In the latest MediaCat Magazine podcast our Editor Mike Piggott chats to the Global Head of Research & Insights at We Are Social, Paul Greenwood, about their latest report, Next Gen Influence — trends defining a new era of brand and creator collaboration. They discuss each section in detail, from 'relatable realism' to 'extreme influence'. They talk about cosiness, redemption arcs for creators, and creators moving through different stages of their lives, culture becoming flat and brands being weird and subversive to cut through. They also briefly touch on why Mike hasn't watched Geordie Shore (and why Paul thinks he's missing out). So listen out for that. This pod is forty minutes long, and filled with wisdom and insight from Paul. We hope you enjoy. More about the report A parent explaining the health benefits of ketamine. A Manhattanite it-girl, swapping ‘NYC’s best cocktail bars’ for Connecticut's best horse riding spots. A puppet show in which children’s dolls are sent to rehab for stealing a Marc Jacobs bag. One glance at the content made by today’s creators, and we see a culture in flux. Everything from tone, to topics, to production norms have changed in the decade since influence’s infancy. In the context of dramatic industry growth, creators and brands are having to keep pace with an increasingly professionalised landscape. But it’s not just the scale of the creator economy that’s changing — the wider tectonic plates of culture are shifting, and the values of creator culture along with it.   As the world’s leading socially-led creative agency, that’s been working with influencers since 2008, We Are Social has helped brands navigate the growth of the creator economy for the last 16 years — from its baby steps to its present existential teen-hood. To understand what’s coming next, it’s essential for brands and creators to have one eye trained on the next gen of influence. We’ve uncovered five trends illustrating what that next generation will look like.