The Digiday Podcast

Episode: Creators vs. Influencers: Inside the Divide
Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Kameka McCoy & Tim Peterson
Guests: Seb Joseph (Executive Editor of News, Digiday), Sarah Jerty (Managing Editor, Digiday)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the ongoing debate within marketing and media: Is there a meaningful difference between “influencers” and “creators”? The Digiday editorial team—split into pro-difference and no-difference camps—spar over definitions, industry perceptions, and why this distinction matters for marketers (or doesn’t). The conversation is lively, humorous, and reflective, offering insight into not just terminology, but also the evolving nature of the creator economy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Current Affairs and the Importance of Unfiltered Video

• The episode opens with Tim Peterson reflecting on the recent Minneapolis tragedy and the role of social video in accountability, especially in an era of algorithmic shifts (e.g., TikTok US changes).
  • Quote: “Thank God there are videos of this.” – Tim Peterson (01:05)
• Concerns raised about potential algorithmic suppression of critical content due to government or corporate interests.

2. Setting Up the Debate: Creators vs. Influencers

• This is the podcast’s first formal debate format.
  • Pro-difference team: Kameka McCoy & Seb Joseph
  • No-difference team: Tim Peterson & Sarah Jerty
• Main question: What’s the real difference—if any—between a creator and an influencer, and does it matter?

3. Team “There’s a Difference”: Arguments

• Influencers: Primarily focused on personal branding and direct product promotion via social content for brand deals.
  • Quote: “Influencers are mostly... point and shoot. The focal point is mainly themselves. In addition to whatever they hard-sell...” – Kameka McCoy (07:06)
• Creators: Generate a broader range of content (e.g., art, podcasts), with or without brand deals; creative identity not limited to influencing commerce.
  • Quote: “If you take away a creator’s brand deals, they’re still a creator... That’s not the same for influencers.” – Seb Joseph (07:41)
• Implications for marketers: The distinction impacts strategy—creators for long-term, awareness-driven partnerships; influencers for performance, quick ROI.

4. Team “No Difference”: Arguments

• Terminology is fluid: Most in the industry use influencer and creator interchangeably; any line is artificial and shifting.
  • Quote: “A person who creates content that cultivates an audience and then monetizes their influence over that audience. This person is a creator and an influencer. They’re intertwined.” – Tim Peterson (10:06)
• It’s about context and intent, not hard definitions.
  • Quote: “Perhaps it’s more about intent than it is theoretical dollars moved for me.” – Sarah Jerty (11:23)
• Many “creators” began as hobbyists and became “influencers” as brand deals materialized; even within the same platform, lines blur.

5. Industry Language and Maturity

• Terminology Origin: “Creator” rose with YouTube stars seeking distance from “influencer,” an Instagram-rooted label associated with lighter content.
  • Quote: “The term creator really originated with YouTube stars because... being an Instagram influencer... really just meant you took a nice photo of your breakfast.” – Tim Peterson (34:13)
• Both sides note that the industry has outpaced standard definitions—AP style and formal language can’t keep up.

6. The Marketer’s Perspective

• Seb Joseph & Kameka: Marketers need some differentiation because budgets, strategies, and expected outcomes differ.
  • “Influencers get treated like ads; creators more like long-term partners.” – Seb Joseph (14:12)
• Tim & Sarah: The market’s so vast and layered, everyone’s a creator and an influencer to some degree—difference is subjective and situational.

7. Nuances and Edge Cases

• Are YouTubers social media influencers? What about podcasters? Does revenue from ads or sponsorships make you an influencer?
• Kameka’s view: If content and branding extend off the platform, they’re creators; if their identity is tied to social and brand sales, they’re influencers.
• Tim’s pushback: “If we were going to treat these things as different, we would be able to define that difference very cleanly and explicitly. As this conversation is showing, that’s not possible.” (26:39)

8. Where the Debate Stalls (and why that matters)

• While both teams present strong arguments, each acknowledges ongoing ambiguity in both language and practice—especially as the industry keeps evolving.
• Quote: “It’s hard to define. It has been hard to define for the last couple of years. Even marketers have a tough time making the distinction.” – Kameka McCoy (37:12)
• Tim’s olive branch: “Influencer is the term we use when the context we’re referring to these people is discussing the creator’s business. Creator is the term… when discussing the creator’s content.” (34:50)
  • Kameka concedes, “I can allow that,” but Seb remains unconvinced.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tim Peterson (05:57): “This is the semantics showdown, the Ali Frazier of influencer marketing. The conflict that's tearing the creator economy apart.”
• Seb Joseph (13:16): “The difference does matter for marketers because… influencer marketing is more about the paid media aspect... creators... feels a lot more closer to... working with a media company.”
• Sarah Jerty (15:27): “These arguments…could have been more valid maybe 5 years ago, when it was early days and there wasn’t so much competition.”
• Seb Joseph (21:33): “I stand by the idea that there’s a difference between the two. Not to say that an influencer cannot be creative and not to say a creator cannot have influence. Right. But to me, it doesn’t make the two professions interchangeable.”
• Tim Peterson (34:13): “The term creator really originated with YouTube stars … whereas influencer really originated with Instagram. … I think ultimately influencers get shortchanged for their creative chops … whether it’s Get Ready With Me or a Day in the Life video, there’s a lot that can go into that.”
• Kameka McCoy (40:13): “We’ve given our opinions, but I think given that it’s a gray area for us, I would love to know what marketers and advertisers think about this… Who do you think won, first of all, this conversation and then how do you define what is a creator and what is an influencer?”

Key Timestamps

• 00:09–03:22: Open with reflection on media’s role in documenting social events and TikTok US’s launch.
• 05:57: Debate format introduced: The “semantics showdown.”
• 07:04–09:10: Kameka & Seb outline the creator/influencer distinction.
• 10:48–12:19: Tim & Sarah argue for synonymy and the importance of intent.
• 14:12–16:14: The marketer’s challenge—how differences play into spend and partnerships.
• 23:44–26:39: Edge cases—Are YouTubers influencers? What about podcasters/artists?
• 34:13–36:59: History of the terms and why they’ve diverged.
• 37:00–38:35: Attempt at compromise: using “influencer” for business context, “creator” for content.
• 40:13–41:00: Call for audience input—invite to debate.

Conclusion

The episode ends with no clear winner but a healthy respect for the complexity of the issue. The debate acknowledges that the distinction between creators and influencers may be more important for marketers than audiences and remains subjective, shaped by evolving industry needs, motivations, and perceptions.

Final Reflection:

• Team Tim/Sarah: Label distinctions are arbitrary and have faded as the industry matures.
• Team Kameka/Seb: Distinctions hold value for marketers and reflect real business practice; they’re worth maintaining, despite increasingly blurry boundaries.

Audience participation encouraged:

• Listeners are invited to share their take and “vote” on who made the stronger case.

Tone: Playful, informed, passionate, mildly combative—much like a newsroom debate that matters both in semantics and in practice.