Some creators say brands are delaying their holiday deals later than ever this year

Holiday shopping (and thus, holiday marketing campaigns) seem to begin earlier every year. But for many content creators, the annual Q4 brand deals this year are increasingly coming together at the eleventh hour. More often than not, deals are struck less than 30 days out from a campaign live date as opposed to the traditional 30 to 60 days, according to two creators Digiday spoke with for this piece.

Given this year’s tariffs, economic headwinds and uncertainty around TikTok’s future, brands are likely sitting on their remaining budgets until the last possible moment, said Haley Schluter, head of North America for Buttermilk influencer agency. Creators are consequently seeing a range of activity, from a steady flow of deals to a slowdown.

“I can confidently say that there is a decrease in active partnerships, more hesitancy with spending, and we’re seeing a little bit of tightening of budgets,” said Trevor Barrett, a full-time beauty content creator based in Pennsylvania. Barrett, who goes by @trevorbarrett on social media, has more than 3 million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

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