Author: Alyssa Mercante

Urban Outfitters last week rolled out ME@UO, its latest bet on micro-creators, joining brands like American Eagle, Express, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Sephora that are reworking affiliate marketing into always-on, gamified creator programs.

These creator programs reward smaller creators for consistent content, signalling a shift in how brands engage and scale influencer marketing. 

“It reflects a broader shift from broadcasting to building. The industry is moving past transactional influencer moments toward programs that create real participation and credibility over time,” explained Joe Berean, svp of marketing at Express, which launched its own creator program, The Expressionists.

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Now that the three major agency holding companies have issued their 2025 earnings results and set their strategies in place for 2026 and beyond, it’s fair to ask a few questions. Which will end 2026 in the best shape? And which one is truly built to last, in a media world dominated by platforms and inexorably altered by generative AI? 

Clearly the holding company that adapted its model the most is WPP, which last week revealed the transformation it’s enacted under the guidance of global CEO Cindy Rose, who hits six months in charge on the job. The “Elevate28” plan, which aims to simplify the company’s structure into four units — media, creative, production and enterprise solutions — looks to stabilize a business that’s been losing more clients than gaining, and reduces the complexity of a massive assemblage of assets. 

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