The effect of influence on consumption

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Social Networks

September 14, 2026

The effect of influence on consumption

What the Youpix/Nielsen 2026 survey shows about the advancement of the Creator Economy

In 2025, 80% of Brazilian consumers bought a product recommended by influencers. In 2026, the rate reached 81%. The stability at such a high level indicates that purchasing through influence is no longer a behavior restricted to certain audiences. The percentage reaches 83% among women, 77% among men, 82% in the 18 to 34 age group, and 79% among consumers aged 35 or older.

These are some of the data from the research “The Effect of Influence on Consumption” (Youpix and Nielsen, 2026), and these numbers show us how the Creator Economy has advanced in recent years. It advances and consolidates itself as a highly dynamic market that is moving towards professionalization.

Youpix itself interprets this movement as a sign of consolidation of influence on the consumption habits of Brazilians. It is from this data, and other research results, that I propose to analyze here how creators have been occupying an increasingly relevant space in the consumer’s purchasing journey.

The research also shows that the influence appears long before the purchase. Seven out of ten respondents state that creators have already interfered in their decisions, with 33% having a high impact, and 40% a moderate one. In the discovery of new products and brands, influencers are cited by 44% of consumers, compared to 33% for recommendations from friends and family. Among women, this figure reaches 50%.

This modifies the place occupied by the creator in the journey. Their content can present an unknown brand, spark interest, offer references for evaluation, and participate in building trust before there is an immediate purchase intent. For companies, it means that influencer marketing should not be planned solely as media to generate reach nor evaluated exclusively by sales directly attributable to a publication.

Between recommendation and purchase there is a journey

Not every purchase happens immediately when the customer sees the product recommended by the influencer. Although 64% use influencer links or coupons frequently, only 20% buy immediately after contact with the recommendation.

Most continue researching: 64% look for more information or compare prices and 40% save the product to decide later. At the same time, 52% say they feel like discovering brands or products recommended by creators (an increase of nine percentage points compared to 2025), and 67% state they have already tried new brands through this channel. The survey also records that 58% of purchases occur within seven days of contact with the recommendation.

This path has a direct consequence for marketing management. If measurement only observes clicks, coupons, or immediate conversion, an important part of the influence effect disappears. The consumer may learn about the product in a video, search on Google or artificial intelligence tools, consult reviews, compare offers on marketplaces, and buy days later through another channel.

Therefore, campaigns need to previously define which role the creator should play at each stage of the journey: discovery, consideration, experimentation, conversion, or a combination of all. This choice also determines which indicators make sense. Sales and coupons remain relevant, but they alone do not explain a journey where recommendation can initiate a decision that is later completed.

Trust is worth more than audience size

The research also registers an important change in the definition of influence itself. Only 6% consider the number of followers a determining attribute. This demonstrates an evolution in the consumer’s understanding of the true role of the creator. For 47%, influencing is associated with the ability to inform, inspire, and entertain. And 90% consider it important or very important that the creator shares values and opinions compatible with theirs, compared to 87% in 2025. We are seeing a maturation process in this market.

And there is another important point in these numbers. These results help explain the appreciation of specialized creators and niche communities. A large audience increases exposure, but does not guarantee affinity or trust. For a brand, a smaller profile recognized within a specific subject may have more capacity to influence consideration than another with millions of followers and little relation to the category.

The trust placed in the creator also extends to the products they present. Research indicates that 55% trust a brand more when they see it being used by influencers; among consumers who fully trust the creator, this figure reaches 90%. At the same time, the audience quickly identifies when this relationship seems artificial: 49% reject exaggerated praise, 44% are bothered by rehearsed speeches, and 39% by hidden advertising.

The data on regret adds an important distinction. Among the 33% who have already regretted a purchase made by influence, 52% attribute the problem to poor product quality. The creator can favor initial discovery and trust, but it does not compensate for a bad delivery. For the company, selecting who recommends is only part of the strategy; the product needs to confirm the expectation built by the content.

Creators also enter distribution

Instagram still concentrates influence on purchasing decisions: it appears with 76% among consumers aged 18 to 24 years, 82% among those aged 25 to 44, and 78% in the group over 45 years. From 25 years onwards, YouTube occupies the second position, reaching 62% among those aged 25 to 44 and 58% among consumers aged 45 or older.

The fastest growth is from TikTok. The proportion of people who saw content related to brands, products, services, or offers on TikTok increased from 34% to 51% in one year. Among people aged 35 to 54, this percentage advanced from 27% to 50%, indicating that this type of content has also gained space among more mature audiences.

TikTok Shop brings content and transactions even closer: 59% are familiar with the TikTok Shop feature, 56% have already made purchases without leaving the app, and among those who have purchased, 80% rate the experience positively. The commercial growth of the operation follows this behavior. In its first year in Brazil, the average daily monthly GMV (an indicator representing the gross value of sales made on the platform) grew 102 times, while the number of active affiliated creators increased 46 times.

TikTok’s advance signals a structural shift in social commerce. The platform combines three elements that used to be separate: product discovery, recommendation by creators, and transaction. Growth among the 35- to 54-year-old demographic also shows that this dynamic is no longer restricted to younger consumers.

By integrating content and purchasing within the app itself, TikTok reduces journey steps and expands the commercial role of the influencer. For companies, this means that the creator is now analyzed not only as media but also as a sales channel, bringing influencer marketing closer to strategies of performance and distribution.

Marketplaces show that this integration is not restricted to TikTok. Among consumers who have already bought through influencer recommendations using links or coupons, 63% made purchases on Shopee, 56% on Mercado Livre, and 44% on Amazon. Shein appears with 38% and TikTok Shop with 36%. In the 18 to 24 age group, Shopee reaches 71% and TikTok Shop reaches 40%.

Affiliate programs place the creator in a different position than in traditional advertising. They continue to produce content and recommend, but also start directing traffic and generating sales for retailers and marketplaces, usually compensated by the transactions made. Influence, performance, and commercial distribution therefore begin to operate within the same strategy. We are talking about an economic ecosystem.

What the data asks of companies

The main information for managers lies in how this purchase happens. The creator can present a product, place it among the considered alternatives, legitimize their choice, and lead to a store or marketplace. These steps do not always happen in the same content or can be attributed to the last click.

Planning influence in 2026 therefore requires three pre-hiring decisions: which audience is intended to be reached, what role the creator will have in the journey, and why that person has legitimacy to talk about that product. The answers allow for better partner selection, definition of adequate indicators, and building relationships less dependent on isolated publications.

The research by Youpix and Nielsen also points to a broader market shift. If creators are already involved in discovery, consideration, and sales, they can no longer be treated merely as vehicles for distributing ready-made messages. They have become agents connecting content, trust, and sales. For companies, understanding this shift means recognizing that influencer marketing is already part of how products reach the consumer’s repertoire, evaluation, and, increasingly, their shopping cart.

Who wrote this column

Silmara Regina de Souza

Mestre em Administração, consultora pelo Sebrae SP. Palestrante, conteudista, especialista em marketing e comunicação digital. Entusiasta da produção de conteúdo e do uso estratégico das redes sociais como canais de relacionamento e comunicação.

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