The influencer marketing industry has just gained a powerful new cross-continental partnership, and it could reshape how creators, agencies and brands operate across borders.
The UK’s Influencer Marketing Trade Body (IMTB) and the Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) have formalised a strategic alliance designed to raise professional standards, accelerate industry learning and strengthen global advocacy for the creator economy.
For influencer marketers, this is more than a symbolic agreement. It signals deeper alignment between two of the industry’s most mature markets and a step towards more unified global standards.
A partnership built for a globalised creator economy
The IMTB and AiMCO were already informally collaborating, but their new partnership formalises knowledge sharing, professional development and joint initiatives focused on ethics, transparency and commercial effectiveness.
The organisations say the alliance will deliver:
- Shared best practice frameworks and standards
- Joint insights, benchmarking and cross-market case studies
- Coordinated advocacy and education efforts
- Stronger trust and credibility across brands, creators and regulators
- Greater international collaboration as creator marketing becomes increasingly borderless
For marketers working on global campaigns or creators looking to expand into new regions, this alignment could streamline expectations and reduce confusion about different regulatory landscapes.
Creator marketing has gone global
According to industry figures cited in the release, the creator economy has grown from US$6.5 billion in 2019 to more than US$35 billion in 2024, outpacing even global cinema box office revenue. That scale has brought regulators, brands and agencies into more complex conversations about transparency, talent rights, advertising rules and measurement.
Both IMTB and AiMCO have become influential voices in those conversations.
IMTB sits on the UK Committee of Advertising Practice, co-owns the UK influencer marketing code of conduct and helped found the European Influencer Marketing Alliance, which now represents 300 agencies and 8,000 creators across seven countries.
AiMCO plays a similar role in Australia, uniting agencies, marketers and creators around best practice, disclosure standards and campaign measurement.
By combining forces, they aim to bring more consistency to markets that already lead globally in governance and professionalisation.
What industry leaders are saying
Scott Guthrie, Director General of the IMTB, emphasised the global significance: “Creator marketing is a global success story. By working together, we can more effectively address universal challenges and champion the responsible growth of the creator economy.”
AiMCO Managing Director Patrick Whitnall added: “This formalised partnership reinforces a shared commitment to raising standards and building global confidence in influencer marketing.”
Both leaders underline trust and professionalism, two persistent challenges for brands and creators navigating fast-evolving regulations and platform changes.
What this means for influencer marketers
For agencies, platforms and creators, the alliance could bring several practical benefits:
1. Clearer, more consistent standards across markets
Influencer marketers often juggle different rules for disclosure, child safety, political content, AI usage and talent rights. A more aligned UK-Australia framework could simplify global campaign planning, particularly for brands active in both regions.
2. Better education and professional development
Expect more joint webinars, certification pathways, toolkits and workshops, all useful for upskilling teams and validating professional expertise.
3. Stronger advocacy and industry protection
Unified lobbying power means the industry can speak more clearly to regulators, protecting creator livelihoods while ensuring responsible practice.
4. Cross-market insights and benchmarking
Access to shared case studies and performance data will help marketers understand cultural nuances, campaign efficiency and creator-brand dynamics across two influential markets.
5. Improved trust and credibility
As standards mature, brands may invest more confidently, creators may benefit from clearer expectations, and audiences may see more transparent, ethical content.
This alliance signals a shift towards global infrastructure for the creator economy, something the industry has lacked as it scaled rapidly. The IMTB-AiMCO partnership could serve as a blueprint for broader international collaboration, especially as Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific continue to formalise their own standards.
For influencer marketers, it is a promising step towards a more coherent, professionalised and globally connected industry, one where cross-border campaigns are easier to execute, creators are better supported, and brands can operate with greater clarity and confidence.
