Observed Signal · Sep 30, 2026 · Profile/Interview · Source: Digiday · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Shira Lazar's What's Trending Scales to Seven-Figure Revenue
Shira Lazar built the creator-driven digital media brand What's Trending, which now generates up to seven figures in annual revenue through platform advertising, brand partnerships, licensing, distribution, and events. Despite a setback with CBS News, she scaled the brand across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. What's Trending has 4 million followers and distribution deals with MSN, Spotify, and Screenvision. Lazar also advocates for creator rights, launching the Creator Bill of Rights with Rep. Ro Khanna and founding Creators for Mental Health. The article highlights her journey and the growing importance of creator-driven media, as noted by NowThis CEO Sharon Mussalli.
The article highlights the growth of creator-driven media as a viable business model, with What's Trending reaching seven-figure revenue and expanding into influencer marketing and events. It also underscores the industry's shift toward creators as media companies, a trend relevant to digital advertising and monetization.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- What's Trending generates annual revenue ranging from mid-six figures to low seven figures.
- The brand has 4 million followers across social platforms, with nearly 2 million on TikTok.
- What's Trending has distribution relationships with MSN, Spotify, and Screenvision.
- Shira Lazar launched the Creator Bill of Rights with Rep. Ro Khanna in January.
- Shira Lazar was named one of TIME's 100 creators of 2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“Longstanding distribution relationships with MSN, Spotify, and Screenvision....”
“the network cut ties after Lazar posted an erroneous tweet reporting Steve Jobs’ death....”
“Longstanding distribution relationships with MSN, Spotify, and Screenvision....”
“Recently named one of TIME’s 100 creators of 2026....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Unlocking Social Media: Agencies Spotlight Creator Economy Growth
The article compiles agency perspectives on the biggest opportunities in social media advertising. It emphasizes the rapid growth and professionalisation of the creator economy, with US creator-driven ad spend projected to reach $37 billion by the end of 2025, growing four times faster than the broader media sector. eMarketer suggests a hypothetical single new platform could accumulate about $10.52 billion in US brand investments, potentially becoming the fourth-largest platform. In the UK, YouTube creators contributed £2.2 billion in 2024. The piece notes rising creator pricing as demand grows, and advocates long-form serialized content and employee-generated content (EGC) as strategies to deepen partnerships. It also highlights diversification beyond Meta and TikTok, including Reddit content-review opportunities, and cites practical examples like M&S, Sheer Luxe, and Drinksult to illustrate authentic, culture-driven campaigns.
Creators Maturing into Diversified Media Companies
The article describes how top social creators are transforming into diversified media companies by building consumer brands, studios and service businesses beyond their original platforms. Examples include Jimmy Donaldson’s Beast Industries, which now spans food, toys, financial services and planned telecom offerings. Market data and recent deals—eMarketer’s $21 billion creator spend forecast for 2026, breakout theatrical hits from YouTube directors, and a $250 million fund from CAA and Integrated Media Company (backed by TPG)—are cited as evidence the creator economy has reached an inflection point. The piece outlines operational challenges in scaling, such as governance, hiring experienced executives, legal exposure, and the need for teams that can run without the founder. It forecasts increased M&A, further professionalization, and more institutional capital flowing into creator businesses.
Creator Economy Trends for Q4 2026
As the creator economy approaches a projected half-trillion dollars by 2027, the article outlines the key trends and shifts creators and brands should expect entering Q4 2026. Notable developments include creators increasingly taking on Hollywood roles, with Disney hosting its first creator event. The trend of creators joining corporate C-suites is becoming more substantive, as seen with Blenders and Jordan Howlett. Employee creator programs are growing, with Sprout Social reporting 40% of consumers discovering products via employee content. YouTube's upcoming monetization threshold increase in February 2027 is prompting creators to diversify revenue streams. The article provides an 'In and Out' list covering topics like regulation, AI's role, creator marketplaces, contract transparency, and the rise of creator agencies versus traditional ones.
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