Creators pivot as brands’ spending goes into ‘freeze mode’

Starting in March, parenting creator Tina Cartwright heard from three brand partners that they would be halting or pulling upcoming campaign spending (around Mother’s Day, for example), citing “budget freezes” and “tightening budgets” in the face of tariffs being imposed by the Trump administration.

“Everybody’s in a freeze mode,” Cartwright said. “[They don’t know what] additional impacts and stresses they’re going to have to account for as a result of these tariffs.”

Cartwright, who has 75,200 followers on Instagram, was eventually able to get the brand deals (she declined to name the specific brands) moving again by adjusting contract terms and timelines. Her official contracts with the three brands are still being finalized, but they will be “restructured into a different form,” while trying to keep the same financial rates, she explained. Mother’s Day is usually Cartwright’s “Super Bowl,” but now those content deals will potentially shift to June or July as brands stay cautious, she added.

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Future of TV Briefing: How mid-sized advertisers may shape this year’s upfront market

This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how mid-sized advertisers may be less inclined to make upfront commitments this year — which could have the effect of pressing larger advertisers to commit.

  • The upfront’s middle-class crunch
  • NFL’s streaming situation, YouTube’s AI Overviews and more

The upfront’s middle-class crunch

There are plenty of ad market indicators to track in this year’s TV and streaming upfront marketplace (we’ll be publishing a list in a couple weeks). But among them is — between the economy deteriorating, TV networks and streaming services seeking commitment increases and the easier access to streaming inventory outside the upfront — to what extent may mid-sized advertisers, such as direct-to-consumer brands, opt out of the upfront. And if they do, is that actually such a bad thing for the sell side?

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