing a playlist, writing a review—demonstrate its impact on the community. 
• Recognize and reward effort: Recognition matters—as does having something to aspire to. Highlight top contributors, feature them and give creators increasing access to the brand. The more they contribute, the more they matter. 
• Foster community: People are looking for genuine online communities. Connect creators directly and show how their input helps others. 
• Encourage remixing and brand co-ownership: Make it easy for users to echo and build on each other’s content—and show how their content is a critical part of the brand narrative. 
• Center users in their stories: Creators don’t just talk about brands—smart brands, talk about creators and make them the center of their own stories. 

Global streaming services are facing a significant challenge: growth has stalled in many markets, forcing them to seek new avenues for expansion. Some, like Netflix and Disney, hope to boost revenues by cracking down on password-sharing. Other streamers are looking for growth by bundling. Warner Bros Discovery (owner of HBO Max) and Disney (owner of Hulu) recently announced a new package to capture subscribers in an increasingly competitive attention economy. And all this is happening in the context of a cost-of-living squeeze, impacting consumers’ willingness to pay for multiple subscriptions.   

Audience growth is available, but it lies in emerging markets like Africa, a region that many Western media executives have yet to consider. Africa is on the verge of a viewing avalanche, with the population expected to double by 2050, when the International Monetary Fund predicts it will account for over 25% of the global population. Importantly, these will be young consumers, with 60% under 25. They will be hungry for programming and new ways to watch it, in sharp contrast to the West, where aging populations may lead to stagnant technology adoption rates. Africa’s youth bulge presents a dynamic market eager for digital entertainment solutions. These are mobile-loving audiences, with some 613 million in sub-Saharan Africa – about half the region’s population – subscribing to mobile services.  

However, for streamers, growth in Africa is about more than demographics or devices. African content is a booming industry, making it a fertile land for streaming services. Nollywood – Nigeria’s film industry – is the second largest in the world by output, with over 2,500 movies annually. (It trails India’s Bollywood, but out-produces Hollywood.) And while early Nollywood content had a DIY video production quality, these shows and films have become increasingly sophisticated. Fuelled by new efficiency-saving technologies such as AI, the Nigerian film industry is honing its technique, expanding out of comedies and dramas and into horror, historical dramas, musicals and animation.  

Prophet has been working with Showmax, a joint venture between South African broadcaster MultiChoice Group, American media conglomerate Comcast, and Peacock, the streaming platform from Comcast’s NBCUniversal subsidiary – to expand service across Africa. Combining reality, drama and sport with local output in multiple markets, Showmax is expected to reach almost four million subscribers by 2029. From this work, we’ve developed five critical lessons for successfully launching streaming services that will captivate and delight African audiences:  

1. Local Content Is King  

American hits may create evergreen content libraries across the pond, but African audiences are most interested in local content produced in local languages for local audiences. (Sorry, “Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Stranger Things.”)  Africa is rich in cultural diversity, with thousands of ethnic groups having unique traditions, languages and stories. Local content that taps into this diversity can resonate deeply with viewers by reflecting on their lived experiences, cultural nuances and societal values. Whether it is the “The Real Housewives of Nairobi” or “Cheta M,” a Nigerian Showmax original exploring young lovers who battle spiritual and political forces in their way, original African stories by local talent are the overwhelming favourites. And just as K-pop, Nordic noir and Brazilian telenovelas find fans well beyond national borders, these regional African narratives resonate with larger audiences, offering the entire continent a wider representation of people, places and perspectives.   

2. Mobile-First Optimization  

Optimizing streaming services for mobile viewing is crucial in all markets, but it is especially important in Africa, given the continent’s unique technological and market characteristics. Because of its limited fixed broadband infrastructure and the relative affordability of mobile technology, mobile devices are most Africans’ primary internet access point. A mobile-optimized service enhances engagement by improving usability on smaller screens and adapting to variable mobile data conditions. This approach aligns with the lifestyle of Africa’s young, tech-savvy population, who often consume content on the go. And it provides a competitive edge in a market where mobile connectivity is a norm.  

Streaming brands need to act now to capture these audiences, diving into local market needs to develop a deep understanding. Customer centricity is essential: Only companies that immerse themselves in Africa’s varied and nuanced markets will be able to develop the strategies, offers, pricing and content required to win with increasingly sophisticated African audiences.

Tosson El-Noshokaty, Partner at Prophet 

3. Cheap, Creative Access  

Effectively launching in multiple African markets requires a telecom partner that can provide cheap data, attractive bundles – or both. This makes it easier for a broader audience to access streaming services, increasing adoption. The economic landscape in many African countries is characterized by lower average incomes than in Western nations. Budget-friendly data options make streaming services more attractive and feasible for regular use. Going to market with a strategic partner also creates a competitive advantage. Offering these services through fractional pricing is another tool adopted by African streamers. Rather than monthly subscriptions, providing weekly or fortnightly tiered packages with different bundle offers can make a difference, maximizing accessibility and adoption.   

4. Direct Sales Impact  

Direct Sales Forces (DSFs) drive sales across Africa, capitalizing on over 90% of transactions conducted in cash. Unlike markets dominated by digital marketing and online sales, the African landscape often requires a tangible, on-the-ground presence to effectively reach and engage consumers. DSFs are crucial for navigating these unique market dynamics, including limited internet penetration and the preference for face-to-face interactions. DSF teams provide personalized customer service, handle cash transactions safely and build trust within communities, essential for converting potential customers into subscribers. Additionally, DSFs help educate customers about product offerings and troubleshooting, which is vital in regions where digital literacy is still developing.  

5. M-Pesa mobile money   

Cash is king in Africa, with sub-Saharan African credit and debit card penetration rates low at 3% and 18%, respectively. However, M-Pesa – an innovative mobile phone-based money transfer service – allows users to deposit, withdraw, transfer money, pay for goods and services, and access credit and savings, all with a mobile device. With over 50 million monthly active users, M-Pesa’s widespread adoption highlights the need for streaming services in Africa to integrate mobile payment options and a complex suite of payment providers, including card, PayPal and other mobile money solutions. These various payment integrations ensure seamless accessibility and convenience for users.  

Digital transformation is nothing new. Companies we talk to every day have been trudging along on digital transformation journeys for close to 20 years. Despite spending trillions to add newer, more sophisticated digital initiatives to their agendas (with more projected over the next five years), few have been able to grow the way they hoped. A recent survey from the Harvard Business Review reports that only 20% of executives believe their transformation efforts have been effective in any way.

It’s not that all the steps they’ve taken have been misguided. Far from it. Many companies have made significant strides to optimize their existing businesses by using new digital tools and operations, cutting costs and launching new products along the way. But, as business environments change and customers along with them, what we’re finding is that simply adding new tech capabilities, data sets or rich omnichannel experiences without changing the way the business works will limit your company’s growth potential.

Moving Past the “Add-On” Digital Transformation Approach

The evidence we’ve collected by observing clients and conducting field research shows that growth must be an intentional goal of transformation, and achieving it requires businesses to move beyond the “add-on” approach of digital transformation. The add-on approach is a consequence of being overly preoccupied with a typical metric of many digital transformations – digital maturity. Digital maturity is measured by the number of tactics used to optimize the existing business and misses the point: long-term growth.  Digital maturity alone will not unlock what Prophet calls “uncommon growth”– the type of growth that is purposeful, transformational and sustainable over time.

“Digital maturity alone will not unlock what Prophet calls ‘uncommon growth’– the type of growth that is purposeful, transformational and sustainable over time.”

To unlock growth with digital transformation, firms must build on digital maturity to achieve convergence. Convergence is the approach of orchestrating digital transformation efforts around a singular purpose that has been reimagined for today’s customers and employees. Businesses that embrace convergence don’t just add new digital capabilities to solve existing problems, they use existing digital capabilities to work differently, solve new problems and deliver growth.

The progress of individual workstreams, specific digital projects and initiatives, and the building of shiny new capabilities is a known challenge. The more intractable part is getting people in your business to embrace a renewed purpose with digital tools, infuse new rituals into the DNA of the company –and then structure the workstreams that serve customers and unlock growth.  Successful transformations necessitate holistic, if more complicated point of view.

Without converging on a customer-and employee-led purpose, digital transformations are doomed. A business’ purpose must be central to this transformation because it defines the role the business plays in customers’ lives, the meaning of the work that its employees do and the impact that it has on society. As environments change, the purpose of the business needs to be continually re-examined to ensure its continued relevance. Global digital acceleration, sparked by mobile and boosted by the pandemic, is rapidly changing the expectations and behaviors of customers and employees – now the purpose needs to change along with it.

Convergent enterprises are the companies that understand the power of ongoing transformation. They have adopted a mindset that allows them to look beyond the add-on approach to digital maturity and pursue initiatives converged on a renewed purpose that incorporates customer and employee capabilities.

As a first step towards digital convergence, organizations must embrace the challenge of defining a renewed purpose. It doesn’t mean losing your authentic brand and value proposition. Rather it demands reimagining the business through a new lens, integrating digital capabilities throughout, and scaling the outcomes. And that must be done with creativity, empathy and action, not panic or cynicism.

How Best Buy is Rewiring Itself to Go Beyond Retail for Growth

Let’s take Best Buy, a Prophet client, as an example. Over 10 years ago, Best Buy and other big-box retailers began their digital transformation journeys with a determined focus on omnichannel retailing and effective e-commerce. As it moved toward streamlined online experiences, so did all its competitors. Instead of just pressing the “more digital commerce” button, Best Buy leadership realized that to find uncommon growth, they would need to start with a renewed purpose and converge digital capabilities around it. Reinvention had to be based not on how consumers wanted to shop at Best Buy but on why they were there in the first place.

That meant questioning everything from brand purpose to organizational structure to customer experience. By re-centering itself around helping customers make all of their technology work together – not just sell them more stuff – they located an addressable problem that was way bigger than the market they originally sought to capture. They extended their subscription services, installation packages and extended warrantee offerings to the consumer while reimagining their square footage as experiential media opportunities for their manufacturer partners.

By expanding the borders of its value proposition and building a moat around proprietary digital tools, Best Buy continues to build a convergent enterprise limited only by its imagination and poised for sustainable growth. The results so far are astonishing. In its latest quarterly results, revenues have steadily increased 24% over the last five years.