Influencing Outcomes

Fabulate
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Welcome to Influencing Outcomes, the podcast that gets real about what drives success in influencer marketing. Each episode, we break down the latest headlines, share smart takes, and chat with the people shaping the creator economy. From brand marketers and agency leads to creators and talent managers, we explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how influence is turning into measurable results. If you care about the mix of creativity, strategy, and performance, this is your place to learn, laugh, and stay ahead of the curve. Hosted by Nathan Powell and Ben Gunn, Co-Founders of Fabulate, this duo knows the influencer world inside out. Nathan brings a strategic mind that connects creativity with data, while Ben’s experience in business development and digital media fuels his passion for building partnerships and driving growth. Together, they bring smart conversations, fresh insights, and genuine curiosity to every episode of Influencing Outcomes. New episodes Thursdays.

  1. Oct 21

    The Creator Economy’s Biggest Problems Nobody Talks About

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell is joined by fellow Fabulate co-founder Ben Gunn to tackle five of the creator economy's biggest problems that rarely get the attention they deserve. Inspired by a Net Influencer article asking 30 industry experts to identify creator marketing's biggest unsolved challenges, Nathan puts Ben to the test with a blind-ranking challenge. Five problems, five rankings, and once a decision is made, there's no changing it. But with measurement, attribution and creator discovery already dominating the industry conversation, what are the problems we're overlooking? The conversation begins with a fundamental question about the value of a creator business. How do you put a price on a company when its most valuable asset might be the person standing in front of the camera? Nathan and Ben explore why creators struggle to access traditional business finance, whether intellectual property and diversified revenue streams offer a more sustainable future, and why getting paid might be a much bigger problem than getting valued. The discussion then turns to one of creator marketing's most frustrating inefficiencies: why do brands spend so much time finding, vetting and building relationships with creators, only to start from scratch with every new campaign? From there, the pair examine whether the commercial infrastructure supporting creator marketing has kept pace with the industry's growth. With creators sometimes waiting 90 or even 120 days to get paid, who should really be carrying the financial risk? And when scope creep, contract disputes and changing expectations arise, are smaller creators being left to negotiate against businesses with significantly more resources? Nathan and Ben debate where the responsibility lies, whether creators need to become better business operators, and why the industry might need to rethink how it supports the people producing its content. Finally, the conversation turns to two challenges that could shape the next generation of creator businesses. Are creators building valuable audiences on platforms they don't actually control? And as brands become increasingly sophisticated at measuring and optimising content, could the science of creator marketing eventually undermine the creativity that made it successful? With some surprising differences in their final rankings, Nathan and Ben explore what the industry needs to solve today, what could become a bigger problem tomorrow, and whether creator marketing is growing faster than the systems supporting it. Timecodes: ●      (01:06) What are the creator economy's biggest overlooked problems? ●      (02:45) How do you value a business built around a creator? ●      (09:26) Why does every creator campaign start from scratch? ●      (16:10) Are creators being let down by the industry's commercial infrastructure? ●      (22:45) Who really owns a creator's audience? ●      (29:34) Is over-optimisation killing creativity in creator marketing? ●      (35:32) The final rankings: which problems matter most?   Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

    The Creator Economy’s Biggest Problems Nobody Talks About

  2. Oct 14

    Can You Have Too Much Attention?

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell is joined by Terri Owens and Nina Drakalovic to examine one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year: Sydney Sweeney's provocative partnership with sports prediction platform Novig. The campaign generated enormous attention, but it raises a deceptively simple question: if everyone remembers the celebrity but nobody remembers the brand, has the advertising actually worked? Using the campaign as a starting point, the team explores the difference between capturing attention and building brand recognition. Drawing on research from System1, they discuss why creator-led advertising can be exceptionally good at attracting audiences but less effective at making brands memorable. Have marketers become so focused on authenticity that they've forgotten some of the fundamentals of advertising? And how do you make a brand central to the story without losing what makes creator content worth watching in the first place? The conversation then turns to creator credibility and the commercial value of exclusivity. When a creator promotes a different favourite product every few months, does their endorsement eventually lose meaning? Should brands pay a premium for creators who rarely work with competitors, or are restrictive exclusivity agreements creating unnecessary costs? The team debates whether scarcity makes an endorsement more valuable and why protecting a creator's credibility might matter more than controlling who they work with. Finally, the discussion returns to Sydney Sweeney and the growing outrage economy. With social platforms rewarding content that provokes strong reactions, could controversy itself become a form of media distribution? The team considers the commercial benefits and reputational risks of deliberately provocative advertising, and whether brands are sacrificing long-term trust for short-term attention. Because while reach has never been easier to buy, trust has never been harder to earn. Timecodes: ●      (01:11) Did Sydney Sweeney's Novig campaign actually work? ●      (04:44) Does attention matter if nobody remembers the brand? ●      (07:36) Why is creator advertising so good at attention but weaker at brand attribution? ●      (11:09) Have marketers overcorrected on authenticity? ●      (16:28) Do creators lose credibility when they promote competing brands? ●      (21:43) Is creator exclusivity worth paying a premium for? ●      (28:07) Is outrage becoming a new form of media distribution? Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

    Can You Have Too Much Attention?

  3. Oct 7

    Do the Rules of Marketing Change When You’re Working With Creators?

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell and Ben Gunn are joined by Valerie Madon, Director of Creative Strategy SEA/KR/JP at Fabulate, and Nina Drakalovic, Client Strategy Lead ANZ at Fabulate, to ask a deceptively simple question: do the rules of marketing actually change when you’re working with creators? Creator marketing may no longer be new, but for many marketers it can still feel like a “mystical black hole”. Valerie and Nina explore why the category is still developing its own principles, why many brands remain focused on followers and reach, and how briefs are evolving from straightforward creator execution into much bigger marketing problems. As investment grows, the conversation also looks at the shift from measuring buzz and engagement towards proving harder business outcomes. The discussion then turns to the relationship between brands and creators. How much creative freedom should creators actually have? When should they be brought into the strategic process? And are brands sometimes briefing out the very thing that made them choose a creator in the first place? The team argues that the fundamentals of good marketing haven’t disappeared: clear objectives, strong briefs and creative effectiveness still matter. The challenge is creating enough structure to protect the brand without removing the creator’s voice. Finally, the team looks at what better creator strategy actually involves, from starting with the business problem rather than the creator or platform, to choosing talent based on what they can achieve rather than simply the size of their following. With creators ranging from highly polished storytellers to hyper-local voices capable of reaching communities traditional media cannot, the opportunity is much broader than buying influence. The real question is whether marketers are prepared to start treating creators as creators, rather than another media space to fill with a message. Timecodes: ●      (03:01) Why does creator marketing still feel like a “mystical black hole”? ●      (05:10) What are brands actually asking for from creator strategy? ●      (06:42) Are marketers becoming more sophisticated in how they approach creators? ●      (12:58) Do the rules of marketing change when you’re working with creators? ●      (16:34) When should creators be brought into the creative process? ●      (23:05) Where should a creator strategy actually start? ●      (27:49) What is the one thing marketers should change about their approach to creators? Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

    Do the Rules of Marketing Change When You’re Working With Creators?

  4. Sep 30

    Is It Time for Creator Marketing to Grow Up? With Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell and Ben Gunn are joined by Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia, to ask whether creator marketing is entering its own coming-of-age moment, and what the industry can learn from the evolution of digital advertising. Drawing on IAB Australia’s latest creator research, the conversation looks at how creators are influencing the way Australians discover, research and buy products, and why creator marketing increasingly needs to be considered alongside the rest of the media mix rather than treated as a standalone channel. They explore the relationship between creators, brands and consumer trust, including the finding that 44% of Australians say they are less likely to act on a creator recommendation once they know the creator has been paid or compensated. The discussion then turns to one of the category’s biggest challenges: measurement. As investment continues to grow, brands increasingly need to understand not only reach and engagement, but how creator activity contributes to broader marketing and business outcomes. Gai discusses the role of MMM, creative effectiveness and better integration of creator data into existing measurement frameworks, as well as why proving value does not simply mean proving an immediate sale. Finally, the conversation looks at what a genuinely mature creator marketing industry could look like. From global audiences and increasingly complex regulation to transparency, standards and the role of agencies, platforms and brands, the team considers how the industry can professionalise without professionalising the magic out of creator content. And as creators increasingly operate as media businesses in their own right, what will we look back on in three to five years and wonder why we were still getting wrong in 2026? Timecodes: ●      (02:08) Is creator marketing having its coming-of-age moment? ●      (05:49) What does the latest research tell us about creator marketing? ●      (08:14) Where do creators influence the customer journey? ●      (10:11) Why creator marketing cannot be measured in isolation ●      (15:11) What happens to trust when consumers know a creator has been paid? ●      (21:02) How do we professionalise creator marketing without losing its magic? ●      (23:56) What does a mature creator marketing industry actually look like? Learn more and download the latest Creator Connect Report 2026 from IAB Australia:https://www.iabaustralia.com.au/resource/creator-connect-report-2026/ Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

    Is It Time for Creator Marketing to Grow Up? With Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia

  5. Sep 24

    How Much Is a Creator Actually Worth?

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell is joined by Terri Owens and Ben Gunn to tackle one of creator marketing’s most persistent questions: how much is a creator actually worth? Starting with Forbes’ 2026 Top Creators List, the team looks at how the world’s biggest creators are turning attention into increasingly valuable businesses, and why audience size alone tells us surprisingly little about earning potential. From MrBeast’s estimated US$300 million annual earnings to creators with much smaller followings generating significantly more revenue than larger peers, they explore what separates having an audience from knowing how to monetise it. The conversation then turns to what brands actually pay for creator content and why creator pricing has proven so difficult to standardise. The team breaks down what can sit inside a creator fee, including production, distribution, audience access, usage rights, exclusivity and revisions. They also examine the role of talent managers, creator agencies and other intermediaries, and why transparency matters when additional fees and margins can influence how a creator’s performance and ROI are ultimately judged. Finally, the team asks what creators are worth to the platforms themselves. With creators building businesses across multiple platforms and revenue streams, YouTube, Netflix and other entertainment platforms are increasingly competing for the audiences they command. From YouTube reportedly offering multimillion-dollar deals to keep top creators away from Netflix to Ninja’s move from Twitch to Mixer, the discussion explores the difference between followers and fans, and how much value sits in an audience willing to follow a creator somewhere new. The conclusion is that there is no universal formula for what a creator is worth. Price and value are different things. A creator can have a different value to every brand and platform they work with, and potentially be worth far more to themselves when they turn their audience into a business. Timecodes: ●      (01:06) How much are the world’s biggest creators earning? ●      (08:24) Why is creator pricing so difficult to standardise? ●      (13:36) Are brands overpaying for creator content? ●      (16:37) Where does a creator campaign budget actually go? ●      (21:23) Why transparency matters in creator pricing ●      (23:45) What are creators worth to the platforms? ●      (29:17) Why platforms are competing for top creators ●      (34:17) Followers vs fans: who really owns the audience? ●      (40:00) So, how much is a creator actually worth? Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

    How Much Is a Creator Actually Worth?

  6. Sep 17

    Fix the Feed, or Fix the Problem?

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell is joined by Eliza Lewis and Ben Gunn to examine Australia’s proposed changes to social media feeds and ask a bigger question: are algorithms really the problem we need to fix? With the Australian Government’s proposed Digital Duty of Care legislation set to give users greater choice over personalised recommendations, the team starts by looking at what it actually means to switch off an algorithm. They explore how recommendation systems shape what people see, the echo chambers they can create, and why personalised feeds can make our individual version of the world feel much more representative than it really is. The conversation then turns to whether removing personalisation would actually create a better social media experience. From chronological feeds potentially rewarding the accounts that post most often to the role recommendations play in helping people discover new creators, the team looks at what could be lost alongside the risks the legislation is trying to address. They debate whether the problem is recommendation itself, or what platforms allow their systems to optimise for and repeatedly amplify. For creators, the implications could be significant if enough people choose to move away from personalised feeds. The team explores whether follower-led distribution could favour established creators while making it harder for emerging voices to break through. They also consider what it could mean for brands, earned distribution and a creator economy where great content can currently travel far beyond an existing follower base. Finally, the discussion asks where responsibility should sit. Giving users greater control over their feeds does not remove the responsibility platforms have for what their systems recommend, but switching off personalisation cannot remove harmful content from the internet either. The team considers whether the better approach is to focus on what platforms recommend, what their systems optimise for and when content should be eligible for algorithmic distribution in the first place. The conclusion is that user choice and platform responsibility do not have to be competing ideas. People can have greater control over how their feeds work while platforms remain accountable for what their systems amplify. The challenge is finding a way to reduce the harms of recommendation without losing the discovery, competition and diversity that have made social media such a powerful distribution model. Timecodes: ●      (00:25) What does it actually mean to switch off the algorithm? ●      (03:08) Are personalised feeds creating echo chambers? ●      (05:16) Is the algorithm really the problem? ●      (08:40) What happens when you switch recommendations off? ●      (11:12) Why recommendation changed creator discovery ●      (14:19) Is there such a thing as a neutral feed? ●      (15:56) Would people actually turn personalisation off? ●      (22:25) What could this mean for creators? ●      (25:46) Could follower-led feeds change creator strategy? ●      (28:52) What does it mean for brands and paid distribution? ●      (30:36) Should all content have a right to algorithmic distribution? ●      (33:44) Can regulation actually fix the problem? Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

    Fix the Feed, or Fix the Problem?

  7. Sep 3

     What Do AEO and GEO Mean for Creator Marketing? 

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell is joined by Eliza Lewis and Ben Gunn to explore Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), and what the rise of AI-powered discovery could mean for brands, creators and creator marketing.  Starting with the shift from traditional search to AI-generated answers, the team looks at how platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are changing the way consumers discover products, brands and recommendations. They explore the idea that creator content now has another audience beyond people and social algorithms: AI systems that can use that content as evidence when deciding what brands, products and people to recommend.  The conversation then turns to machine-readable authority, asking whether being influential with people is the same as being visible and authoritative to an AI. The team examines the blind spots created by closed social ecosystems, why general-purpose LLMs may favour the creators they know the most rather than those who are genuinely the best fit, and the important distinction between using an LLM to interrogate purpose-built creator data and treating the LLM itself as the data source.  Finally, the team looks at what brands and creators should actually do today, from creating content around a wider range of genuine questions and experiences to building stronger digital footprints and adopting more always-on creator strategies. With AEO and GEO still evolving rapidly, the conclusion is simple: rather than trying to game the machines, create useful, authoritative content that answers real questions and gives both people and AI something worth discovering.   Timecodes:  ● (01:58) Why AEO and GEO matter for creator marketing  ● (06:03) What’s the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?  ● (11:54) How creator content becomes evidence for AI  ● (19:20) How much creator content can AI platforms actually see?  ● (24:36) What is machine-readable authority?  ● (31:37) How creators can become more discoverable to AI ● (37:16) Does your brand need an AEO creator strategy yet?  Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

     What Do AEO and GEO Mean for Creator Marketing? 

  8. Aug 27

    How Do You Know You’ve Got the Wrong Creator Marketing Partner?

    In this episode of Influencing Outcomes, Nathan Powell is joined by Eliza Lewis and Ben Gunn to explore the warning signs marketers should look for when choosing a creator marketing partner, and the questions they should be asking before appointing one. Starting with transparency, the team looks at where creator marketing budgets actually go, the difference between legitimate margins and hidden mark-ups, and why understanding who sits within the supply chain matters. They then turn to technology, asking how marketers can distinguish genuine proprietary platforms and AI capabilities from third-party tools, ChatGPT wrappers and technology claims that fall apart once you scratch beneath the surface. The conversation then explores why organic creator content alone is no longer enough, how paid media can turn creator content into a harder-working marketing asset, and why organic performance doesn’t necessarily predict paid effectiveness. Finally, the team tackles creator selection and the biases that can shape recommendations, arguing that the right creator isn’t determined by follower count, tier or who happens to sit on a talent roster, but by the objective they are being asked to deliver. Timecodes: ●      (01:00) The warning signs of the wrong creator marketing partner ●      (03:00) Why transparency should be one of the first questions marketers ask ●      (06:31) Where does your creator marketing budget actually go? ●      (09:11) Legitimate margins vs hidden mark-ups ●      (13:28) What brands should ask about fees and the supply chain ●      (14:11) How to tell whether your partner is really a technology company ●      (18:33) What “AI-powered” should actually mean ●      (23:56) Why organic-only creator strategies are a red flag ●      (25:12) When and how should brands boost creator content? ●      (28:23) Does the best organic content make the best paid ad? ●      (31:10) The hidden biases behind creator selection ●      (33:38) Is there really a “best” creator size? ●      (36:51) Why is this creator being recommended to you? ●      (38:30) Final takeaway: marketers need to ask more questions Follow, Subscribe and Stay Connected. Enjoyed the episode? Follow Influencing Outcomes on your favourite podcast platform so you never miss an update. For more insights, industry trends and behind the scenes content: Follow Fabulate on socials: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠| ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ Visit our website:⁠⁠ www.fabulate.co

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About

Welcome to Influencing Outcomes, the podcast that gets real about what drives success in influencer marketing. Each episode, we break down the latest headlines, share smart takes, and chat with the people shaping the creator economy. From brand marketers and agency leads to creators and talent managers, we explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how influence is turning into measurable results. If you care about the mix of creativity, strategy, and performance, this is your place to learn, laugh, and stay ahead of the curve. Hosted by Nathan Powell and Ben Gunn, Co-Founders of Fabulate, this duo knows the influencer world inside out. Nathan brings a strategic mind that connects creativity with data, while Ben’s experience in business development and digital media fuels his passion for building partnerships and driving growth. Together, they bring smart conversations, fresh insights, and genuine curiosity to every episode of Influencing Outcomes. New episodes Thursdays.

Information

  • Creator
    Fabulate
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Copyright
    © All material is owned by Fabulate
  • Show Website
    Influencing Outcomes

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