“ Attention is the new currency — but attention alone no longer pays the bills.”

That line defines the moment we’re living in. In 2025, every scroll, like, and comment is a micro-transaction in culture. Yet the creators who command that attention are no longer content being digital celebrities. They’re evolving into founders, curators, and architects of what I call creator-led experiences — businesses that bring digital storytelling to life through physical spaces, products, and communities.

The Global Shift

Around the world, creators are blurring the line between influence and entrepreneurship. YouTube giants like MrBeast have turned audiences into customers, launching MrBeast Burger and Feastables, brands that merge entertainment with food and community. Tech reviewer MKBHD has moved from critiquing gadgets to designing them, co-creating Ridge Wallet’s Matte Black Everything edition — proof that creator taste now carries market weight.

Even collaboration itself is evolving. Recently, UK tech creator MrWhoseTheBoss partnered with phone company Nothing to design his “dream phone,” a project that united product development and community storytelling.

What we’re witnessing is the rise of phygital commerce — where online influence manifests in offline experiences. Glossier turned blog readers into loyal customers through pop-up stores that double as photo studios. Lululemon and IKEA have transformed retail into participatory spaces, proving that modern consumers don’t just want products — they want places to belong.

The numbers back up this transformation. Goldman Sachs estimates the global creator economy could reach US$480 billion by 2027, while over 200 million people worldwide now identify as creators. Consumers have shifted too: research from Forbes (2025) shows nearly 60 per cent of people trust creators more than traditional advertising.

In short, creators aren’t just promoting culture — they’re building it.

Experience Is the Differentiator

Experience has become the new competitive edge. In an age of endless content, what separates one brand from another isn’t price or product — it’s feeling.

Brands now design physical spaces as media channels. From the lighting to the layout, every element is built to be photographed and shared online. Each visit fuels organic marketing, turning customers into co-creators.

Technology is accelerating this shift. Social commerce converts views to sales in seconds; visual commerce tools like AR and 3D previews make products tangible before purchase; and AI enables personalized interactions at scale. Together, they’ve made it easier than ever for creators to translate digital trust into real-world transactions.

And that’s the real story here: people aren’t just buying products anymore — they’re buying experiences that make them feel connected.

The Caribbean Wave

This movement isn’t confined to Los Angeles, London, or Seoul. It’s happening right here in the Caribbean.

• Certified Sampson turned his comedy brand into Certified Scoops, an ice-cream shop where the energy of his skits lives in the décor and customer interactions.

• Kyle Boss transformed his morning-routine content into the 5AM Coffee Club, a lifestyle brand for creators and entrepreneurs who start their day early.

• Gervail “Jr Lee” Lee scaled his online humour into Comedy Fete, a touring entertainment experience blending party culture and stand-up.

• Renee Andrews built her dessert brand Sorvete through storytelling and design, now preparing to open Café Sorvete, an aesthetic extension of her digital presence.

• Shaun Alexander, co-founder of Foodie Nation, bottled his culinary storytelling into Island Spirit Pimento Sauce — a physical expression of years of digital trust.

• FoodieTalesWithZaak turned his food vlogs into Taste of Toco Tours, giving audiences a hands-on, sensory journey through local cuisine.

Each example demonstrates a universal truth: digital trust can become physical transformation.

The Caribbean’s greatest strength has always been its ability to create feelings through music, food, and storytelling. Now, that same cultural instinct is fuelling a new generation of entrepreneurs who understand that experience is the most powerful business model of all.

The Challenge: Turning Creativity into an Economy

Still, for this movement to scale, it needs structural support. Caribbean creators face what economists call scared capital — venture funding that avoids risk. The entire region attracted less than US$215 million in tech investment in 2023, compared to billions in Latin America.

Add to that weak digital infrastructure, limited e-commerce tools, and high transaction costs, and you see why even the most innovative creators struggle to grow beyond local markets.

Governments must start recognising creators as exporters of culture, not entertainers. Investing in digital infrastructure, offering tax incentives for creative businesses, and developing regional creator funds could transform this wave into a regional industry.

If tourism can be treated as a national pillar, so can the creator economy — because both are powered by experience.

The Road Ahead

The business landscape has changed forever. Attention is abundant; immersion is scarce. The entrepreneurs who learn to turn content into community, and community into experience, will define the next decade of Caribbean business.

The opportunity is clear: our region doesn’t just have stories — we have storytellers. And those storytellers are learning to build businesses that people can step inside.

The future of Caribbean entrepreneurship won’t be built in offices or malls — it will be built in experiences.

And those who can turn content into belonging will own the future.

Keron Rose is a Caribbean-based digital strategist and digital nomad currently living in Thailand. He helps entrepreneurs across the region build their digital presence, monetise their platforms and tap into global opportunities. Through his content and experiences in Asia, Rose shares real-world insights to help the Caribbean think bigger and move smarter in the digital age. Listen to the Digipreneur FM podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.