The creator economy just leveled up. On October 15, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued guidance that classifies qualifying creators under the same industry code as film and video studios. It’s the first SBA guidance to name creators specifically, making it a historic move. It also gives an official label to something brand marketers have been picking up on for years: creators run media businesses.
With 2027 budget planning in the works, how you categorize creator partnerships internally shapes how much budget you get, and how they’re measured and contracted. Here’s what the SBA changed, why it matters for brands, and the three moves to make before 2027 planning wraps.
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What the SBA’s creator classification means
Here’s a quick rundown of the new guidance:
Creators now have an industry code. The SBA placed qualifying creators under NAICS code 5121, Motion Picture and Video Industries, for SBA lending and contracting eligibility.
The scale is significant. The SBA counts 27 million creator-led businesses in the U.S.
More changes may follow. The Creators Guild of America worked with the SBA on the guidance and continues to push for a dedicated creator classification. The SBA is reviewing public comments on a permanent creator exception, and comments on its broader size-standards rule close November 20.
What’s important to note is this update doesn’t come with new funding. Creators who met the requirements could already apply for SBA loans. This new guidance changes the paperwork. Before, a creator who films, edits, distributes content, and sells merch had to choose from industry categories that didn’t describe the work. Now there’s a clear category for them to select on an application.
Creators now share a classification with the studios behind major films and streaming series, and it’s an accurate fit. The largest creators operate like production companies, with staff, sets, and a slate of recurring shows. Smaller creators are often one-person studios handling every role, from scripting and shooting to editing and distribution. When a brand partners with either, it’s hiring a media business, and the federal guidance now reflects that.
What creator recognition means for your marketing plan
The money recognized creators as businesses well before the federal government did. Goldman Sachs sized the creator economy at $250 billion in 2023 and projects it will approach $480 billion by 2027. The SBA’s guidance reflects the government catching up to growth that marketers have witnessed firsthand for years.
Creator content also drives sales at a national scale. Activity on TikTok generated $81 billion in U.S. GDP, and 54 million Americans bought a product after watching a TikTok video, according to a PF Global report cited by TikTok. That’s just one platform. On YouTube, our own research found that nearly 27% of long-form viewers purchased a product because of a creator.
For brands, the bigger change is how creator programs get evaluated. Many brands treated creator partnerships as an awareness play or a social experiment. Those programs were often funded from whatever was left after paid media was planned, and they were measured on engagement alone. Now, a creator who runs a production business should be held to the same standard as any other media partner: sales, pipeline contribution, and incremental lift.
How to update your creator strategy
Treating creators as media partners changes three things for brands heading into 2027: where creator budget sits, how long partnerships last, and how contracts are written.
1. Give your creator budget a seat next to paid media
Creator ad spend reached $37 billion in 2025 and is growing four times faster than media spend overall, according to the IAB. Many budgets haven’t caught up. Creator programs still sit inside social or brand budgets, separate from the media plan and funded after paid media decisions are made.
We think creator budgets have earned a place in the same planning conversation as paid media, at a similar size. That starts with planning both at the same time, so creator partnerships compete for dollars based on their results. It also means measuring them the same way. If paid media is accountable for sales lift and pipeline, creator programs should report on the same metrics so leadership can compare the two side by side.
2. Lock in long-term creator partners now
Federal recognition, clearer access to financing, and growing brand demand all give creators more leverage in negotiations. Creators who use that financing to hire staff or upgrade production will likely raise their rates, and the most in-demand partners will be booked further in advance, or completely off the table. Case in point: Alix Earle recently shared that she’s cutting down her brand partners to five or six per year, and weighing equity deals with the ones she keeps.
Brands that commit to multi-quarter or ambassador partnerships now can secure current rates before they rise. Long-term deals also make room for terms that one-off campaigns rarely support, like category exclusivity and content rights for paid amplification. The content performs better too, since a creator who returns to the same brand over several months builds more audience trust than a single sponsored post can.
3. Update your creator contracts to reflect their business status
If creators are businesses, contracts should treat them like vendors and production partners. Many creators already operate through an LLC or another business entity. Contracting with that entity keeps the paperwork consistent with how you work with other media vendors. Bring in procurement as well as legal, since creator partners may need to go through the same vendor onboarding as an agency or production house.
A few terms worth revisiting:
Payment terms: Creators who manage payroll or loan repayments care more about when they get paid. Shorter payment windows can give your brand an advantage in negotiations.
Scope and deliverables: Spell out production requirements, revision rounds, and timelines as you would with any production partner.
Usage and whitelisting rights: Define where content can run and for how long, including in paid placements.
The SBA guidance applies to lending and contracting eligibility. It doesn’t change creators’ tax status or worker classification, so review any contract changes with your legal team.
Your 2027 creator planning checklist
The SBA’s guidance won’t be the last change. The comment period on its broader size-standards rule closes November 20, and the Creators Guild of America is still pushing for a dedicated creator classification. The details may shift, but creators’ status as businesses is now on the record, and 2027 plans should reflect it.
Before 2027 plans are locked in, run through three checks:
Budget: Plan creator spend alongside paid media, and measure it on the same sales and pipeline metrics.
Partners: Identify the creators worth keeping, and offer multi-quarter terms before rates rise.
Contracts: Work with legal and procurement to update payment terms, scope, and usage rights.
Creators have operated like media businesses for years, and the paperwork now matches. Brands that update their plans to match will go into 2027 negotiations better prepared.
For more data on where creator marketing is heading, explore our influencer marketing research.
