The Center is building something the creator economy has never had: a ranking system with academic standing behind it. This rankings and recognition framework will bring the industry its first credible, independent assessment of service providers, a rigorous evaluation of the platforms and tools supporting it, and an executive recognition program rooted in real research rather than marketing spend — a transparent way to evaluate and honor the people and organizations building the creator economy.
Our approach to rankings and recognition encompasses three areas:
- Company Rankings — Covering influencer and creator marketing agencies of record, managed services companies, enterprise SaaS platform providers, creator talent agencies, and social media platforms, assessed on campaign innovation, category expertise, ethics, and brand sector authority
- Platform & Tool Assessments — Evaluating monetization fairness, transparency, algorithmic equity, and technological differentiation across the platforms and tools the industry runs on
- Executive Recognition — Honoring the individual leaders driving the industry forward, with a growing set of categories designed to expand as the program matures
Every ranking and recognition program is built on the same principle that grounds all of the Center’s research: a company’s standing is never influenced by its relationship with the Center. We’re aiming to build a credibility engine for the field and a sustained source of year-round industry engagement, through category sponsorship, entry participation, and signature gala events.