Eye opening data that shows even in the creator economy, creators are being paid LESS simply for factors such as their skin tone, hair texture, age, and more.
UK-based talent-management firm SevenSix Agency published a report on June 4 showing that creators with a "deep dark" skin tone earn 44.63% less than those with a "light skin" tone, among other pay disparities, including the difference in influencer earnings based on hair type.
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The study of UK creators found Black influencers were paid 34% less than white influencers in 2024, up from a 22% difference found in the agency's 2022 study. The gap in the UK was similar to 35% pay disparity found among white and Black creators in the US in a 2021 report by The Influencer League and MSL Group.
Discussion (3)
Sadly, the creator economy is not immune to systemic racism and legacy beauty standards. The marketers/companies who are pouring money into this sector are the same people who pour money into anywhere else. This is a worldwide issue. The best we can do in our industry is more transparency to these inequalities and demand better for all involved.
Exactly this.
I haven't seen any industry immune from this, especially when beauty is a factor. Even with all the positive movements that encourage diversity, we still have a ton of work to do.
Absolutely disgusting that brand actually profile like this.
You would think they would be more concerned with the audience demographic themselves of the creators they want to work with. Why does it matter what a creator looks like? And it certainly shouldn't change their pay, all things being equal.