VidCon Anaheim

William August is a hands-on Creative Director and CEO of Outlandish Group with expertise in marketing, creative strategy, business development, SNS platform partnerships, short video production and livestream e-commerce. Through strategic foresight, drive, and determination, he built a strong foundation for his successful company Outlandish.In 2015, William started his online KOL career and was the first Westerner on Chinese video platforms to connect with Chinese audiences in fluent Chinese. He has grown from a one-man start-up to a growing team of creative and technical professionals.Over the years, William has diversified from his own social media channel into helping brands, governments and other influencers manage, grow and make sales on SNS platforms all over the world.As a leader and a creative innovator, alongside his high-performance team, William continues to strategically and organically grow their portfolio of clients internationally.

Industry Track

Brands & Creators: New Dynamics for a Mature Creator Economy

Duration: 1 hour

Location: Room 304AB

Thursday, June 19

3:55 pm - 4:55 pm

Featuring: Adam Rose, Ally Anderson (Director of Strategy & Insights, Brand Partnerships at LTK), Ashly Knox (Chief Marketing Officer at Henson Shaving) and more

This two-part session explores the evolving dynamics between brands and creators. First, LTK and Northwestern University’s Retail Analytics Council present key findings from The CMO’s Creator Guide 2025, a study of senior marketing leaders that reveals how creator-led content is outperforming traditional strategies and reshaping full-funnel marketing. The presentation is followed by a panel of influential creators and brand leaders who unpack what it takes to build partnerships rooted in shared purpose and creative trust. Together, they’ll examine the operational and relational dynamics that drive stronger outcomes — and what it really means to treat creators as co-producers with narrative influence.

Participants