Brandon Stewart, Founder and CEO of Brandon Studios (home to such shows for Brandon TV as “The Dolls,” “Mad House,” “Obsessed”, and “Encore”) is bringing his his deep experience in the creator economy to ScreenShift in October, participating in “FAST Tracking the Creator Economy – Opportunities and Challenges in CTV.” He shares just some of his thinking here:
What do you think are the biggest opportunities or challenges on the minds of brand marketers today regarding the creator economy?
Stewart: We’re in the middle of a massive power shift, from traditional gatekeepers like big networks and studios to individual creators who are building, distributing, and monetizing content on their own terms. What used to require a greenlight from a network now just takes a camera, a clear point of view, and a direct line to an audience. That’s the biggest opportunity for brands right now: tapping into talent who aren’t waiting for permission but are already commanding attention at scale.
That shift in power is also where the challenge lies. Many brand marketers are still approaching the creator economy through a legacy lens, viewing creators as interchangeable media placements or tactical marketing tools. What’s essential to understand is that today’s creators operate as full-scale content enterprises. They are their own networks acting as producers, showrunners, and distributors with deeply engaged audiences they’ve built independently.
What do you think brands most need to understand?
Stewart: Is the content as clean or polished as larger-scale productions? No. But the key question to ask yourself is: does that matter anymore? To thrive in this new landscape, stakeholders must move beyond transactional relationships and adopt a partnership-first mindset. Success requires co-creation, honoring the creator’s voice, and embracing flexibility in format, platform, and distribution strategy.
The traditional Hollywood pipeline is evolving, and there’s no reverting to the old model. We didn’t chase validation. We built our model on our own terms and aligned with collaborators who respected that foundation. The first step in navigating the creator economy is to stop resisting it. Those who adapt will move from simply capturing attention to cultivating community. In this ecosystem, a loyal fanbase is the most valuable currency.
How has the evolution of the industry/media marketplace changed your role or how you advise clients?
Stewart: At Brandon Studios we’re not just adapting to change, we’re building something entirely new. We’re one of the first of our kind: creating a studio model that gives creators more skin in the game and a true seat at the table from top to bottom. It’s not just about hiring talent to execute a vision. It’s about shaping that vision together, from development to distribution. Everyone involved feels ownership, clarity, and alignment, which results in better work and stronger outcomes.
The traditional top-down structure is outdated. We believe the future belongs to collaborative ecosystems, not silos. That means breaking down the walls between executives, talent, and production teams and ensuring everyone is part of the process not just at the premiere, but from day one. When creators feel like they’re part of the journey, the work reflects that. I’ve always been a transparent person being from the South, I learned that honesty is the first step to a positive working relationship. Not just the talent, but the audience can feel when something is made with that kind of alignment and shared passion.
This approach also informs how we advise clients. We help them understand that the industry will not wait for anyone. It’s constantly evolving, and the brands, platforms, and studios that thrive are the ones willing to evolve with it. If you don’t move, you get left behind. We focus on long-term thinking, cultural fluency, and building IP that travels across formats.
I’ve also built a technology that provides a platform for creators and fans to play, outside of traditional social media outlets. Our streaming platform is married with a social media community, allowing users to post, interact with each other, and affect the storytelling process in real time. So we’re not one-dimensional. And that’s what I teach all of our talent and creators that in today’s landscape, it’s not just about making something that works, it’s about making something that matters.
What are the takeaways you hope attendees will gain from your panel at ScreenShift?
That the creator economy is no longer emerging. It’s here. It’s thriving. And it’s redefining how content gets made, distributed, and monetized. This shift is not theoretical, it’s happening in real time. The most successful players will be the ones who lean in, evolve their strategies, and build partnerships that reflect this new reality.
Through our work at Brandon Studios, I want people to see how powerful it is when creators are given real ownership, shared vision, and a seat at the table. The future of this space is collaborative, not transactional. I want attendees to walk away realizing that when we work side by side with trust, transparency, and shared goals, everyone wins.
I hope the small anecdotes about our current success stories, like buying our 30,000-square-foot studio and our continued growth, motivate attendees to get moving. The industry is evolving, and time waits for no one. There is no better time to shift your focus. And remember: content is king. If I’ve done it, you can too.
On a personal level, I also hope to represent what’s possible when you don’t wait for permission. As a young CEO who found early success by betting on myself, my team, and a new model, I want others to feel empowered to do the same. There are no rules anymore. The path to success is not linear. It’s about staying focused, pushing through doubt, and knowing that limitations only exist if you accept them. I hope my presence encourages others, especially emerging leaders and creators, to believe in their own voice, back their ideas, and move with purpose.
