Creator Strategies with The Home Depot, Pinterest & Guardian Sports -Linqia Panel The Gathering 2026

How do leading brands build authentic, high-impact creator partnerships that drive long-term business results? Linqia owned a stage at The Gathering Festival 2026 in Banff, Canada, which was organized by Cult Ideas. In the panel discussion "Past the Views: What Creator Spend Actually Buys," moderated by Linqia’s VP of Creative & Client Strategy, Finola Austin, Whit Friese (The Home Depot), Sara Pollack (Pinterest), and Kate Santore (Guardian Sports) broke down the strategic value of creator ecosystems in modern marketing. Key topics covered: The role and purpose of creators Measuring influencer marketing ROI, creator campaign KPIs, and proving business value Misconceptions about influencer marketing and best practices for enterprise brands How enterprise brands organize and structure influencer marketing teams Advice for content creators on building long-term brand partnerships 📌 Follow Linqia for more insights on influencer marketing. https://www.linqia.com/