YouTube as a Full-Funnel Platform: Insights from SharkNinja and Adam W for Creator Marketing
YouTube is becoming the most measurable platform in a brand’s creator mix. The combination of long-form, short-form, and content with cumulative value makes it a true full-funnel platform. At Cannes Lions 2026 in the Later Lounge, a session featuring Lyle Stevens (co-founder of Later), Mitun Shet (YouTube), Stacey Carpenter (SharkNinja), and creator Adam W discussed the future of creator-led marketing.
YouTube is a Full-Funnel Platform: Data and Facts
Mitun Shet noted that 76% of viewers on YouTube experience things they never thought they would experience thanks to the platform. Creator advertising is growing four times faster than the entire media market.
45% of YouTube Shorts users do not use TikTok, and 65% do not use Instagram Reels. This is a significant audience accessible only through YouTube.
Best Creative Partnerships Are Built on Storytelling
Adam W builds content around human conflict: a recognizable problem, a dramatized story, the brand as a solution. He described a campaign with an auto brand where the concept was built on complaints about cars—viewers couldn’t believe it was an ad.
Stacey Carpenter talked about SharkNinja Originals: content is created with creators as talents, not speakers, with unified IP for different markets. 70% of YouTube creators work with both Shorts and long-form content, allowing them to serve different stages of the funnel.
Content on YouTube accumulates, but most brands don’t account for this
30% of clicks and 40% of views on YouTube occur 30+ days after publication. Adam W gave an example: a video initially got 5 million views, and a year later—650 million. The new Dynamic Brand Segments feature allows brands to place ads in already successful videos post-factum, reducing risks.
AI is changing search, and YouTube content is being cited
According to Later, 90–95% of AI assistant responses reference creator content, not brand content. SharkNinja is building a creator ecosystem across three funnel levels: entertainment, education, and affiliate.
YouTube tools (Inspiration Tab, Dream Screen, Omni) lower the barrier to producing content that AI models are most likely to cite.
Conclusion: YouTube as Brand Infrastructure
Creator content on YouTube builds a layer of third-party validation that AI uses for years. Brands that have stopped thinking of YouTube as a media buy and started viewing it as infrastructure are investing in long-term relationships with creators and content that accumulates value.
The window for building such sustainable presence is closing. Ready to build a creator program with real sustainability? Explore Later’s influencer marketing services.