ASIA AND OCEANA CREATOR ECONOMY MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2023 - 2030)

The Asia and Oceana Creator Economy market size was valued at US$ 135.20 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 848.36 billion by 2030, grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% from 2023 to 2030. The creator economy refers to the class of entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, artists, and other content creators who monetize their content online. The growth in smartphone and internet penetration in Asia Pacific has enabled the rise of creator economy in the region. Creators are able to build their own personal brands and monetize it through advertisements, sponsorships, paid content, tipping, e-commerce sales, paid communities etc. Key drivers of the market include rising internet and smartphone penetration, youth population’s increasing spending on digital content, advancements in digital payment infrastructure, and increasing use of social media.

The Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market is segmented by component, application, end-user, and region. By component, the market is segmented into solution and services. The services segment accounted for the largest market share in 2022. Services help creators in building their personal brand, increase their reach, and monetize their content. The high growth in this segment can be attributed to the rising demand for services like influencer marketing, brand promotions, paid content creation etc.

 Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market Regional Insights

Asia:

• Southeast Asia:
• Southeast Asia was a hotbed for the creator economy, with countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines witnessing significant growth.
• Influencers, content creators, and social media platforms were thriving in these markets.
• E-commerce and social commerce were also prominent, with creators often partnering with brands for collaborations and endorsements.
• East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea):
• China had a robust creator economy, driven by platforms like Weibo, Douyin (TikTok), and Kuaishou.
• South Korea was known for its entertainment industry, leading to the rise of K-pop and online content creators.
• Japan had a growing influencer culture, especially on YouTube and Instagram.
• South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan):
• India's creator economy was booming, with a large number of YouTubers, Instagram influencers, and TikTok creators.
• Brands and advertisers actively collaborated with content creators to reach a young and digitally active audience.
• Bangladesh and Pakistan were also witnessing the emergence of influencers and content creators.

Oceania:

• Australia:
• Australia's creator economy was strong, with a vibrant community of YouTubers, podcasters, and Instagram influencers.
• Influencer marketing was widely used by brands to connect with consumers.
• New Zealand:
• New Zealand had a growing community of content creators, particularly in the areas of travel, adventure, and lifestyle.
• Influencers often collaborated with local and international brands

Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market Drivers:

• Rise of Social Media and Video Platforms: The rapid growth of social media and video platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok etc. in Asia Pacific is a major driver for the creator economy. These platforms are enabling individual creators to build a large follower base, showcase their talents, and monetize their content. Creators are partnering with platforms to earn advertisement revenue, receive sponsorship deals, sell merchandise etc. The low barrier to start creating content is leading to many new entrants in this space.
• For instance, TikTok has over 300 million monthly active users in Asia Pacific. Short form video content has become hugely popular. A cohort of young creators have risen with millions of followers. Thus, social media and video apps are empowering the creator economy growth.
• Smartphone and Internet Penetration: The improving internet accessibility and rising smartphone adoption in Asia Pacific is allowing wider reach for creators. With mobile phones and cheap data plans, online video streaming and social media usage has increased tremendously even in lower tier cities and towns. For example, India which is experiencing a massive surge in creator culture adding over 40 million new internet users every year. Cheaper phones under $100 combined with affordable mobile data prices have unlocked a massive new user base for creators. Thus, the technology infrastructure is enabling the creator economy's rise.
• Brands Leveraging Influencer Marketing: Brands across Asia Pacific are leveraging influencer marketing by partnering with creators. This presents a lucrative monetization avenue for creators. Marketers are shifting budgets to influencer campaigns which deliver better engagement and ROI compared to traditional advertising. The adoption of influencer marketing is high in countries like China, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia etc. Sectors like fashion, beauty, lifestyle, travel are leading in influencer marketing spends. The focus on social commerce is also enabling influencer-led product sales. Thus, brand promotion is a key creator economy driver.
• Support Infrastructure and Enablers: The creator economy is being supported by the emergence of new tools, platforms and enablers. Creator economy focused companies are providing solutions for creator profiling, campaign tracking, monetization, analytics etc. Payment gateways are enabling seamless tipping, donations. Co-working spaces focused on content creators are coming up. Overall support infrastructure like creator media production professionals, managers, agencies, events etc. has developed. Government programs supporting local creators have also emerged. Such infrastructure growth is enabling individuals to smoothly pursue creator careers.

Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market Opportunities:

• Evolution of Creators into Entrepreneurs/Businesses: Creators can evolve into entrepreneurial businesses by leveraging their follower base and content IP. This presents a massive opportunity for economic impact, job creation, innovation. There are opportunities for creators to launch product lines, local franchises, content production houses, new startups etc. For instance, influencer media production houses that train and hire talent to produce branded content have emerged. Some creators have launched fashion lines, food brands, salons based on their follower base. Such creator-led ventures can drive innovation in products, services, business models etc.
• Potential for Job Creation: The creator economy can enable employment and livelihoods at scale. Creators are hiring assistants, managers, agencies etc. to help with content production and monetization. Brands hiring creators for campaigns leads to economic activity. For example, many micro creators who could not get traditional jobs are finding opportunities in the creator economy. Small town youth are learning skills to become freelance creator professionals. The market has potential to absorb such micro and freelance creator talent leading to gainful employment.
• Evolution of Niche Content Platforms: Beyond mainline platforms like YouTube, Instagram, the next evolution is towards highly niche content platforms. Platforms targeted at specific interests like baking, travel, automobiles, spirituality etc. can bring together tightly engaged communities. This presents an opportunity for contextualized monetization, influencer marketing and commerce enabling micro and niche creators to thrive. Niche platforms also provide more personalized experiences driving loyalty. Thus, tailored content platforms open up creator economy avenues.
• Internationalization of Creators: There is significant potential for creators who gain large followings in Asia Pacific to expand globally. Cross-border collaborations can expand reach. Language localization, geo-targeted content etc can help scale internationally. Some Asia based creators have already found immense fame and followership overseas in the west. Their content resonates globally due to the universality of topics like comedy, dance, food etc. Thus, internationalization represents a big opportunity for Asian creators.

Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market Trends:

• Rise of Educational Content Creators: The creator economy is witnessing a major rise in educational content creators, teachers and experts sharing knowledge online through engaging formats. These include creators making explanatory videos, how-to guides, tutorials, online courses, live classes and more spanning diverse knowledge fields. Parents are encouraging children to follow science, math, language learning creators. Adults are seeking creators teaching professional courses like coding, marketing, finance etc. The knowledge creator segment enables digital learning and skill development.
• Vernacular and Local Language Content: There is rising demand for content created in local languages and dialects. Platforms are expanding language support beyond just English targeting vernacular Indian languages, Chinese, Bahasa, Thai, Japanese, Korean etc. Creators are producing localized content for deeper regional engagement. For instance, short form video app Josh has over 50 million MAUs in India due to its support for regional language content. Such vernacular content allows creators from lower-tier cities and towns to also grow an audience and find opportunities.
• Live Video and Interactive Formats: Creators are leveraging interactive live video formats across social media platforms to foster deeper audience engagement. These include livestreams, ask-me-anything sessions, real-time challenges etc. Exclusive live content and interactions are helping creators build loyalty and monetize through gifts, tips,in-stream sales etc. Thus, interactive formats enable differentiated content that followers value and pay for.
• AR/VR to Unlock New Creator Experiences: Emerging technologies like AR, VR and Metaverse will give rise to new creator-led experiences. Some examples include immersive concerts, fan events, exclusive VR spaces with creators etc. Such innovative formats can enable multi-sensory consumer experiences driving more niche content consumption. Hence, tech advancements can provide creators with tools for further creativity and community building.

Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market Restraints:

• Lack of Financial Stability and Security: Building a stable career as a professional creator is challenging. Most creators experience fluctuating income based on variable factors like viewer interest, sponsorship deals etc. Burnout from constantly producing content is also common. Most creators lack financial safety nets like insurance, retirement savings etc. offered in traditional employment. Lack of stability is hence a concern that can limit individuals taking up full-time creator careers.
• Discoverability of New Creators: While established creators have found fame and follower base, new and upcoming creators face major discoverability challenges. The digital space is saturated, with lakhs of creators competing for audience attention. Cutting through the noise as a new entrant is very difficult without proper guidance. Most fail to get discovered on crowded mainstream platforms. Lack of visibility leads many talented creators to give up entirely. Thus discoverability is a structural issue limiting the full potential of creator economy.
• Mistrust around Fake Followers and Engagement: There have been rising instances of creators artificially inflating reach through bots, fake accounts etc. or buying fake followers. The big numbers sometimes do not translate into actual influence and sales uplift for brands. This has created mistrust around creators exaggerating their actual impact and reach. Cleaning up and bringing transparency into ecosystem is vital for the long-term growth of the creator economy.

Recent Developments

New product launches

• TikTok Creator Marketplace: In September 2023, TikTok launched its Creator Marketplace in Southeast Asia. The Marketplace allows brands to connect with creators and collaborate on sponsored content campaigns.
• YouTube Shorts Fund Expansion: In August 2023, YouTube announced that it is expanding its Shorts Fund to more countries in Asia and Oceana. The Shorts Fund is a $100 million fund that YouTube is using to reward creators for creating engaging short-form video content.
• Kuaishou Spark Program Expansion: In July 2023, Kuaishou announced that it is expanding its Spark Program to more countries in Asia and Oceana. The Spark Program is a program that provides creators with access to resources and support to help them grow their following and monetize their content.

Acquisition and partnerships

• ByteDance Acquires PICO Interactive: In August 2023, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, acquired PICO Interactive, a Chinese VR headset maker. This acquisition is seen as a move by ByteDance to expand its presence in the metaverse and create new opportunities for creators.
• Kuaishou Partners with Bilibili: In July 2023, Kuaishou and Bilibili, two of the largest short-form video platforms in China, announced a partnership. The partnership will allow creators on each platform to cross-promote their content on the other platform.
• YouTube Acquires Shorts Platform Shorts: In June 2023, YouTube acquired Shorts, a short-form video platform from India. This acquisition is seen as a move by YouTube to compete with TikTok in the short-form video market.

Figure 1. Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market Share (%), By End-User, 2023

Top companies in Asia and Oceana Creator Economy Market

• ByteDance (TikTok, Douyin)
• Kuaishou
• Bilibili
• Tencent (WeChat, Tencent Video)
• Alibaba (Taobao, Weibo)
• Meta (Facebook, Instagram)
• YouTube
• Twitch
• OnlyFans
• Patreon
• Substack
• Kickstarter
• Indiegogo
• Disco
• Cameo

Definition: The creator economy refers to the class of entrepreneurs, artists, influencers, bloggers, YouTubers and other content creators who leverage online platforms to build a community and monetize their content. It includes both individual creators working independently as well as those collaborating with commercial brands. Key revenue streams for creators include advertisements, sponsorships, paid content subscriptions, merchandise sales, fan tipping, events and more.

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