Digital Content Creators – Latvia's New Exporters
An expert calls for a reevaluation of digital content creators, emphasizing they are significant exporters, not just influencers, and that Latvia should develop this sector as part of its creative industry exports.
In an opinion piece published by magazine "Ir", Toms Briedis, co-founder of the Latvian Influencer Marketing Association, urges a change in perception of digital content creators. He notes that Latvians often celebrate global successes like the animated film "Flow" and the 3x3 basketball team, but the creator economy remains undervalued.
Briedis argues that content creators whose audiences cross borders are effectively engaged in exports. He cites Andrejs Černuckis, known as Andrew Wave, whose followers number in the millions and whose content is consumed worldwide. These creators compete globally, not locally, using cameras or computers instead of factories.
According to Briedis, Latvia still has a conservative view, seeing digital creators only in an advertising context rather than as an economic sector. Globally, especially in the US and UK, the creator economy is already considered a vital economic component. He points out that Latvia's small market gives an advantage—ambitious creators must think internationally from the start.
The author criticizes the lack of data on the sector's value and calls for a discussion on developing digital content economy as an export direction. He concludes that, like "Flow" and the basketball team, content creators become ambassadors for Latvia globally, just with different tools, and the attention they attract is a valuable currency.
